As the Senate makes arrangement to amend the 1999 Constitution, the original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja are seeking for the creation of State, that they can be identified with.

This was contained in a memorandum submitted by the FCT indigenes to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo Agege.

The indigenes under the umbrella of Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) are seeking for far-reaching alteration of provisions of the Constitution for the actualisation of their demands.

Request made by the FCT Indigenes

• In the 45 page memorandum submitted by the Indigenes by OIDA President, Pastor Danladi Jeji, besides the recognition of FCT as a State on its own, they said that it will pave way for it to have an elected Governor and legislative Assembly for itself.

• The Federal Capital Territory, according to the indigenes, should be constitutionally made to be a State under the administration of an elected Governor while Federal Capital City (FCC) should also be recognised with Mayoralty status.

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• The FCT indigenes are demanding that six federal Constituencies should be created as against the present two as well as three Senatorial Districts as against the existing one.

• The FCT indigenes in the memorandum also requested for constitutional provision of Ministerial Slot for indigenes of the territory as applicable for indigenes of the other 36 states of the federation.
• The indigenes are requested additional 11 local government councils to be added to the existing six Area Councils.

The eleven Local Government Councils being demanded for are: Rubochi with Rubochi as Headquarters, Yaba with Yaba as Headquarters, Wako with Dangara as Headquarters and Galuwyi with Galuwyi as Headquarters.

Others are: Kubwa with Kubwa as Headquarters, Karshi with Karshi as Headquarters, Karu with Karu as Headquarters, Sapeyi with New Garki as Headquarters, Jiwa with Jiwa as Headquarters, Bobo with Yebu as Headquarters and Zuba with Zuba as Headquarters. The already existing six Area Councils are – Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji.