Investigation: How JUTH Denies Hausa, Fulani Treatment For Claiming Plateau State

Hausa and Fulani Muslims living in Jos, the Plateau State capital, are being forced by record officers at the General Out-Patient Department (GOPD) of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) to change their states of origin and local government areas before they can register to see a doctor.

Apart from some patients who shared experiences of their encounters with some officers, a video, which captured a nurse addressing some patients,  and went viral on social media last week,  corroborated the allegation.

The Plateau State Government and JUTH management, have, however, debunked the development, insisting that the video does not represent the hospital’s policy.

Observers believed that as a federally funded hospital, one’s state of origin should not normally matter, especially for health care delivery. 

The GOPD is where new patients would first visit for registration before they can see a doctor.

Some patients who shared their experiences with Daily Trust said the anomaly usually happened at the first stage of registration. 

The registration process, which starts with the issuance of a white form containing patients’ personal information such as tribe, states of origin and local government areas, is expected to be filled by patients before they get to the record officers.

However, any Hausa or Fulani Muslim who claims to be an indigene of Plateau State would be asked to claim another on the grounds that such ethnic groups were not indigenous to the state.

Some patients told our correspondent in a chat that filling the form was the first criterion for permission to start the process of seeing a doctor. 

They described the situation as discrimination by the hospital, which is a federal establishment.

A couple of months ago, concerns over the allegation heightened among residents until a video of a nurse explaining the registration process at the waiting hall of the GOPD went viral on social media last Monday.

The video, which allegedly emanated from JUTH, has generated reactions among social media users with many expressing divergent opinions on the comments made by the nurse.

In the video, the nurse was seen addressing new patients and was quoted as saying in Hausa language: “Your state of origin is not a state of residence. Now, if for example, I am from Ogbomosho, Oyo State and my grandparents were born in Plateau, should I claim that I am an indigene of Plateau State?

“No, I will use Oyo as my state of origin. The whole thing is not about where your grandparents were born but where they came from. That is how you will fill out your form.

“You hear that the system goes blank or shut down. The reason is, when we start inputting your data on the system and we come to where you are asked to fill your tribe, somebody will write Fulani or Hausa and claim Plateau is their state of origin and Jos North their LGA, and from there, the system will shut down because the system has been programmed,” she added.

“In the system, we give only four tribes to Jos North which includes; Jarawa, Naraguta, Buji and Berom. We have only four tribes in Jos North.

“If you are a Tarok and you choose Jos North as your LGA, the system will shut down. Are we getting it right?

“So, if the system seizes, we will waste time and it will take almost 30 minutes before it resumes. Please, take note,” the nurse stressed.

 In order to verify the authenticity of the allegation and the video, our reporter who disguised as a new patient visited the GOPD.

After collecting a registration form, a record officer asked him:  “You are not from Plateau State. Are you not from Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, or Sokoto State?” 

Findings by the reporter indicated that before they approach the recording officer, a form would be given to all the new patients to fill in their personal information which include tribe, state of origin, LGA and others. Thereafter, the data is imputed into the computer.

The reporter, who disguised as a new patient, arrived the GOPD by 8:a.m and joined other new patients that were already seated to see the doctors. After some moments, forms were issued to everyone to fill before the main registration.

Already, the forms had been numbered and the reporter was number 9 and everyone would be called according to their numbers for the registration.

 When the recording officer collected the form from the reporter, she first asked him of his state of origin and he said Jos, Plateau.

She asked him the second time where his father hails from and he told her Jos, Plateau. She also asked where his grandfather came from and he told her Jos, Plateau. She then said no, he was not from Plateau.

“You will go and sit down if you will not tell me the truth. We have made it clear before we started. Why are you making things difficult for us? Another record officer sitting beside her asked the reporter the same questions.

The situation led to a heated argument between the record officers and the reporter.

Even before it got to the turn of the reporter, two women who had earlier indicated Plateau as their state of origin and Jos North as their LGAs had been turned back by the record officers to change them. The women had to cancel Plateau and indicate Kano state before they were attended to.

Screen grab of video in which the nurse was telling patients how to fill the form before seeing a doctor

Patients share their experiences

A patient, Hajiya Rabi Hassan, narrated how she was forced to change her state of origin during the registration process.

 “There was a time I was having a problem with one of my legs. When I went to the hospital, I was given a form to fill for my registration to see a doctor.

