From Okwe Obi
The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has signed a N40 million grant with 3000 members of the FCT’s Original Inhabitants with Disabilities Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
CHRICED’s Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Zikirullahi in Abuja, explained that the grants would be used to purchase welding and sewing machines, shoemaking tools, and for some to learn how to make detergents among others.
Zikirullahi disclosed that CHRICED had signed up to 10 agreements amounting to N800 million, to assuage the pains.
According to him, the agreement will last for one year with the expectation that 200 people would have benefitted from the initiative.
He maintained that his organisation would continue to advocate the rights of original inhabitants with disabilities and ensure that they get their dues at the appropriate time.
“The agreement we are signing today with the original inhabitants with disabilities will make up to ten for the empowerments and rights of original inhabitants.
“Everything we have signed has amounted to the tune of N800 million. So today we are signing an agreement with FCT original inhabitants with disabilities to the tune of N40 million.
“This amount is for one year. This will enable them to construct workspace, provide training tools like sewing machines, welding machines, soap making tools including leather work and shoes.
“We envisage that in the next one year we expect that two hundred members of the FCT original inhabitants with disabilities multipurpose cooperative society would be trained in various categories.
“We are doing this through the grace of Macarthur Foundation who generously granted us the support for the original inhabitants of the FCT.
“As we may all be aware, the original inhabitants of the FCT have suffered a lot of marginalisation and deprivation.
“Today, they are landless, stateless and at the same time, their economic livelihoods have been taken away from them.
“So, it is in this respect that we are working with them and advocating for their rights.
“And those things that need to be provided by the government whether at the level of the Federal Capital Territory or at the Federal Government level, we are advocating to see that their rights are respected.
“Today, I am handing over a letter of approval for grant to the tune of N40 million to the President of Original Inhabitants with Disabilities Multipurpose Cooperative Society FCT,” he said.
In his response, President of FCT’s Original Inhabitants with Disabilities Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Yakubu Festus, appreciated CHRICED for the gesture.
“On behalf of the 3000 FCT’s Original Inhabitants with Disabilities in the six Area Councils, 62 wards, 858 villages across the nook and cranny of the FCT with 9 languages, I thank you CHRICED and, by extension, MacArthur Foundation to have deem it fit by taking into cognizance our needs.
“Today is a day of joy because we have never seen such a thing in our lives. It is the first of it kind. We accept everything and we are ready to abide by the rules and regulations to get these projects completed.”