Freedom of association as enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution may once again be on trial as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) under the leadership of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has warned owners of event centres, hotels and other public facilities in the Federal Capital Territory against allowing their premises to be used by what it described as ‘illegal organisations or unrecognised political party leaderships’.
The FCTA in a statement issued on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka threatened to revoke title documents of any event centre, hotel or public building used for gatherings organised by illegal groups.
The statement explained that the directive forms part of efforts to strengthen security in the nation’s capital and support ongoing operations by security agencies.
“In view of the need to further ensure the security of lives and properties in the FCT and sustain the efforts of security agencies in this regard, usage of Event Centres, Hotels and other public buildings will now be closely monitored.
“This is aimed at ensuring that they are not used by illegal organizations for gatherings capable of disrupting the peace of the nation’s capital,” the statement clarified.
The FCTA therefore directed owners of such facilities to verify the legality of organisations seeking to rent their premises and the purpose of the gatherings before approving their use.
The federal capital Territory administration particularly warned operators of event centres and hotels to deal only with leaderships of political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), especially during the current political season.
“For instance, in this political season, owners of Event Centres and Hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities, and proper records of transactions must be kept.
“Failure to comply with this directive will result in revocation of the title documents such properties,” the statement warned.
