Stakeholders lament exclusion of the indigenous people of Abuja
Stakeholders at a 2-Day capacity training for journalists on effective and impactful reporting of indigenous issues towards a National Agenda for Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention in Nigeria have raised concerns on the exclusion of indigenous people.
The Africa Director MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Kole Shettima urged the media to report the violations of the rights of indigenous people whose ancestral heritage has been taken away due to government policies and urbanization. Ibiba Don Pedro publisher of the National Point Newspapers lamented the sufferings and sexual assaults indigenous women are faced with when they are displaced.
Lanre Arogundade, the Director, International Press Centre called for engagements with the presidential candidates ahead of the 2023 general election on their plans for reintegration
of the indigenous people.
Prof. Lucky Akaruese of the University of Port Harcourt and former President of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights urged the government to engage indigenous people on intended policies before implementation to avoid the continuous displacement of the Original Inhabitants.
Adewale Adeoye, Executive Director JODER nudged the journalists to form networks to adequately give visibility to the plights of the indigenous people of the FCT and other places. Executive Director CHRICED, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi urged the Government to implement all of the conventions Nigeria has signed, the UN Declarations on Indigenous Peoples and the International Labour Organization Convention 169 on Indigenous Peoples amongst others.
Journalists at the training pledged to publicize editorials and organize programmes to give the indigenous people platforms to air their grievances for urgent awareness of the issues in their communities.
The training was organized by the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education in partnership with Journalists for Democratic Rights and International Press Centre with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
Esther Alaribe
Women Radio 91.7
news@wfm917.com
