Historic as Industrial Court gets 1st FCT Indigene, Justice Hassan as Federal Judge

By Fatai Abiodun

Historically, the evolution of Abuja as the capital city of Nigeria started on February 3, 1976, when the Head of the Federal Military Government, Murtala Muhammed in a nationwide broadcast, announced the creation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The broadcast came on the heels of the acceptance of the recommendations of a committee headed by Akinola Aguda, a retired Nigerian jurist and former Chief Justice of Botswana. 

The committee was set up to review the need for a new federal capital city and the suitability of Abuja for that purpose. The committee was set up by the Murtala Muhammed-led Federal Military Government in August 1975.

The committee comprised of Akinola Aguda (Chairman), Mohammed Isma (Secretary), Ajato Gandonu, a geography professor and town planner, Tai Solarin, an educator and social critic, Owen Feibai, O.K. Ogan and Pedro Martins, the first Catholic Chaplain of the Nigerian Army.

It is on record that since the elevation of Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory, no single of its indigene has been appointed as a judge at the Federal Court since the inception of its creation, and they keep demanding recognition of their right.

Many political and judicial analysts have expressed that it was as if the drafter of the constitution did not believe that an indigene with the required wisdom and expertise would ever exist in the place before its promulgation as the Federal Capital Territory because while the constitution provides election of governors in the 36 states, it only gives the president of the country to appoint a minister to govern the place and never made the appointment exclusive of the indigene of the FCT.

While some attribute the neglect of the FCT indigenes as a form of executive slavery, others opined that it’s an injustice robbing on the face of the human race. Alas, since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, no indigene of FCT has ever made a minister let alone of being appointed as a federal judge.

Today, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria under the leadership of Hon. President, Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip OFR has changed the story of the indigene of the FCT for good over the appointment of Hon. Justice Hassan Muhammed Yakubu as the 1st indigene of the Federal Capital Territory to be appointed as a Judge of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

Hon. Justice Hassan Yakubu hails from Anguwan Manko at Abaji, in the Federal Capital Territory, and he obtained Law Degree from the University of 1st Choice, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Kaduna. He was called to the Nigerian Bar as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2006.

The epitome Justice Hassan was the Legal Assistant (Senior Registrar 1 ) at the FCT High Court of Justice Abuja before his elevation to the bench of the Industrial Court. Many many members of the bar described My Lord, Justice Hassan’s elevation to the bench as something that is good and perfect for the judiciary and the existence.

If the preamble of the 1999 Constitution as amended that provides a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in the country, on the principles of freedom, equality and justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of the people is to go by, the correction of longtime neglect being suffered by the indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory by the President of the Industrial Court needs to be applauded and sustained to achieve an all-inclusive nation.

One of the things that are sacrosanct in one’s personal information is one state of origin. Some Abuja residents who have spent decade(s) in the FCT do surprise when they see an indigene of the FCT in some offices believing that no knowledgeable indigene exists in the capital but only be found in the villages.

The appointment of 1st FCT indigene to the bench of the Federal Judiciary is clearly in tandem with the longstanding and widely accepted purpose of the judiciary which is to give justice and equity. 

Since the main essence of justice is to correct wrongs in the society and to protect constitutional and legal rights and promote the rule of law, the action of the president of the Industrial Court and the National Judicial Council will forever remain evergreen.

The singular benevolence of the appointment of Justice Hassan will forever rekindle the hope of the indigenes to strive for a better future without the need to lay claim to the origin of another state.

As soon as the Industrial Court President discovered that it was not the intention of the drafters of the Constitution to deny the indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory of their rights, My Lord quickly swung to action and embarked on a voyage of discovery to correct the mischief idea being suffered by the indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory.

Whenever the history of judicial development of the Indigenous people of Federal Capital Territory is made, the name of the Court and its president, Justice Benedict Kanyip will stand tall.

Abiodun writes from Abuja.