The indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have stated that they want to be integrated into Nigeria’s local and national framework of economic, political and social development; and not only resettlement.
They called on the Federal Government to “return all occupied Spiritual sites or pay compensation where necessary.”
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the National Stakeholders Dialogue on Rights of Original Inhabitants in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) organised by a civic group, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) with the support of the MacArthur Foundation.
The dialogue held under the theme "Building Resilience, Fostering Recovery: FCT Original Inhabitants And the Struggle for Social Justice", in Abuja on Saturday.
The FCT indigenes decried the treatment meted on them by the government and its actors.
The conference was attended by traditional rulers, government officials, Civil Society Organisations, (CSOs), the Executive Director, CHRICED, Mr Ibrahim Zikirullahi, and the media.
The communique from the dialogue, obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, reads, “Preamble: Indigenous peoples are distinguished by their ancestral land, their distinct language, culture and time honoured values which are treasured and have been preserved for centuries;
"In Nigeria, the rights of indigenous peoples are a major challenge in the search for sustainable development, peace and stability; Aware that the Original Peoples of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) are indigenous to their territories, their ancestral land which they have lived for centuries.
"That they own the land; the land is their livelihood, their dignity and pride; they have cultivated the land which is their greatest material and spiritual assets; That the indigenous peoples in the FCT are about nine with their own culture and civilisations that continue to face existential threats from various dimensions;
"That the conference was convened to keep stakeholders abreast of the socio-economic and cultural issues affecting the Original Peoples of the FCT.
"Presentations were made on Indigenous Rights and The National Question in Nigeria, Perspectives on the Political, Economic and Cultural Struggles of FCT Original Inhabitants, Experience Sharing on Indigenous Peoples Struggles Across Nigeria, How Fair is the Law to the OIs?
"FCT Original Inhabitants And the Non Enforcement of Judicial Verdicts; Fostering Recovery and Social Inclusion of the FCT Original Inhabitants, Soft Power Assets:
"Harnessing FCT OI Cultural Treasures to Foster Social Inclusion. The conference was enriched by a documentary on the plights of the Original Inhabitants and followed by presentations, speeches, goodwill messages and technical sessions on the identified key priority areas."
“OBSERVATIONS: Participants note that in 1976, the history of Original People of FCT was deconstructed with the movement of the Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja by the military government. The movement led to dramatic changes in the sociology, the land ownership, control and management effected through the military Decree 6, all of which affect the past, present and future of FCT indigenous peoples;
"That indigenous peoples in FCT are recognised by their own history and values backed by international instruments including but not limited to International Convention in Indigenous Peoples, the ILO Convention 168 all of which emphasise the protection of indigenous peoples including their intellectual and cultural property; Recognise that on December 23, 1994, the UN General Assembly resolution 49/214 adopted the International Day of Indigenous Peoples;
"Aware that The United Nations, (UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples was established on July 28 to address the challenges of indigenous peoples all over the world;
"Knowing that the UN through the World Conference on Human Rights General Assembly proclaimed International Decade of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples (1995-2004) with indigenous peoples declared as ‘holders of unique languages, knowledge systems and beliefs and possess invaluable knowledge for sustainable management;
"That the FCT 1976 Decree 06 has affected the history, spirituality, indigenous knowledge, environment, culture, civilisations and heritage of indigenous peoples of the FCT; That indigenous peoples in the FCT have been consistently denied their right to land and capacity to own property in a territory that historically belongs to them;
"That other forms of discrimination and exclusion manifest through denial of access to ancestral land, lack of economic, political, cultural opportunities and identities, denial of statehood, denial of access to utilities like health, quality education and job opportunities;
"That original inhabitants who are physically challenged with disability are direct and outstanding victims of these anti-people policies; That social, political and economic developments in the FCT have not taken into consideration the international best practices as enshrined in the various international conventions on Indigenous peoples including c169 and the Convention on Biological Diversity which emphasises free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples;
"Original Peoples express worry about the mining activities on indigenous territories and the negative impact on the peace and livelihood of indigenous peoples."
“Recommendations; After exhaustive deliberations, participants support peaceful means of expressing the grievances of Indigenous Peoples of the FCT to local and international authorities while creating or strengthening existing network of indigenous peoples in Nigeria;
"That indigenous people of the FCT will henceforth assert their right to livelihood which is tied to land and property without which life is meaningless;
"The rights of indigenous people in the FCT should be viewed in the context of the National Question which demands immediate resolution; The original peoples of the FCT should be integrated into local and National framework of economic, political and social development;
"Participants resolved to develop a National Network of Indigenous Peoples with a plan of action driven by peaceful demands for the resolution of grew areas that undermine the rights of indigenous peoples in the FCT and in Nigeria;
"That indigenous peoples want integration and not resettlement and call for corporate responsibility on the part of the Government and other economic stakeholders on indigenous territories;
"Participants call on the Nigerian Government to return all occupied Spiritual cites or pay compensation where necessary; Participants call on the Federal Government to meet her Regional and International obligations regarding the rights of indigenous peoples;
"In addressing the fears and aspirations of indigenous peoples effective measures should be taken to fully integrate indigenous Peoples Living With Disability, (PLWD);
"That the Federal and FCT Authorities should provide institutional support for the development and preservation of FCT indigenous language, traditional knowledge and civilisations;
"That even though Chapter 4 of the Nigerian constitution emphasises the rights of Nigerians to the essentials of life, the enforcement is weak and has not meaningfully benefitted indigenous peoples.
"Participants call for enforcement of aspects of the Nigerian constitution that promotes the rights of indigenous peoples; That participants regret that all efforts made by indigenous peoples to draw the attention of the Nigerian authorities have yielded little or no fruits for the past 40 years a situation that continues to diminish the indigenous peoples of the FCT and their territory and therefore, urge the Government to bring indigenous issues to the front burner of national discourse.”