Abuja natives and the ticking time bomb
This August, President Muhammadu Buhari should currently have an important note on his table. The dissertation is expected to be about the fear and trembling of nine indigenous peoples of Abuja, the seat of power. If he doesn't, then some people are definitely not doing their job or treating the president's authority with absolute disregard.
If Nigeria works effectively, the President should have a memo telling him to take a number of actions on the boiling grievances of the original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He or his top officials could visit them or at least send a fact-finding mission to verify their grievances, which could soon escalate into violent outbursts if left unchecked. But I doubt that happened. I doubt that will ever happen, at least not so soon, judging by the tradition of Nigerian authorities who are notorious for ignoring warning signs.
Let history bear witness: if the federal government does not address the growing concern of the indigenous people of Abuja, the ancestral owners of Nigeria's most honored city, the government may not be able to sleep soundly in the near future. On August 9, 2022, I witnessed their screams and cries, their passion and pent-up disenchantment. They are alarmed to see their history and their civilization splashing in their eyes, a sordid scene that they can no longer continue to watch in silence. Several times the youths have threatened to block all the highways in Abuja, but are calmed down by their elders.
They complain that in 1976 the military government asked them if they wanted to stay in the field or quit. Out of fear, many of them left their homeland. Those who remained, leaders said, received a stipend. One leader said the government would pay around 5,000 naira for crops on a piece of land but sell the same land for 50 million naira. They fear that their shrines, sacred groves and burial places have been usurped. They said that Aso Rock and the location of the National Stadium in Abuja were ancient territories of traditional worship.
During the former Abuja pack on August 9, the nine indigenous peoples came together for the first time through the Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education with the support of the MacArthur Foundation.
I've always heard of the indigenous people, who now refer to themselves as the original inhabitants of Abuja, but honestly, I didn't know how rich their culture was and less aware of the level of deprivation and rage and seething anger. On that day, myself, along with many visitors from Nigeria and around the world, were impressed by the indigenous peoples who exhibited civilizations dating back to the 1300s when their ancestors first occupied the FCT of today. Masquerades of different types and shapes, drum men, locals with ancient costumes came out with an ancient harp, lira and flute. It was the first time many of us had seen Abuja in its raw, original state. “Our history was deconstructed in 1976 by the Nigerian central government. Our children ask questions. They fear that their lands will be taken away from them and their civilizations will be almost extinct,” one of the participants, born in 1976, told me.
Overwhelmed by industrialization, skyscrapers, a rainbow of people from diverse cultures, the original people are deeply troubled by what they now see as the complete loss of their treasure and his humanity. Some of the nine indigenous ethnic groups in Abuja are: Koro, Gbwari, Gade, Nupe, Gwandara, Dibo, Bassa and Ebira. In 1976, the military administration of General Murtala Mohammed issued Decree 6 which took the federal capital to Abuja following the recommendation of Judge Akinola Aguda Panel. FCT Original Inhabitants now claim their history has been deconstructed with the relocation of the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja. The movement brought about dramatic changes in sociology, land ownership, control and management. Around the world, indigenous peoples are recognized by their own history and values supported by international instruments such as the International Convention on Indigenous Peoples, ILO Convention 169, all of which emphasize the protection of indigenous peoples indigenous peoples, including their intellectual and cultural property.
The UN, as early as 1982, began to affirm the rights of indigenous peoples following demonstrations around the world. On December 23, 1994, United Nations General Assembly resolution 49/214 adopted the International Day of Indigenous Peoples. Nigeria is a signatory. The UN went further, creating the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples and the First Decade of Indigenous Peoples in 1995. The Forum encourages leaders of indigenous peoples from around the world to meet at the UN where they address world leaders using their mother tongue. I was the West Africa Regional Secretary of the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Rainforest (IAITPTF) based in Chian...
This August, President Muhammadu Buhari should currently have an important note on his table. The dissertation is expected to be about the fear and trembling of nine indigenous peoples of Abuja, the seat of power. If he doesn't, then some people are definitely not doing their job or treating the president's authority with absolute disregard.
If Nigeria works effectively, the President should have a memo telling him to take a number of actions on the boiling grievances of the original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He or his top officials could visit them or at least send a fact-finding mission to verify their grievances, which could soon escalate into violent outbursts if left unchecked. But I doubt that happened. I doubt that will ever happen, at least not so soon, judging by the tradition of Nigerian authorities who are notorious for ignoring warning signs.
Let history bear witness: if the federal government does not address the growing concern of the indigenous people of Abuja, the ancestral owners of Nigeria's most honored city, the government may not be able to sleep soundly in the near future. On August 9, 2022, I witnessed their screams and cries, their passion and pent-up disenchantment. They are alarmed to see their history and their civilization splashing in their eyes, a sordid scene that they can no longer continue to watch in silence. Several times the youths have threatened to block all the highways in Abuja, but are calmed down by their elders.
They complain that in 1976 the military government asked them if they wanted to stay in the field or quit. Out of fear, many of them left their homeland. Those who remained, leaders said, received a stipend. One leader said the government would pay around 5,000 naira for crops on a piece of land but sell the same land for 50 million naira. They fear that their shrines, sacred groves and burial places have been usurped. They said that Aso Rock and the location of the National Stadium in Abuja were ancient territories of traditional worship.
During the former Abuja pack on August 9, the nine indigenous peoples came together for the first time through the Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education with the support of the MacArthur Foundation.
I've always heard of the indigenous people, who now refer to themselves as the original inhabitants of Abuja, but honestly, I didn't know how rich their culture was and less aware of the level of deprivation and rage and seething anger. On that day, myself, along with many visitors from Nigeria and around the world, were impressed by the indigenous peoples who exhibited civilizations dating back to the 1300s when their ancestors first occupied the FCT of today. Masquerades of different types and shapes, drum men, locals with ancient costumes came out with an ancient harp, lira and flute. It was the first time many of us had seen Abuja in its raw, original state. “Our history was deconstructed in 1976 by the Nigerian central government. Our children ask questions. They fear that their lands will be taken away from them and their civilizations will be almost extinct,” one of the participants, born in 1976, told me.
Overwhelmed by industrialization, skyscrapers, a rainbow of people from diverse cultures, the original people are deeply troubled by what they now see as the complete loss of their treasure and his humanity. Some of the nine indigenous ethnic groups in Abuja are: Koro, Gbwari, Gade, Nupe, Gwandara, Dibo, Bassa and Ebira. In 1976, the military administration of General Murtala Mohammed issued Decree 6 which took the federal capital to Abuja following the recommendation of Judge Akinola Aguda Panel. FCT Original Inhabitants now claim their history has been deconstructed with the relocation of the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja. The movement brought about dramatic changes in sociology, land ownership, control and management. Around the world, indigenous peoples are recognized by their own history and values supported by international instruments such as the International Convention on Indigenous Peoples, ILO Convention 169, all of which emphasize the protection of indigenous peoples indigenous peoples, including their intellectual and cultural property.
The UN, as early as 1982, began to affirm the rights of indigenous peoples following demonstrations around the world. On December 23, 1994, United Nations General Assembly resolution 49/214 adopted the International Day of Indigenous Peoples. Nigeria is a signatory. The UN went further, creating the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples and the First Decade of Indigenous Peoples in 1995. The Forum encourages leaders of indigenous peoples from around the world to meet at the UN where they address world leaders using their mother tongue. I was the West Africa Regional Secretary of the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Rainforest (IAITPTF) based in Chian...
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