Candido may stay in another one year in office as Bello suspend inauguration

Favour Ishember, Abuja

The FCT Administration has suspended the planned inauguration of the Six Area Council Chairmen of the Federal Capital Territory who were duly elected some, indicating that the current AMAC Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu Candido stays in office for another one year.

This is as a result of an injunction of a court in Federal Capital Territory directing that inauguration be suspended.

According to the judgment, based on the recently signed Electoral Act of 2022, which stipulates that the tenure of office of the Chairmen of the Area Councils in FCT would now be four years instead of three years, the existing Chairmen whose tenure were meant to expire or end today, have another one year to continue, based on the new law.

Hence, the FCT Minister , Malam Muhammad Musa Bello in a press statement made available to Daily Champion said: “following the , in March of 2019, we held the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, whereby Six Council Chairmen and their Councillors were elected after a very competitive and rigorous process.

These six Council Chairmen of the FCT were then inaugurated on the 20th of May 2019, under the 2010 Electoral Act. Based on that Act, the tenure of the Chairmen would end today and the new Chairmen, based on the elections held in February this year, would be sworn in on 20th May 2022.

But a few days ago, we received communication of a judgment by a court in the Federal Capital Territory directing us to suspend the inauguration of the new Chairmen, based on the fact that the current Chairmen’s tenure would end today, 19th May 2022.

“So, as a law-abiding government, the FCT Administration has no option than to suspend the planned inauguration of the Six Area Council Chairmen of the Federal Capital Territory who were duly elected some weeks ago as a result of this injunction”

Also, as an administration that is very conscious of the need to abide by the rule of law, even though we are not satisfied with the judgment of the court, we have no option but to comply.
While complying, we are also making efforts to vacate the judgment and if need arises, to appeal the judgment, so that the correct position of the law will be determined by the legal processes.
In the interim therefore”

“we are very conscious of the fact that the stand of the court has raised a lot of concerns within certain sections of the Federal Capital Territory residents. I wish to appeal to everyone to be calm, to be law abiding and to await the outcome of the legal processes.

FCT is a creation of law. The FCT has always been known to be a place of unity, peace and good governance and populated by law abiding residents. Please let us continue the way we are and await the court processes. At the end of the court processes, the clear direction of what needs to be done would be clearly stated and then as an administration, we will do the needful.”
[4:34 PM, 5/19/2022] Cnl Favor Ishember: NGO trains 300 FCT indigenes on cultural preservation

Favour Ishember, Abuja

The Helpline Foundation for the needy with support from MacArthur Foundation has trained over 300 Original Inhabitants of the FCT in the making of traditional attire in order to preserve the cultural heritage of the Territory.

Speaking at the graduation and exhibition ceremony for Original Inhabitants of FCT in traditional skills transfer and traditional attires the president, Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, said this at the skills will also impact on the economic well being of benefactors.

Dr. Ahmadu who was represented by the Project Officer of the Foundation, Mr. Arome Onoja, said the gesture was sponsored by MacArthur Foundation through Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) who decided to engage Helpline foundation to engage the original inhabitants within the context of their culture, economic and political rights.

Briefing journalist shortly after the exhibition, the president said, “We have proudly engaged 300 vulnerable and marginalized women and youth in the traditional skill transfer program, part of whom shall be graduating today, the first batch. We are sure that this skill so far gained will not only revamp their cultures but will serve as a veritable means of livelihood”

“As part of the program, there has been exhibition to showcase what our participants have produced this is to
show you how prepared the Ol are to continue to preserve and sustain their culture via the display of their
traditional Identification.

“The CHRICED saw this as a speck in the eye which galvanized their interest and
Ventured into the rescue mission and beamed their research light into the quest for resuscitation and revival of the lives and legacies of the Original inhabitants forefathers and how it can be sustained even in the midst of urban progress”

Tagging the exhibition”Revamping The Culture Through Economic
Empowerment And Cultural Preservation”, Dr. Ahmadu thanked MacArthur foundation for their resounding supports which is termed as the Project of promoting the rights of the Original inhabitants of FCT including 9 other DIOs .

She added that the certificate that will be presented to partisans is a prove of their resilience and determination to preserve their culturein the midst of rapid urban progress and then sustenance of livelihood.

Also speaking, the Programs and Communications Manager , Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education; (CHRICED) ,Armsfree Ajanaku, said the attire exhibited are not just for economic empowerment but also for cultural preservation of the FCT.

He assured that (CHRICED) will push for more support, more funding for projects such as this as there are many organisations willing to invest in artifacts from IOs.

In words:” This project is known as equitable recovery , the MackArthur Foundation looked at the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods and economy’s by taking statistics of those who are most affected by COVID-19. The original inhabitants of Abuja as a vulnerable group whose marginalization within the scheme of things were made worse because of COVID-19″

MackArthur Foundation through crisehelp decided to engage Helpline foundation to engage the original inhabitants within the context of their culture, economic and political rights”

Some of the Coordinators while asking for more support in form of start up grants for the benefactors, complained of availability of the fabrics before they wove into the ogodo and other indigenous attires that had before now gone into extinction.