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By Stanley Onyekwere
Abuja aborigines have called on other Nigerians and policy makers to support formation of a robust platform to create opportunities to discuss history, heritage, threats and other burning issues that affect the people of the nation’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This, they say would serve as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue, introspection, and action, as they continue to forge ahead on their collective journey towards progress and prosperity.
This position was brought to the limelight at the public presentation of the book; “Odyssey of A Rootsman: The Biography of Yunana Dawudu”, in Abuja, at the weekend.
The event, organised in honour of the legacy of Yunana Dawudu, which was graced by hundreds of Abuja indigenes mainly serving and past top politicians, technocrats and others from all walks of life, was chaired by immediate past Minority Leader of the 9th Senate, Senator Philip Aduda, while the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dr. Zaphaniah Jisalo as Book presenter, with Sa’Peyi of Garki, Alhaji Usman Nga-Kupi as the Royal Father of the day, supported by Sa’Rubochi, Alhaji Muhammadu Pada.
According to them, such fora devoid of any political and religious colouration whatsoever, but focused on discussions can be held on how to promote their values of hard work, patience, forthrightness and integrity, so as to work in synergy towards improving their stake holding in national and global affairs.
They however, decried that despite the level of progress that has taken place in less than 50 years existence of Abuja, as Nigeria’s capital city, the original inhabitants are still faced with a lot of political and economical deprivation as well as myriad of other issues affecting their wellbeing as a people.
Speaking on the significance of the event, Engineer Richard Yunana Daudu, said if FCT people are not encouraged to tell their stories themselves, others will tell it for them, and a lot their stories told by others have been greatly distorted.
He noted that the book transcends mere biography, as it is a testament to the enduring spirit of humanity and the power of perseverance.
He added that the biography paints a vivid picture of the environment and culture in which Dawudu and his contemporaries thrived, despite the challenges they faced.
According to him: “Our gathering today is not merely presentation of a book; it is a celebration of heritage, a call to action, and testament to the importance of storytelling.
“ As we navigate through the pages of Yunana Dawudu’s life, let us not only celebrate his legacy, but also reflect on our own journeys. It is a mirror through which we can examine our past, define our present, and envision our future.
“It is hoped that this event achieves the purpose of not only eliciting the interest of the older generation, who are alive to tell us their own stories in like manner, the environment the lived in, the limited opportunities they had, but also get the younger ones to recognise the current opportunities in terms of education, business and other areas of life and harness them.”
Similarly, Jisalo, in his remarks, while presenting the book, also reiterated his support for such gathering of FCT indigenes, however said the coming into power of President Bola Tinubu has given boost to the long struggle for the emancipation of FCT people.
He added that with breaking of the federal ministerial position, stakeholders should leverage on it to push for balancing of the number of legislative seats FCT in the National Assembly, during the ongoing constitution amendments.
On his part, Aduda noted that the book is something that is encouraging, given that is a good history for the teeming young people and next generations of Abuja aborigine, as they will learn from the feats and successes recorded by their leaders, so that they can also aspire to emulate them. Aduda
Not left out, the immediate past Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abdullahi Adamu Candido, identified Dawudu as one of the foremost first generation of the FCT aborigines, who agitated, promoted and encouraged the people not to be afraid or feel intimated by the coming of other Nigerians to the FCT.
Candido, added that the celebrant was also among those who piloted the affairs of the FCT Administration, as well as championed the political trajectory of the people of the Territory.
Responding, Dawudu, who is an octogenarian, described the book co-authored by Chukwuemeka Iroegbu Chukwudi and Mrs Msurshima Comfort Chenge as a wonderful work, which will be of interest to social science students and historians in FCT and beyond.
He also appealed to young people to read the 168 page story of his life to see what it was to be born and grow up in “this part of rural territory and how time has changed in terms of its development and its consequences on our communities”.
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