The Abuja Youth Residents Association (AYORA), express its displeasure over the non inclusion of FCT indigenes on the ambassadorial list presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly. It is a legal fact, duly established by judicial decision up to the level of the Federal Court of Appeal, that the FCT holds the status of a state in Nigeria and ought to receive all perks acruable to other states in Nigeria including government appointments in line with the federal character.
Speaking with newsmen, the President of Abuja Youth Residents Association; Amb. Akoshile Mukhtar reiterated that, Politics aside, having won the last presidential elections in 2019 for a second term in office, the President who swore to defend the constitution ought to have shifted gears to focus on governance in line with his sworn oath to defend the Nigerian constitution in service to all Nigerians. It is worrying that the government of the day chose to take the marginalization of FCT indigenes to the next level by, not only denying them ministerial appointment, but even taking it further by denying them ambassadorial nomination.
Nigeria cannot hope to make progress in an atmosphere where a significant population, such as the FCT indigenes constitute within this federation, would be denied participation at the highest levels of government in service to the nation. The tenets of democracy require that all constituent groups are given equal footing to have their voices heard at the topmost levels of decision making, to express their unique needs and challenges.
We, the Abuja Youth Residents Association outrightly reject that list in its entirety without any reservations whatsoever and call on the President to review this list with a view to remedial action to it towards the path of justice and fairness. We equally call on the National Assembly, in its dual capacity as both an oversight body over the executive arm of government and the legislative arm of government for the FCT, to reject this list until the needful is done on inclusion of an FCT indigene on the list.
We equally call on our brothers, the Original Inhabitants of Abuja, to continue to remain peaceful in their engagements and advocacy on this and other matters affecting the FCT as they have done over the years hoping that government will be positive to their demands soon.