“I indicated that I am from Jos, Plateau State. But I was compelled to change my state of origin and LGA.

 “I asked those attending to patients to change them for me. I told them to write any state and LGA because my health was more important to me.

“I didn’t care whatever they wrote for me. It was an experience that I will never forget.

“I found it difficult to understand why my state of origin should be a factor to get me registered as a patient,” she said.

Aisha Ibrahim, who hails from Rikkos in Jos North also said: “When they called my number and I submitted the form, one of the record officers told me to go back and change the state and the LGA and that if I didn’t change them, she would not attend to me.  I had to go back and change them.”

Aisha Sani, another patient from Febuna in Jos North LGA, sought the assistance of Daily Trust’s reporter to help her change the state of origin and the LGA on her form.

“Please help me change the state of origin and the LGA. Fill in Kano for me. I don’t want them to turn me back as they did to that woman. My major problem is to see the doctor, “she said.

Abdulmajid Lawan, a resident of Jos, said: “We found it difficult to understand why some provisions should even form part of the form.

“We are very surprised to hear what the woman said in the video. How can we have confidence in JUTH if, in the registration process, patients are turned back to change their states of origin or LGAs? On what basis does your state of origin or LGA determine whether or not to be attended to?

“It is a discrimination of the highest order. We are calling on the relevant authority to investigate the matter. “

Director of Civil Liberty Organization in Nigeria, Steve Aluko, who debunked the allegations, said that if it was found to be true, it was against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He, however, urged the hospital management to establish a thorough investigation into the matter.

He said: “I think the number one thing is for the authority of JUTH to investigate this issue. They should not just wish it away. They should conduct a thorough investigation,” he said.

“If this is true, it is against the spirit of the constitution because the constitution of Nigeria says nobody should be discriminated against based on birth, religion or anything.

“It is also against ethics and professionalism, especially in essential services like health.

“The authorities should not wish it away. They should do a proper investigation so that at the end of the day, if it is not true based on facts, they can be vindicated; or if it is true, based on fact, whoever is involved, can be punished because the institution is involved.

“We are talking about the integrity of JUTH and the services they are giving. They should do proper investigation so that they can uncover act like this,” Akiko stressed.

Hospital debunks allegation

JUTH’s Information, Protocol and Public Relations Officer, Mrs Bridget Omini, said the content of the video didn’t represent the policy of the hospital.

In a release sent to Daily Trust, Omini said: “The attention of the Management of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) has been drawn to a video making the rounds on social media, suggesting Jos University Teaching Hospital is operating on discriminating and segregated tendencies in service delivery. The content does not represent the hospitals’ policy.

“This is to clarify that Jos University Teaching Hospital is a Federal Health Institution positioned to serve all and sundry, regardless of tribe or religion.

“The general public is hereby requested to kindly disregard the unfortunate video, please,” she added.

The Plateau State Commissioner of Health, Nimkong Larndam also said he was not aware of such a registration process.

“I worked with JUTH before I became the commissioner and I never knew anything of that nature. I am not aware of anything like that. I called the CMD of the hospital and he said he was not aware of the development,” he said.

Daily Trust Saturday reports that Plateau State has been witnessing ethnic and religious skirmishes for over two decades.

The issue of indigene/settler dichotomy has affected the peace the state was known for and efforts by those in power recently to diffuse the tension are being challenged by those against the development.

https://dailytrust.com/investigation-how-juth-denies-hausa-fulani-treatment-for-claiming-plateau-state

Life shouldn't be played with

Let them state Thier real state of origin and stop trying to claim plateau indigenes, Hausa/Fulani have been trying to take over the state since time immemorial....I blame the burukutu sipping indigenes who care less about the development until it's almost too late.

More pic

Nonsense, everyone has a state of origin. Just put it there truthfully. Howbeit, the situation on the plateau is worrisome both ways.

ArewaNorth:

Investigation: How JUTH Denies Hausa, Fulani Treatment For Claiming Plateau State

Hausa and Fulani Muslims living in Jos, the Plateau State capital, are being forced by record officers at the General Out-Patient Department (GOPD) of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) to change their states of origin and local government areas before they can register to see a doctor.

Apart from some patients who shared experiences of their encounters with some officers, a video, which captured a nurse addressing some patients,  and went viral on social media last week,  corroborated the allegation.

