Ministerial slot: Abuja indigenes sue Jonathan

Ministerial slot: Abuja indigenes sue Jonathan

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•Seek N1.310b damages

The indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja have sued President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, for failing to appoint them as ministers.

The suit was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja by the General Counsel of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA), Mr. Musa Baba-Panya.

It has OIDA President, Pastor Danladi Jeji, as the second plaintiff.
The defendants are the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

In the summons, the Abuja indigenes said they were seeking a declaration that the indigenes of FCT-Abuja were entitled to ministerial appointments.

According to a statement by the Media Adviser, Sumner Shagari Sambo, OIDA also wanted a declaration that the continuous refusal, failure or default by previous and current presidents to appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja as a minister was a flagrant violation of the rights of indigenes of FCT-Abuja.

“We want a declaration that the continuous refusal, failure or default by previous and current presidents to appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja as a minister, is a flagrant violation of the rights against discrimination against FCT-Abuja indigenes.

Since 1999, our people have not been appointed, even as a personal assistant, in the presidency. Meanwhile, some states have two or more ministers and senior presidential aides,” Baba-Panya said.

The indigenes are seeking “an order compelling the President (first defendant) to the immediate appointment of an indigene of FCT-Abuja as a minister and an award of the sum of N50million per year since May 1999, being compensation and damages for the violation of the fundamental and constitutional rights of plaintiffs and indigenes of FCT-Abuja.”

They also wanted an award of the sum of N500 million in exemplary damages.

The plaintiffs wanted “a consequential order entrusting the compensatory damages/awards into a Trust Fund Account (in name of second plaintiff) with the Central Bank of Nigeria for the benefit of all indigenes of FCT-Abuja and an award of the sum of N10million in legal costs.”

Pastor Jeji said the group is also demanding “a public apology for all the years of deprivation and denials of our constitutional rights, entitlements and privileges in the print and broadcast media.”

The plaintiffs are seeking the determination of the case by the court on whether by the combined provisions of sections; 147(1) (3), 14(3), and 299 of the 1999 Constitution, the indigenes of FCT-Abuja are entitled to ministerial appointment into the Federal Executive Council.

They wanted to know whether the continuous refusal, failure and default by previous and current presidents to appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja as minister was tantamount to a flagrant violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and a breach of the rights of the indigenes of FCT-Abuja.

The indigenes said: “The recent nomination of eight ministerial appointees sent to the Senate by President Jonathan without the inclusion of any Abuja indigene is an assault on our collective intelligence, especially when placed with the fact that
our traditional and political leaders were promised a ministerial slot when they visited President Jonathan last year.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.