Igbo investors in
the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the President-elect, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari to consider them when appointing a minister for the FCT,
saying they control over 70 per cent of investment in the territory.
Speaking on behalf
of the investors during a media briefing in Abuja, the chairman of Zaudan
Pazeri Property Owners Association, Elder Friday Ugoala, said the interest of
Igbos who have massive investments in the city should be considered when
appointing a minister.
Ugoala said a
situation where people who are not key stakeholders are appointed to oversee
the wellbeing of residents negatively affects investors who are mainly Igbos.
He recommended that
an Igbo man should be either be made a minister with an indigene as the
minister of state or vice versa.
“It is on record
that Igbos are key players in terms ownership of property, merchandise and
hospitality outfits in the territory, and can lay a claim to over 70 per cent
investment in the FCT.
“We have reasons to
demand for the slot of a FCT Minister to ensure our investments are protected.
If you consider the outgoing administration of Sen. Bala Mohammed, you will see
a lot of litigations that has to do with our investments. We do not want such
trend to continue. We even look forward to a situation whereby those issues in
the court would be withdrawn and settled amicably.
“There are two
major stakeholders in the FCT, the political and economic stakeholders; the
indigenes fall on the political stakeholders because they control over 65 per
cent of FCT population. So, it could be justice done to these two stakeholders,
if the FCT ministerial slots are given to both of them with due respect to
other residents.
“History has shown
and events have shown that those ministers who come from areas that do not have
so many stakes in the FCT do so much havoc to investments in Abuja because they
do not have people who cry to them about the pains they feel. We are uneasy
that if such era continues, our investments will continue to suffer and we do
not want that to happen,” he added.
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