The Plateau State Government and JUTH management, have, however, debunked the development, insisting that the video does not represent the hospital’s policy.

Observers believed that as a federally funded hospital, one’s state of origin should not normally matter, especially for health care delivery. 

The GOPD is where new patients would first visit for registration before they can see a doctor.

Some patients who shared their experiences with Daily Trust said the anomaly usually happened at the first stage of registration. 

The registration process, which starts with the issuance of a white form containing patients’ personal information such as tribe, states of origin and local government areas, is expected to be filled by patients before they get to the record officers.

However, any Hausa or Fulani Muslim who claims to be an indigene of Plateau State would be asked to claim another on the grounds that such ethnic groups were not indigenous to the state.

Some patients told our correspondent in a chat that filling the form was the first criterion for permission to start the process of seeing a doctor. 

They described the situation as discrimination by the hospital, which is a federal establishment.

A couple of months ago, concerns over the allegation heightened among residents until a video of a nurse explaining the registration process at the waiting hall of the GOPD went viral on social media last Monday.

The video, which allegedly emanated from JUTH, has generated reactions among social media users with many expressing divergent opinions on the comments made by the nurse.

In the video, the nurse was seen addressing new patients and was quoted as saying in Hausa language: “Your state of origin is not a state of residence. Now, if for example, I am from Ogbomosho, Oyo State and my grandparents were born in Plateau, should I claim that I am an indigene of Plateau State?

“No, I will use Oyo as my state of origin. The whole thing is not about where your grandparents were born but where they came from. That is how you will fill out your form.

“You hear that the system goes blank or shut down. The reason is, when we start inputting your data on the system and we come to where you are asked to fill your tribe, somebody will write Fulani or Hausa and claim Plateau is their state of origin and Jos North their LGA, and from there, the system will shut down because the system has been programmed,” she added.

“In the system, we give only four tribes to Jos North which includes; Jarawa, Naraguta, Buji and Berom. We have only four tribes in Jos North.

“If you are a Tarok and you choose Jos North as your LGA, the system will shut down. Are we getting it right?

“So, if the system seizes, we will waste time and it will take almost 30 minutes before it resumes. Please, take note,” the nurse stressed.

 In order to verify the authenticity of the allegation and the video, our reporter who disguised as a new patient visited the GOPD.

After collecting a registration form, a record officer asked him:  “You are not from Plateau State. Are you not from Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, or Sokoto State?” 

Findings by the reporter indicated that before they approach the recording officer, a form would be given to all the new patients to fill in their personal information which include tribe, state of origin, LGA and others. Thereafter, the data is imputed into the computer.

The reporter, who disguised as a new patient, arrived the GOPD by 8:a.m and joined other new patients that were already seated to see the doctors. After some moments, forms were issued to everyone to fill before the main registration.

Already, the forms had been numbered and the reporter was number 9 and everyone would be called according to their numbers for the registration.

 When the recording officer collected the form from the reporter, she first asked him of his state of origin and he said Jos, Plateau.

She asked him the second time where his father hails from and he told her Jos, Plateau. She also asked where his grandfather came from and he told her Jos, Plateau. She then said no, he was not from Plateau.

“You will go and sit down if you will not tell me the truth. We have made it clear before we started. Why are you making things difficult for us? Another record officer sitting beside her asked the reporter the same questions.

The situation led to a heated argument between the record officers and the reporter.

Even before it got to the turn of the reporter, two women who had earlier indicated Plateau as their state of origin and Jos North as their LGAs had been turned back by the record officers to change them. The women had to cancel Plateau and indicate Kano state before they were attended to.

Screen grab of video in which the nurse was telling patients how to fill the form before seeing a doctor

Patients share their experiences

A patient, Hajiya Rabi Hassan, narrated how she was forced to change her state of origin during the registration process.

 “There was a time I was having a problem with one of my legs. When I went to the hospital, I was given a form to fill for my registration to see a doctor.

“I indicated that I am from Jos, Plateau State. But I was compelled to change my state of origin and LGA.

 “I asked those attending to patients to change them for me. I told them to write any state and LGA because my health was more important to me.

“I didn’t care whatever they wrote for me. It was an experience that I will never forget.

“I found it difficult to understand why my state of origin should be a factor to get me registered as a patient,” she said.

