A coalition of youth organisations known as FCT Mandate Restoration Group has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to assign the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja portfolio to an indigene of the FCT.
In a statement the spokesperson of the group, Hajiya Zainab Umar Marafa, said making Mr Zephaniah Jissalo, a full cabinet minister of the FCT, Abuja, would go a long way to correct several years of injustice and marginalisation of the aborigines of the Federal Capital Territory.
Marafa said the original owners/ indigenes of FCT, Abuja, should be given their rightful positions in the scheme of things to avoid the looming danger of youths restiveness, agitation, confrontation and militancy in the city.
She said successive administrations had marginalised and relegated the aborigines of FCT to the background in political appointments, resource allocation, provision of social amenities and infrastructural development of rural communities.
She said, “Our group is canvassing for the restoration of the manifest destiny of the original owners of FCT, Abuja. We have been cheated, margalised and pushed to the background for several years. We do not want to be violent, confrontational and militant in pursuing our demand.
“We wholeheartedly support the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu who is determined to correct the ills of the previous administration.”
Marafa expressed profound gratitude of the youths’ organisations to Tinubu for nominating Mr Jissalo, a former chairman of the Abuja Municipal Council with track record of performance and infrastructural transformation of the council.
