HipCity Innovation Centre or HipCity Hub, an NGO, has restated its commitment toward addressing inequality in marginalised communities deprived of social amenities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr. Bassey Bassey, made this known when he led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Buki Ponle, on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the mission of the organisation was to reduce the incidence of inequality, especially in marginalised communities that were deprived of service delivery.

Bassey said the organisation was determined to educate and build capacity in communities with poor social amenities to enable them to understand their rights and demand accountability in service delivery.

He stressed that beyond the city centre, people were struggling to drink water from the same source as animals, adding “the water is not even clean for human consumption”.

“But you find people drinking from those water. You will also find our women and girls struggling to maintain menstrual hygiene because of a lack of potable water.

“Part of our strategy is to educate them; build their capacity to be able to understand what their rights are and collaboratively work with them and demand for accountability around service delivery.

“Having worked in Abuja in the last three years, we have come to the realisation that the original inhabitants of Abuja have gone through the history books.

” We have seen that the decree that created the establishment of FCT wasn’t done in a very transparent manner, it was a military decree, so there was little or no room for consultation,” he added.

The executive director said that for the past 30 years after the relocation of the nation’s capital to Abuja, the original inhabitants had not been duly compensated.

Bassey stressed that the focus of the organisation was about the dignity of life of the FCT natives and ensuring that they had basic social amenities such as education, healthcare, water, and sanitation.

“And the sustainable use of the environment. So, across these four elements that we have mentioned, if any of them is missing, then it means that there is an infringement on the fundamental human rights of these people.

“We are working with other organisations to promote the rights of the indigenous people of Abuja across cultural, economic, and political participation of this group of persons.

“As you are aware, the Constitutional Amendment Committee has recommended for the mayoral status of the FCT.

“This is part of what we are doing to ensure that we reverse some of the alleged injustices meted out against the Abuja natives,” Bassey said.

He solicited the support of NAN towards the attainment of these objectives in terms of showing concern for the disadvantaged communities.

Responding, NAN MD said that NAN was ever willing to collaborate with groups that were trying to make a difference in the lives of the nation’s countrymen and women.

Represented by the Editor-In-chief of NAN, Mr. Silas Nwoha, he noted that virtually every community in the country needed such initiative aimed at improving the lives of the people, especially the voiceless.

“So we assure you that NAN will always stand by you. We will always give you whatever support that we can.

“Let me also suggest that this is an initiative that we expect you give a more national focus. I want to see you also give voice to people in communities around the country.

“Communities that were not heard in Nigeria, because when you do that, it gives everybody a sense of belonging,’’ he added.