Mabuchi, a slum community in Abuja FCT, Tuesday unveiled a charter of demands tagged: Giving back to a slum community via a book presentation cum documents.
Giving an opening remark at the occasion, the Executive Director, Hip City Innovation Centre, Mr Bassey Bassey explained that the presentation was as a result of research work probing urban property which was carried out by its organization.
According to him, Mabuchi was used as a pilot community, in realization of its objectives, saying that it will move into the hinterlands to carry out audits of more communities who don’t have access to water, infrastructural and basic provisions despite being budgeted for yearly.
“During our visits, the community opened up about their problems to us and solutions were proffered. In articulating all of their challenges, an idea came up about a document in form of a charter of demand which we are unveiling today,” he added.
Continued, he said: “We started by going round communities in Mpape, Garki, Kubwa, Asokoro and Mabuchi to view the real situation of things before we eventually pitch our tents with Mabuchi. We did that because despite the fact that Mabuchi is in the heart of the city, it is being fenced off by the urban centre so that apparent poverty level witnessed won’t be noticed.”
“As an Organization, researcher and project partner, we swung into action and discovered that some community are the poorest of the poor and with our on the spot assessment, we were able to identify area of intervene,”
Also speaking, the Project coordinator of a Germany – based organization in Nigeria, Heinrich Boll Stiftung, Mr Donald Ikenna Ofoegbu told journalists that as a green political Foundation, his organization was poised to driving sustainable development, general empowerments and good governance in global communities in conjunction with local stakeholders and civil society organizations.
“In activating community demands and designing, policies and solutions, we adopt the bottom top approach. In so doing, we think it is high time people in these communities started demanding for better life,” he added.
During a chat, a candidate for House of Representatives, AMAC-Bwari constituency,Omagbitse Barrow described the event as very important and timely in articulating community needs, saying that his party was committed to community development and was ready to adopts the charter of demands.
