During the upcoming 2022 FCT Area Councils elections, the administration of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has stated that it will not hesitate to hold traditional leaders of 17 Abuja graded chiefdoms responsible for the breakdown of peace in their domains.
Hon. Ibrahim Abubakar Dantshoho, Mandate Secretary, FCT Area Council Services Secretariat (ACSS), issued the warning yesterday during a meeting with the chiefs.
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He said that as the people closest to the ground, graded chiefs have a responsibility to protect lives by assuring their subjects that, regardless of political differences, they should embrace peace before, during, and after the elections.
“We will have the area council election in the next five weeks or so,” he said, “and the minister said we should convey this message to you why there must not be any loss of lives.” You must persuade your subjects that, regardless of political differences, there must be peace before, during, and after the elections.
“And if you (graded chiefs) allow anything to happen in your domain, the FCT Administration will not hesitate to hold you accountable for their actions or inactions, as well as why they were not curtailed.”
He claimed that normalcy has returned to the Gwagwalada/Abaji/Lokoja road as a result of the government’s proactive response to insecurity, which was abandoned by many commuters a few months ago due to fear of the unknown.
In response, Alhaji Abdulahi Adamu, Etsu of Yaba Chiefdom in Abaji Area Council, advised politicians to ensure that they follow established law and order in the pursuit of their goals.
The chiefs, according to Adamu, wanted peace to be maintained with or without elections because nothing can thrive in a crisis.
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He did, however, call for the status of graded chiefs in the FCT to be continuously upgraded in order to ensure the traditional institutions’ strategic progression.
Abdulaziz Usman Ibrahim, the Etsu Wako Chiefdom in Kwali, also bemoaned the absence of a police station and school perimeter fencing.
