Eroding civil liberties in Abuja

 

ABUJA, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, which came into being pursuant to a military decree on February 3, 1976, was originally meant to be a home for all Nigerians. Every resident of the Federal Capital is to feel at home and have a sense of belonging.

But over the years, the concept of the “centre of Nigeria’s unity” has gradually been manipulated to make Abuja look and feel more like a Northern city with an Islamic outlook. For instance, out of the 16 FCT Ministers appointed since 1976, Mobolaji Ajose Adeogun is the only Southerner who has served. The rest have been Northerners, with John Jatau Kadiya and Jeremiah Useni being the only Christians.

 one from the South-East or South-South has occupied the office of FCT Minister. Yet, the bulk of funds used in developing Abuja comes from the Niger Delta. This “Northernisation” of the FCT Ministers is not in tune with the founding spirit of the city.

The apparent monopolisation has naturally left a unique imprimatur on Abuja as a budding “Islamic” city. Indeed, the current helmsman, Mohammed Musa Bello, appears hell-bent to reduce the FCT to an enclave under strong influence of Sharia law.

Bello once launched massive assault against night clubs in the metropolis under the pretext that some of them were in residential areas. Much as we support the removal of such outfits from unauthorised areas, the manner in which the demolitions were done smacked of ulterior motives.

The same attitude is being brought to the current move by Minister Bello to ban the sale of alcohol in, and the closure of, Abuja gardens and parks as early as 7.00pm. By so doing, residents of the FCT are being deprived of their right to lawful social interaction in the public parks and gardens in Abuja.