Aisha Ibrahim, who hails from Rikkos in Jos North also said: “When they called my number and I submitted the form, one of the record officers told me to go back and change the state and the LGA and that if I didn’t change them, she would not attend to me.  I had to go back and change them.”

Aisha Sani, another patient from Febuna in Jos North LGA, sought the assistance of Daily Trust’s reporter to help her change the state of origin and the LGA on her form.

“Please help me change the state of origin and the LGA. Fill in Kano for me. I don’t want them to turn me back as they did to that woman. My major problem is to see the doctor, “she said.

Abdulmajid Lawan, a resident of Jos, said: “We found it difficult to understand why some provisions should even form part of the form.

“We are very surprised to hear what the woman said in the video. How can we have confidence in JUTH if, in the registration process, patients are turned back to change their states of origin or LGAs? On what basis does your state of origin or LGA determine whether or not to be attended to?

“It is a discrimination of the highest order. We are calling on the relevant authority to investigate the matter. “

Director of Civil Liberty Organization in Nigeria, Steve Aluko, who debunked the allegations, said that if it was found to be true, it was against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He, however, urged the hospital management to establish a thorough investigation into the matter.

He said: “I think the number one thing is for the authority of JUTH to investigate this issue. They should not just wish it away. They should conduct a thorough investigation,” he said.

“If this is true, it is against the spirit of the constitution because the constitution of Nigeria says nobody should be discriminated against based on birth, religion or anything.

“It is also against ethics and professionalism, especially in essential services like health.

“The authorities should not wish it away. They should do a proper investigation so that at the end of the day, if it is not true based on facts, they can be vindicated; or if it is true, based on fact, whoever is involved, can be punished because the institution is involved.

“We are talking about the integrity of JUTH and the services they are giving. They should do proper investigation so that they can uncover act like this,” Akiko stressed.

Hospital debunks allegation

JUTH’s Information, Protocol and Public Relations Officer, Mrs Bridget Omini, said the content of the video didn’t represent the policy of the hospital.

In a release sent to Daily Trust, Omini said: “The attention of the Management of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) has been drawn to a video making the rounds on social media, suggesting Jos University Teaching Hospital is operating on discriminating and segregated tendencies in service delivery. The content does not represent the hospitals’ policy.

“This is to clarify that Jos University Teaching Hospital is a Federal Health Institution positioned to serve all and sundry, regardless of tribe or religion.

“The general public is hereby requested to kindly disregard the unfortunate video, please,” she added.

The Plateau State Commissioner of Health, Nimkong Larndam also said he was not aware of such a registration process.

“I worked with JUTH before I became the commissioner and I never knew anything of that nature. I am not aware of anything like that. I called the CMD of the hospital and he said he was not aware of the development,” he said.

Daily Trust Saturday reports that Plateau State has been witnessing ethnic and religious skirmishes for over two decades.

The issue of indigene/settler dichotomy has affected the peace the state was known for and efforts by those in power recently to diffuse the tension are being challenged by those against the development.

https://dailytrust.com/investigation-how-juth-denies-hausa-fulani-treatment-for-claiming-plateau-state

You know why, be sincere. Nigerians know you all.

These shows why the country is divided. Very foolish act by the hospital workers which negate the hospital establishment act

Plateau indegenes na now u na wake up!

is it not too late already??


Una dey de drink brukutu strangers enter una towns and villages and claim everywhere!

nonsense people!

Are you from Plateau state?
How?
Don't you know you can be sent to jail for making a false statement in an official document?
If you can lie about something as straight forward as your state of origin, how can the doctor trust you when you say the headache started last week?
You can lie about that too.

This is one of causes of Russia- Ukraine war. Russia empire/ USSR depopulated indigenous people of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea and systemically russified the region. Many decades later, Russia is claiming the region. In the future, Jos North will forever belong to hausa/ fulani. Even if Nigeria breaks into many countries like Europe , Jo's North will become bone of contention between Arewa and Jos nations.

Good development.
They should simply state their real state of origin and get treated.. Is that a difficult task..?

What does it take a man who is sick,to say he is from Bauchi or Katsina or Ogun or Imo and treatment will be given to him. Why would a people want to claim another man's land.
Can a Yoruba or Igbo man do this in Kano.

