The Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) with relevant stakeholders have called for the promotion of the political, economic and cultural rights of the original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
A Senior Lecturer in the faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, Prof. Ademola Popoola, disclosed this a Two-Day Roundtable on Access to Justice and Human Rights Protection in Nigeria, in Abuja on Wednesday.
The event which is organised by CHRICED, is supported by Macarthur Foundation.
Popoola said that it behooves on the Federal Government to look into the plights of the original inhabitants of FCT so that they could have access to justice, human right and as well as fair hearing irrespective of their status in society.
”The CHRICED project in visualising the plights of the people is aimed at strengthening the technical, programmatic and financial capacity of the original inhabitants of FCT.
”This is to make them resilient and enable them create a suitable citizen-led framework to advocate for the protection of their rights and interests
”As a keen interest to me, everyone must have access to adequate standard of living, justice, education and equal rights,” he said.
Popoola called on the government to endeavour to improve the citizens lives by providing jobs to unemployed graduate and eradicating poverty.
He added that the government must as well address the problems of resettlement, climate change and physical planning the people were faced with.
The Senior Programme Officer of CHRICED,Dr Amina Salihu, said the organisation was aimed at sustaining the legal rights and we’ll as the protection of the people’s rights.
Salihu said that CHRICED was part of Civil Society Organisations that stood against injustice in the society, hence would ensure justice for the original inhabitants of FCT.
Meanwhile, Prof. Abdulmumini Ahmed from the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, said the original inhabitants who were farmers were most of the time denied the rights to ownership of land, education and as well as their voices not heard.
Ahmed said that this resulted into their migration to other places for settlement.
He said the government must immediately address this issue by settling the FCT inhabitants so that the impact of their work as farmers could be felt.
“There is no nation without a capital, hence the government must try its best to compensate this farmers and other owners of land,” he said.
Also, the Sa Peyi of Garki, Dr Usman Ngapu
said the issue of tribalism and political malpractices should be put aside so that peace could be enshrined in the minds of the people.
Ngapu also said that all legal units and department must collaborate to fight against gender inequality among Abuja Inhabitant.
