Abuja natives rejects nomination of Ex-Kogi deputy gov as FCT commissioner
By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja
Natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the umbrella of the Coalition of the FCT Indigenous Association (COIA) have rejected the nomination of the immediate former deputy governor of Kogi state, David Edward Onoja, as commissioner for Public Complaints Commission (PCC) representing the territory by the senate.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the nation Capital, yesterday, the spokesperson of COIA, Comrade Abdullahi Suleiman Ango, said it is wrong after seeing the released list of nominees for public complaints commissioners as announced by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio without a nominee from the FCT, while Kogi state has two commissioners nominees.
He said the natives find it necessary and imperative to complain because they have been denied so many constitutional provisions, saying it is only in Nigeria that FCT is having a lone senator and two houses of representatives, while other states are having more than none and above with less population.
He said such action by the senate has clearly shown that the natives of the FCT have been seriously trampled upon for allowing the peaceful sitting of the federal capital territory in Abuja, even as he said the natives are people that are identified by their culture and traditions like other Nigerians.
“We the FCT natives are calling that the only seat that is meant for us constitutionally should be reversed and give back to us,”he said.
He said the last person that was appointed as commissioner for Public Complaints Commission (PCC) was an indigene of the FCT, which he said had performed incredibly well.
“In fact, based on our findings on award given to public servants, he was ranked to be the best among the PCC commissioners in the FCT and the federal republic of Nigeria that the commission has ever produced,”he added.
He, therefore, called on the senate to as a matter of urgency reverse the nomination and give it to another competent person that is an indigene of the FCT or given to the immediate past PCC commissioner Ezekiel Musa Dalhatu for another fresh four years.
“And based on our findings, the office of the PCC commissioner is renewable as there is nothing wrong is reappointing Ezekiel Musa Dalhatu for another fresh four years,” the natives said.
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The natives, however, distanced themselves from the planned nation wide protest, saying there must be some sinister motives behind such a protest, even as they asked the senate to reverse the nomination within 48 hours or face protest over non nomination of FCT indigene as PCC commissioner.
“We are talking today as a coalition that within 48 hours if this nomination is not reversed, we have no reason to stay behind not to embark on protest over what rightfully belongs to us as Nigerians and natives of the FCT,” he added.
