The Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA), an umbrella body for the indigenous people of the FCT, has vowed to continue to canvas for a democratically elected governor of the FCT in line with a previous court ruling which declared FCT as a state.

The president of the association, Pastor Danladi Jeji, made the vow at the 5th FCT Heritage Day celebration, which was held at LEA II Primary School, Kubwa, on Saturday.

Jeji also called on the National Assembly to hand over its legislative duties to an FCT House of Assembly, adding that the natives were also demanding three senatorial seats and six Houses of the Representatives seats as well as 11 additional local government areas.

He noted that OIDA has continued to agitate for the creation of an Abuja Original Inhabitants Development Commission (AOIDC), saying the commission should be statutory and derive its funding from 30 per cent of all sales accruing from lands within the FCT.

He said, “When established, the commission should be dealing with the lingering issues of relocation, resettlement and compensation for all projects affecting the communities and persons.”

He also called on the federal government to integrate the FCT original inhabitants into its governance system, adding that the FCT land ownership should jointly be administered between the FCT administration and the original inhabitants.

Jeji said the celebration of the Heritage Day was meant to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the nine indigenous tribes, which, he listed as Amwamwa, Bassa, Egbira, Gede, Ganagana, Gbagyi, Gbari, Gwandara and Koro.

According to him, OIDA has been championing the course of Abuja natives in various ways, such as contributing to the educational, socio-economic and political development of the indigenous people.

The OIDA president commended the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for opening up rural roads and providing better opportunities for Abuja natives, even as he urged him, to as a matter of policy, consider naming major streets in Abuja city after some FCT indigenous heroes and traditional rulers.