FCT Original Inhabitants Demand Transparency In Governance

Original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have renewed their calls on the federal government to address decades of injustice, displacement, and systemic marginalisation resulting from the loss of their ancestral land.

The call was made at a press conference on promoting the rights of FCT original inhabitants with the theme, “Strengthening the Cultural Rights of FCT Original Inhabitants, yesterday in Abuja.

Commandant Isaac Aoiyeo, who spoke on their behalf, called for the proper separation of the FCT and the FCC and urged the residents to join hands to demand transparency and accountability in governance.

Godwin Arome Onoja, the programme manager, Helpline Social Support Initiative, said over 300 indigenous women and youths have been given vocational training and market access, while over 44 marginalised persons with disabilities have been placed in training for cultural heritage preservation across the nine tribes in Abuja.

He said that, through the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) and the MacArthur Foundation, the second phase of the promotion project will continue to build on legacies for vulnerable women and youth.

Onoja said a comprehensive survey of victims of forced eviction from ancestral land has already been conducted.

The nine tribes are Amomoa, Bassa, Gade, Ganagana, Gbari, Gwandara, Egbura and Koro.