The Executive Director, Socio Economic Research and Development Centre, SERDEC Mr. Tijani Abdulkareem has called on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to close the gap of marginalization and socio-economic inequality against the indigenous people of Abuja.
At the 16th Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples holding in Geneva, Switzerland, Mr. Tijani noted that military rule have contributed immensely to the uncoordinated management of the capitalization of Abuja, taking away Indigenous Peoples’ lands, territories and resources, however subsequent democratic government have refused to democratize the process with effective mechanisms for compensation and socio-economic inclusion of the people.
SERDEC emphasis the need for inclusion and participation of Abuja indigenous People in governance, noting that Decree 16 of 1976 which created Abuja militarized the rights of the Abuja indigenous people and displaced them from their ancestral land through a military managed dictatorial compensation and relocation process which lack the democratic and transparent firm to infuse socio economic justice for the FCT indigenous people. subsequent democratic government have refused to democratize the process of mainstreaming the FCT indigenous people into state, local and national framework of economic, political and social development, this has presented glaring inequality across all front.
All over the world, indigenous peoples are recognized by their own history and values backed by international instruments like the International Convention on Indigenous Peoples, the ILO Convention 169 all of which emphasize the protection of indigenous peoples, including their intellectual and cultural property rights.
The Abuja Indigenous people has suffered decade of socio economic marginalization following the forceful taking over of their land engendering the people and the culture that keeps both balance. SERDEC therefore calls on the new administration to meet her international obligations by domesticating the various international conventions that will strengthen the indigenous communities in Abuja, protect their culture and include them in the political and economic development processes.
Tijani urges the new administration to adopt legislative, policy and administrative measures that commit to the empowerment of Indigenous Peoples by providing them with access to basic livelihood, cultural rights, right to land, territories, resource and economic opportunities enjoyed by other citizen with state status.