Fulanis are busy destroying alcoholic businesses in the North Western States. Alcoholic businesses are not illegal in the fraudulent constitution of Nigeria yet fulanis think they have the power to do as they please in their states but they think the people of Plateau state can't operate in their state as they want. Is a Hausa or Fulani man an indigene of Plateau state? Are they indigenous to Jos North? Can the op tell the audience which part of Jos North Hausas and Fulanis are indigenous to?
When other tribes allow Hausas and Fulanis to get away with double standards, it always comes back to hunt them.

ArewaNorth:
More pic

Why are they lying about their state of origin?

Mantain:
These shows why the country is divided. Very foolish act by the hospital workers which negate the hospital establishment act

Why should the patients be lying about their state of origin?

Op, imagine replacing Hausa Fulani with say Igbo, Yoruba, or Tiv, then you can better appreciate the fooley in the set up called Nigeria.
Do you make this assumptions based on the fact that Fulanis are superior to others?

Parachoko:


Why are they lying about their state of origin?

You wouldn't say the same thing if it were otherwise!

ArewaNorth:


You wouldn't say the same thing if it were otherwise!

Why won't I?

What they did is wrong.

They know they are not an indigene of Pleateau, yet claiming to be an indigene.

No state in Nigeria will accept such a thing.

If they filled Kano as their state of Origin, then are deny treatment base on coming from Kano, then I will condemn the hospital management

But on this, the patients are at fault.

Nothing wrong in simply giving your correct demographic data but trust the average Nigerian especially giving the indigene-settlers dichotomy in Jos. Same way it is very difficult for Indigenous northern Christians minority to head major govt agencies down the core north.

Though the disposition of the JUTH healthcare workers is disheartening, the Buhari hausa-fualni government have long led the way in this ethno-religious supremacist discrimination but many of them never decried it.

Send them jail for falsifying official data

Christians were ordered in a northern federal University to stop all Sunday church services. Breakfast is served anyhow

Parachoko:
Why won't I?

What they did is wrong.

They know they are not an indigene of Pleateau, yet claiming to be an indigene.

No state in Nigeria will accept such a thing.

If they filled Kano as their state of Origin, then are deny treatment base on coming from Kano, then I will condemn the hospital management

But on this, the patients are at fault.

It is the highest degree of absurdity to call or refer Hausa-Fulani of Jos North as non-indigene putting aside constitutional procedure of naturalisation. Upholding this barbaric act is unacceptable and uncivilised attitude.

ArewaNorth:


It is the highest degree of absurdity to call or refer Hausa-Fulani of Jos North as non-indigene putting aside constitutional procedure of naturalisation. Upholding this barbaric act is unacceptable and uncivilised attitude.

There is no where in the Nigeria constitution that states a Nigerian can change his or her state of origin.

Is just like an Ijaw man claiming Katsina as his state of origin or claiming Oyo state as his state of origin.

You are not back by the Nigerian constitution to make such a claim.

Fulanis and hausas are not indigenous to Plateau.

Even if my grandfather was born in Sokoto, as an Igbo man, I can't claim Sokoto as my state of origin. Everyone knows where I come from.

Parachoko:
There is no where in the Nigeria constitution that states a Nigerian can change his or her state of origin.

Is just like an Ijaw man claiming Katsina as his state of origin or claiming Oyo state as his state of origin.

You are not back by the Nigerian constitution to make such a claim.

Go to Kano and see how average Sabon Gari people are having Kano indigene and most non-indigenes born in Northern states get indigene and many previlages they can't get in their states of origin. If u are born in a place in Nigeria u are automatically indigene of that place by the way those people are indigene of Jo's since before Lord Lugard came to Nigeria talk less of naming Nigeria.

When Nigerian got citizenship or appointment somewhere u celebrate it but here u are playing bigotry.
Stop these dodges and face reality...

ArewaNorth:


It is the highest degree of absurdity to call or refer Hausa-Fulani of Jos North as non-indigene putting aside constitutional procedure of naturalisation. Upholding this barbaric act is unacceptable and uncivilised attitude.

If you create Jos North for Fulani settlers in Plateau, why not create Sabon Gari constituency for Igbos and Yorubas in Kano?

It's absurd that 1960, Hausa Fulani people who were warned to respect their hosts in Jos. Today, they are pushing to oust the Gbon Gwon Jos, install a Fulani emir in Jos.

Haaaaaah, the same People who masterminded the massacre of 'Igbos " in Jos, are now complaining that they are not given citizenship status in another man's land, Jos.

