FCT original inhabitants PWD get N40m project grants

By Abubakar Yunusa, Abuja

The Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) , has approved N40m grants for with the federal Capital territory original inhabitant Persons With Disabilities (PWD) to enable them to construct a workshop, provisions of training tools, and others.

This is part of efforts to promote the rights of original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).

Speaking during the signing of grants, yesterday at its office, CHRICED’s Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said today “we are signing an agreement with the FCT original inhabitant persons with disability to the tunes of 40 million naira.

According to him, this amount runs for a year and it will enable them to construct a workshop, provisions of training tools, like a sewing machine, welding machines, soap or soap making including leather work and shoes.

He said the agreement we are signing today with the original inhabitants of PWD sum up the total amount that will be issued under this project of promoting the right of the original inhabitant of a person with a disability to the tune of 800 million naira.

“These are things we envisage and in this process, in the next one year, we expect that of fct original inhabitants persons with disability multi-purpose cooperative society will have train up to 200 members in various categories some in tailoring, welding, craft work and order in soap making.

“We are doing this through the grace of MacArthur Foundation who generously granted us to support FCT original inhabitants Persons with a disability as we may all be aware, the original inhabitant of FCT have suffered a loss of marginalization and deprivation, today they are cloudless, stateless and sometimes their economic livelihood has been taken away from them and it is in this respect we are working with them, advocating for their right and those things they need to be provided by the government either at the level of ministry of FCT or at the level of Federal Government.

“We are advocating at that level so that they are right are respected. What they rightly deserve is given to them and the one we can support directly we do it so that we elevate them and at the same time give them a sense of belonging.

“So today I’m handing over the letter of approval of a grant to the tune of 40 million naira to the president of an original inhabitant of a person with disability multipurpose cooperative society.

In his remarks, the president of original inhabitants, PWD multipurpose cooperative society FCT Yakubu Festus, said Person With Disabilities across the 6 area council with 62 wards,8,58 villages across the FCT, Nine languages, we said thanks to CHRICED MacAuthour foundation.

He said, “The NGOs have deemed it fit by taking into cognizance seeing inside but not outside, for us to see a day like this, and for us to sign a partnership agreement, a day like this is a day of joy because have not witnessed such things like this.

“We accept everything and agreed, we are ready to abide by the rules and regulations and all, if its takes for us to get this project in place,” he said .