The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has urged the Federal Government to provide satellite communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with social infrastructure.
The Senior Programme Manager, PPDC, Mr Onyekachi Chukwu, made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja at a programme aimed at promoting inclusive governance through civic engagement for `Right-Holders’ in the FCT.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the centre has organised series of community engagements between September and October which revealed citizens’ expectations regarding service delivery in the FCT.
Chukwu decried the poor state of Infrastructure in some of the communities, saying “one will think the indigenes are okay, considering the fact that these communities are located in the FCT.
“You will be surprised that most of these communities within the FCT are inaccessible.
“When we visited, those communities were very difficult to get to. For some of these places, we had to park our cars and use our legs to get to some of these communities.
“We want to spotlight these communities in the FCT which have not seen government presence in over ten years. Basically, in as much as those people are in the FCT doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is well with them.
“We have paid visits to these communities. And today we have brought members of these communities to discuss the challenges they are facing,’’ he said
The Official, who took time to enlighten the indigenes on how to monitor government projects within their communities, assured that the PPDC would give them necessary assistance to get the government complete projects within their communities.
“We are also trying to empower the communities in the FCT, particularly by working with right holders who to see how they can improve their participation in governance.
“This is by monitoring projects in their communities and also demanding for service delivery in their communities.
“We are educating the people in the communities by showing them different tools available to them to improve their participation in governance and help them have more accessibility to their representatives.
“This is to ensure that some of the challenges they have in their communities such as lack of schools, lack of physical facilities such as roads, access to water as well and insecurity can be solved.,” the Senior Programme Manager said.
In his remarks, a clergy, Rev. Thomas Bako, who represented Yimi community under Gwagwalada Area Council, said FCT indigenes were the most cheated people in Nigeria.
Bako said that some communities were not accessible during the raining season.
He added that the people have not been unable to see their representatives to lay their complaints.
“You go to their offices; they will say you should come another day. We are peasant farmers. How will you keep spending transport to visit someone’s office that doesn’t care about you?
“The roads are bad and accident taking place every day. You hear contract is awarded, if you go to the site, nothing is done in that area. Some communities can only be accessed during the dry season,’’ the cleric said.
Also, Dr Ray Jamberlary, a representative from Buzumkure community in Kuje Area Council, said some of the elected local government chairmen were not accessible.
“You can’t even know where they sleep. You can’t even access the Local Government chairmen. To see Sen. Philip Aduda is easier than to see a local government chairman in the FCT.
“They have ways of sneaking out of their houses and offices. So that you cannot even see them to lay complaints,” he added.
NAN also reports that the PPDC is currently working in six communities within FCT to train indigenes on project monitoring and on how to engage the government on quality service delivery.
The six communities are Karon- majigi, Yimi, Buzunkure, Ijakpada, Abaji, and Apiawoyi across the six area councils in Abuja. (NAN)
