Skip to main content

FCT Indigenes Knock Gbajabiamila For Allegedly Nominating In-law As FCT Commissioner

The group said Mike Gomwalk who was announced for the territory was an in-law to the Speaker from Plateau State, adding that he was not from the FCT, but they deliberately removed the name of their nominee without the consent of the lawmakers and put the man's name.

The Coalition of the Federal Capital Territory Indigenous Group has accused the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, of replacing the name of their nominee as a commissioner at the Public Complaints Commission with the name of his in-law.

The group said Mike Gomwalk who was announced for the territory was an in-law to the Speaker from Plateau State, adding that he was not from the FCT, but they deliberately removed the name of their nominee without the consent of the lawmakers and put the man's name.

Image


The natives said they would stop at nothing to reclaim their stolen mandate.

Addressing journalists on Friday in Abuja, the Coordinator of the Group, Kamal Adamu, described the Speaker's action as the height of injustice against the indigenous people of the FCT and vowed not to give up until the name was replaced with the right nominee from the territory.

Adamu said, "We as FCT natives have deemed it fit to call this press briefing and make known to Nigerians and the entire world the evil bedevilling us as a people. 

"Specifically, we want to call Nigerians' attention to the recently released names and nomination as commissioners for Public Complaints Commission. Our findings have also shown us that the FCT National Assembly representatives unanimously agreed on the FCT nominee and also submitted a choice name for appointment as commissioner from FCT and the FCT but was deliberately removed without the consent of our National Assembly representatives and that the purported nominee announced as FCT nominee is an in-law to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

"We highly suspect the Speaker as the perpetrator of this injustice against our people and especially note at this moment that the nation is already tensed and bleeding as a result of injustice."

The group noted that the National Assembly Act setting up the Commission allowed a commissioner nominee to be selected from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT from which a chief commissioner is made out of the supposed thirty-seven (37) nominees. 

He said, "We are not going to accept it; we are going to write a petition and get what is meant for us. On what basis shall somebody or their group feel they can suppress us? They should never appoint anybody who is not from FCT to represent us."

The coalition vowed to occupy National Assembly in protest against the action and demand for justice.

Some of the groups include Abuja Lawyers Forum, Abuja Indigenous Women, FCT Councillors' Forum, Abuja Grassroots Association, and the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation.

Recall that the National Assembly leadership had last week approved the appointments of 37 commissioners of the PCC representing the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

The PCC is by law under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly.

Topics
Politics