Indigenes from the six states of the North Central region have submitted an eight-point demand to President Bola Tinubu, addressing key concerns within the region.
The demands were compiled and presented by the Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement (North Central), Abiodun Essiet.
Essiet revealed that the list of demands was drawn from her ongoing listening tour across the six North Central states. While she has completed visits to five states, excluding the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), she noted that the feedback received from residents highlighted several common priorities.
Among the primary requests is the constitutional recognition of the roles of traditional rulers, the immediate establishment of state police, and transferring responsibility for local government elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a post on her X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, Essiet shared the specifics of these demands, saying, “The lack of any constitutional roles for the traditional rulers must be addressed.” She further emphasized the need for more transparency at state and local government levels, stating, “State Government and Local Government Allocations and other Federal Government incentives should be made available to the public to enforce accountability and transparency for those at the helm of affairs.”
The establishment of state police was another key issue raised, with Essiet calling for swift action: “The Federal Government needs to establish state police without further delay for better community policing.”
The delegation also requested that INEC take over the responsibility of conducting local government elections, particularly now that local governments have been granted full autonomy with direct funding from the Federal Government.
Additional demands included the revival of the Price Control Marketing Board, a measure aimed at preventing marketers from monopolizing commodity prices. Essiet explained, “The return of the Price Control Marketing Board, as was done during the military regime, would curb the monopoly of commodity prices by marketers.”
Other issues raised pertained to retirees and senior citizens. The group called for their inclusion in the Federal Government’s minimum wage proposal, alongside other welfare plans. “Retirees should be included in the minimum wage proposal of the Federal Government, and senior citizens should also be considered in welfare plans,” Essiet stated.
The demand for proper public sensitization before the implementation of new government policies was also emphasized. Finally, Essiet underscored the need for modern, digital solutions for tracking the distribution of palliatives, saying, “The Federal Government must embark on digital means of monitoring palliative distribution.”
These demands reflect the collective concerns of the North Central region, which hopes to see these issues addressed in the near future.