So, anyone Fulani arriving from Mali yesterday, automatically becomes a Jos indigene today?

ArewaNorth:


Go to Kano and see how average Sabon Gari people are having Kano indigene and most non-indigenes born in Northern states get indigene and many previlages they can't get in their states of origin. If u are born in a place in Nigeria u are automatically indigene of that place by the way those people are indigene of Jo's since before Lord Lugard came to Nigeria talk less of naming Nigeria.
Stop these dodges and face reality...

Oh, thanks for bringing up Sabon Gar, Kano. How many of the so called visitors, hold political office?
How many of them are free to practice their religion?
How many of their grandchildren born in Kano declare as Kano citizens? I am one of them sadly.

Your jaundiced view of this nation is the reason why there's no progress.

The nurse is right until they remove state of origin and change it to state of residence it still Hausa/Fulani people that will oppose it.
If an Igboman fill Kano state as his state of origin and claim Fagge LGA as his local government won't it raise dust in Kano hospital?

Parachoko:


Why are they lying about their state of origin?

They have a very dangerous hidden agenda, anyways only if my fellow plateau brothers will rise up. I was born in the heart of jos and I grew up there too so I know this people.

eagleu:


If you create Jos North for Fulani settlers in Plateau, why not create Sabon Gari constituency for Igbos and Yorubas in Kano?

It's absurd that 1960, Hausa Fulani people who were warned to respect their hosts in Jos. Today, they are pushing to oust the Gbon Gwon Jos, install a Fulani emir in Jos.

Haaaaaah, the same People who masterminded the massacre of 'Igbos " in Jos, are now complaining that they are not given citizenship status in another man's land, Jos.

So, anyone Fulani arriving from Mali yesterday, automatically becomes a Jos indigene today?

Even the governor too is not trying, how can he appoint a Muslim as the caretaker chairman of a whole jos north.

ArewaNorth:


Go to Kano and see how average Sabon Gari people are having Kano indigene and most non-indigenes born in Northern states get indigene and many previlages they can't get in their states of origin. If u are born in a place in Nigeria u are automatically indigene of that place by the way those people are indigene of Jo's since before Lord Lugard came to Nigeria talk less of naming Nigeria.

When Nigerian got citizenship or appointment somewhere u celebrate it but here u are playing bigotry.
Stop these dodges and face reality...

I'm not living in my state of origin, and have been enjoying almost all the privileges indigenes of the state I am living are enjoying.


Until you will show me where the Nigerian constitution says A Person From Benue can claim to be from Edo state because he was born in Edo state, then you are just chasing shadows.

Is not as if the people were denied treatment because they are not indigenous to Jos North.

The people of Pleateau state will never agree to Hausa, fulani or any other person from any other part of Nigeria to be an indigene of Pleateau state.

No Tribe or State in Nigeria will accept this.

Parachoko:
I'm not living in my state of origin, and have been enjoying almost all the privileges indigenes of the state I am living are enjoying.


Until you will show me where the Nigerian constitution says A Person From Benue can claim to be from Edo state because he was born in Edo state, then you are just chasing shadows.

Is not as if the people were denied treatment because they are not indigenous to Jos North.

The people of Pleateau state will never agree to Hausa, fulani or any other person from any other part of Nigeria to be an indigene of Pleateau state.

No Tribe or State in Nigeria will accept this.

It doesn't matter whether they accept it or not. This law will determine how tolerant or accommodating that tribe is. We are humans not animals who are driven by conscience not emotions.


The phrase, ‘place of origin', came into the consciousness of Nigerians in the Constitution of the Federation, 1963. In that Constitution, under Section 28 (1), the following provision was made:
A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community tribe, place of origin, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person
(a) be subjected either expressly by or in the practical application of any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the Government of the Federation or the Government of Region to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, tribes, place of origin, religious or political opinions are not made subject; or
(b) be accorded either expressly by or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive act on any privilege or advantage that is not conferred on citizens of Nigeria of other communities tribes, religious or political opinions.
A careful examination of this section wilI reveal that the section is part of the fundamental rights of Nigerans guaranteed by the Constitution against discrimination, among other things, on the basis of place of origin. PIace of origin under this Constitution, referred to ‘belonging. one of the four Regions listed in S. 3, thus:
(1) There shall be four Religions, that is to say Northern Nigeria, Eastern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Mid Western Nigeria and which still applied to the current laws of the country.