BY Okey Ndiribe
ABUJA- Aborigenes of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have called on the National Assembly to initiate the creation of a state for areas outside the Federal Capital City as part of the second amendment to the 1999 Constitution.
Dr. Abubakar Wodi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Original Inhabitants Development Association, yesterday, demanded for the creation of the Office of Governor, a state House of Assembly, three senatorial districts, six federal constituencies and 11 additional area councils.
According to the group, the call was in consonance with Section 299 of the constitution, which recognises FCT as possessing the status of a state.
Wodi said: "We request that, for the FCT, the democratic institutions of a second-tier administration (a state) should be unambiguously entrenched in the constitution, when amended.
"This should come in the form of a 'special state' status for the Federal Capital Territory and a Mayoralty for the Federal Capital City.
"We demand that the constitution should provide for the office of a democratically-elected governor for the FCT, who will be elected by the indigenes/residents to govern the FCT. A Federal Capital Territory House of Assembly should also be established for the FCT."
The group further demanded that Section 147(3) of the 1999 Constitution should be amended to provide for an FCT Minister, who shall be appointed from FCT's indigenous people into the Executive Council of the Federation.
Vanguard Nigeria