The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has charged the new FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike – scheduled to be sworn-in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alongside his other Cabinet colleagues on Monday – “to ensure that his actions as the official care taker of the FCT with President Tinubu as Landlord, are guided by the principle of Rule of law, accountability transparency, open government”.
The rights group in a statement, urged Wike “to carry through with the original idea to completely resettle the original natives of these areas that make up the FCT so the real legal template setting up the nation’s capital as the home for all is not continuously distorted, undermined and sabotaged by reactionary forces benefitting from the contrived propaganda that Abuja belongs to certain categories of Nigerians whereas the original concept is to set up a federal capital whereby all Nigerians will be the real owners.”
HURIWA in the statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, commended “the foresight of Mr. President in staying above the fray of political machinations of those who planned to destroy the real concept of FCT”. It also commended President Tinubu “for breaking the erroneous malpractice by all Previous Governments that deliberately denied Southern Nigeria from producing a full-fledged Minister for the FCT”.
“HURIWA is hereby tasking Wike to put politics aside and be devoted to building some infrastructures started by successive administrators that are ongoing and also respect the fundamental human rights of all citizens resident in the FCT,” the statement said.
HURIWA particularly asked Minister of FCT “to build on the templates already in place to implement seamless transportation system in the nation’s capital including the plan to start off a metro-line rail system”.
“The Minister of FCT when inaugurated should clean up Abuja of filth, corruption of the bureaucrats who engage in land racketeering and the Minister must coordinate effective crime prevention and combating strategies for the FCT which is Al.ost overwhelmed by terrorists, hoodlums, bandits and kidnappers including armed gangs engaging in one-chance violent attacks of unsuspecting members of the general public,” the rights group said.
