By Salisu Sani-Idris
Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Abuja, an NGO, has called on government to ensure the preservation inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory through women and youths empowerment.
President and founder of the foundation, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, made the call at a conference with the theme,” the Role of Traditional Skill Transfer in the Preservation of Culture: the Perspective of the Original Inhabitants of the FCT, on Monday in Abuja.
She said that the measure would not only revamp the FCT economic system but also create further international relations as the preserved monuments would serve as hospitality and tourism attractions for the international community and investors.
Represented by the foundation’s Project Officer, Mr Onoja Arome, Mrs Ahmadu, also appealed to government to recognise the efforts of the fathers of the land of FCT, rescue their children from the statelessness and give them listening ears to provide a state for them.
She noted that the original inhabitants of FCT had been rendered stateless since the turning of their fathers land to the nation’s capital, and all rights and privileges had been usurped urbanisation without adequate compensation.
According to her, the foundation with support from MacArthur Foundation through the resounding support from the Resource Center For Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) implemented empowerment programmes in the area.
“The Helpline Foundation taken steps to advocate for the preservation of FCT natives cultural sites such as the Asumbo dyeing pits of Ushafa, the Iron Smelting Sites of Takushara, the Gold tunnels and the colonial ludges in Takushara.
“As we speak, the Dyeing Pits in Ushafa has been reclaimed and work is currently ongoing, which means our advocacy has reached physical intervention.
“By first week of November, 2022, we shall be visiting Takushara with our sponsor organisation on a tour to further advocacy on the preservation of the relics available in Takushara.”
Ahmadu disclosed that over 81 beneficiaries have been trained on cultural skills and are ready to continue to preserve their culture in the place where their land was fast becoming a no man’s land.
” And in May 2022, we successfully graduated the participants, who were placed on a six-month training on the traditional skill transfer.
“The project actually cut across all the tribes evidenced in the FCT they are: the Gbagyi, Amwamwa, Koro, Gade, Gwandara, Gbari, Egbura, Bassa and Ganagana respectively.
” They have their separate colours and fabrics for unique cultural identification which were going on extinction before the timely intervention of the MacArthur Foundation and CHRICED.” (NAN)
