Abuja Original Inhabitants Inaugurate Six Newly Elected Youth Reps
By: Prudence Okonna
The Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO) in a colourful celebration has inaugurated a six- member leadership team of the Fellowship of Community Trustees-Youth Network also called FCT-Youth Network.
The inauguration of the FCT-Youth Network leadership was held held in Abuja to officially bequeath responsibility to the leaders.
The grassroot network likened to the UK parliament system, has spokespersons at community level, cordinators at ward level and the youth representatives at the area councils to serve as a bridge between the communities and the government by providing adequate representation for the six area councils.
AOIYEOs’ project manager, Bitrus Lawrence said that aside from speaking for the 858 communities accross the Federal Capital Territory using the grassroot network, the FCT-Youth Leaders are expected to bridge the gaps in security, empowerment and government interventions.
Lawrence also emphasized that it is an opportunity for AOIYEO to harness the innate leadership in the young people who have limited avenues to express their leadership tendencies, adding that government as well other organisations can leverage on the network for data collection.
The Newly elected FCT-Youth Network Leader, Umar Makeri, in his inaugural address said the growth and development of the FCT shall be the priority of him and his team to ensure that the communities experience development in every area necessary.
His words: “The growth and development shall be the focus of our activities. Together with my team and Local Government Coordinators, we shall hit the ground running by engaging, mobilizing and influencing stakeholders in government, non-governmental organizations, politicians, civil society groups, religious and traditional bodies, schools, security agencies and health centres, with the aim of ensuring that the people of FCT experience development in all spheres of life”.
The inauguration of the Youth-Network leadership which was also an avenue to launch the Know Ask and Follow (KAF) platform, attracted stakeholders from accross different sectors; both government, private and civil society organisations.
KAF is a dynamic enlightenment and accountability initiative which is an open source platform where information regarding the original Inhabitants in Abuja can be shared and feedbacks can be received as well. This will also advocate equitable distribution of governments intervention to communities.
Recall that the FCT-Youth Network was launched on 25 June, 2022 and thereafter held an election on the 30 of July to elect leaders to represent the six area councils; AMAC, Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.
