FCT: 9 original inhabitants groups receive N800m grant to address marginalisation

A total of nine Original Inhabitant Organization’s (OIO’s) have received grant to the tune of N800,000000.00 to implement various projects, targeted at addressing the political, economic and cultural marginalization of the original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) .

The grant was awarded to the organisations by the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) with support from the McArthur Foundation.

Executive Director of CHRICED Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, who made this known in Abuja during the grant signing ceremony, said the project aims at promoting the rights FCT indigenes.

Comrade Zikirullahi explained that the projects aims to address the political participation of the original inhabitants, while others are focused on economic and cultural issues, with a deliberate focus on the needs of marginalized groups, including those of women, the youth and people living with disabilities.

“I am convinced that today’s event marks the dawn of a new era for the Original Inhabitants of the FCT and their decades-long struggle for justice, equity and fairness, within the context of the political, economic and cultural evolution of Nigeria,” he stressed.

Earlier, the Director, Africa Office of the MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Kole Shettima, said the project is in line with the organization’s commitment to Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in development programing.

Represented by Dr. Amina Salihu, Senior Programmes Officer MacArthur Foundation,Shettima said the aim was to support the people’s long struggle for justice, equity and fairness, within the context of the political, economic and cultural evolution of Nigeria.

On his part Ismaila Mohammed, Sarkin Karshi, called on the federal government to tackle the root causes of marginalisation and violation of the rights of the original inhabitants of Abuja.

Mohammed noted that doing this would avert a looming security crisis in the nation’s capital.