When Gbagyi, FCT indigenes, protested marginalisation

Gbagyi indigenes of FCT protesting over alleged marginalisation by the Federal Government.

HUNDREDS of Gbagyi people, the real indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Friday, 4 July, 2017 stormed the streets of the capital city to protest alleged marginalisation and deprivation by the Federal Government.

The protest was fuelled by the recent Senate’s rejection of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 12, 2017 (Appointment of Minister from the FCT) which seeks to alter section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the appointment of a minister from the FCT, Abuja to ensure that the FCT is represented in the executive council of the federation.

There was no doubt that Gbagyi, the ancestral residents of what constitutes the present day Abuja, have since the 1980s been crying over alleged marginalisation ranging from lack of basic amenities and infrastructure deficit in their communities, appointments and employment to reflect their quota in the Federal Character arrangement.

Among other prominent points of struggle is that of the mayoral post of the FCT for the Gbagyi people which has also fallen on deaf ears. The indigenes are also aggrieved that FCT has a single Senate and House of representatives seat respectively. Recently they also clamoured for state status to be granted to the FCT in order to allow the indigenes to elect their governor.

Secretary General, Coalition of FCT Indigenous Association, Barrister Christopher Dada, who led the protest last week, lamented that Abuja had since been overrun without any resistance.

He said what was most disturbing in the midst of all these struggles however, was the fact that no one seemed to take their agitations seriously.

“Yet, we hear of Ogoni people, MASSOP, and their land struggle, Odu’a Peoples Congress (OPC) and the South West protection, the Plateau, seeking an identity and emancipation”, he added.

He further lamented a situation where today in the FCT, it had become a case of indigenous tribes versus residents association who were operating on different frequencies on Gbagyi land, adding that nobody spoke on the basis of compensation for the Gbagyi man.

According to Dada, the people are fast becoming landless because they have tactically been disposed of their land by the government machinery or the privileged absentee landlords. “But why is such a calamity taking place over our people with ease? What has gone wrong with the hitherto, peaceful people?,” he lamented.

They demanded, among other things, that the Federal Government should henceforth appoint Abuja indigenes as FCT minister and Permanent Secretary so as to be part of decision-making at the federal level.

The protesters who had converged on the entrance of the Head of Civil Service as early as 6:00 a.m, were later demobilised by the security operatives before they regrouped and caused serious gridlock within the area.

They carried placards with various inscriptions: “FCT is sitting on a timed bomb; enough is enough Permanent Secretary for FCT is a must do; how can there be peace without justice?”. They further threatened that if government failed to address all their grievances and agitations, they might resort to violence”.

Prince Gbaiza, National Coordinator, Greater Gbagyi Development Initiative of Nigeria (GG-DIN), emphasised that the right thing should be done because if the people were left with nothing, then the heritage of the Gbagyi man would be extinct.

“Gbagyi people have turned themselves enemies to one another. That is why Kwali and Bwari can have non-indigenes as their traditional rulers. Yet nothing seems to happen. That is why our politicians can be killed and heavens have not fallen. That is why our houses are demolished, land seized without compensation, and heavens cannot weep. Will these happen in the Niger Delta or South East, or South West or the Northern States and the country will not pay for such?,” he stressed.

Gbaiza, stressed that the Gbagyi people are generally known to be hardworking, basically peasant farmers. This culture of hard work over the years had failed to deliver the people from poverty in spite of their labour. Education, which is the gateway to success in life is a mirage among the Gbagyi people.

According to Prince Ggaiza, “our children are learning under harsh economic conditions. The educational infrastructures are poor, the space (institutions) limited and where available, the Gbagyi man is unable to afford the cost. The children, especially those in Abuja, are competing against global standards because of their environment. Our children are dropping out of school in droves because of lack of sponsorship, parents have failed due to obvious reasons and governments at all levels have failed us”.

He also emphasized that at the Area Council levels, scholarship is only awarded to the children of members of political parties in government or the children of the elite.

“Our children study under harsh economic situation, trekking to schools, going to farm, before they can pay their school fees or buy handout or type assignments. Our daughters have taken to prostitution. A trip through any of the major- streets, parks or offices in Abuja, what you see is Gbagyi girls hawking groundnuts and maize. We are the drawers of water and hewers of wood on our own land, while we watch individuals come from far and near become rich, doing business with our lands and on our land. Our politicians are not giving us quality representation, why is the Gbagyi man not lucky?,” he asked rhetorically.

Another Gbagyi indigene Iyako Joseph  asked, “are we cursed? Why are we always sending our second or third eleven, instead of our first eleven? Perhaps, the first eleven have failed, or just self-centred. Abuja as at today, has no ministerial appointment, one ambassadorial posting at our back yard. What is the value of our votes at elections? There are about 55 university institutions, many Colleges of Education and polytechnics, non is headed by a Gbagyi man in spite of the fact that we have about 15 Gbagyi Professors in Nigeria’s higher institutions. Politics has caused this”, he claimed.

Speaking with newsmen in his palace, the Sa’Peyi of Garki, Dr Usman Nga-Kupi, said he did not believe in violence, hence the decision to go on peaceful protest.

He lamented that government was not ready to listen and “we don’t want our youths to resort to violence because we don’t buy the ideas of people demonstrating or violence, but our prayer is that government should listen to the people because that is the essence and the beauty of democracy.

Speaking further, Mr Dada said “we need a permanent secretary for FCT, we discovered that in the recent exercise for the appointment of permanent secretary by the Federal civil service, three of our people were shortlisted but along the line music changed and they were saying that they were not qualified, they were not shortlisted so this is a major thing we want to know and constitutionally we are qualified.

“In the past days, we have Dr Aboki Jawa, an indigene of FCT who was Permanent secretary of many ministries, especially ministries of Education and Petroleum Resources and many others, so why is government denying us of this opportunity at this time?”, he questioned.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the Abuja South Indigenous Youth Forum, Abdul-Mustafa Abdullahi Zuba said “this is just the beginning”.

The Director of Special Duties, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Mr. Olusade Adesola, promised, while addressing the protesters to deliver the messages to the Head of Service for onward delivery to the Presidency.

Source Tribune.