By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) natives under the auspices of Abuja Original Youths Empowerment Organisation AOIYEO, in collaboration with Abuja Indigenous Students Association, AISA, have evacuated over 279 students who are natives and residents of Abuja from University of Jos.
This followed the recent killings in Rukuba and Bassa areas close to Jos town in Plateau state.
President of AOIYEO, Commandant Isaac David who responded swiftly to calls from natives and residents of Abuja schooling at UniJos, said that the evacuation of the students was to prevent death of indigene and residents of Abuja in Jos.
He revealed that all the buses sent to convey the students from their various schools safely brought them back to Abuja to ensure that all natives and residents are brought back home, pending the period that the crisis in Jos will end.
“As FCT indigenous people we have not been given due recognition by government, so we have to do our civic responsibility as indigenous organization with the little resource at our disposal and achieved major result.
“Although, the previous government has made people to believe that the FCT is just the city at the expense of the over 868 villages in remote areas and the government is making it to look like it is only the city centre that is the FCT.
“The people in the outskirts are left behind and nobody cares about them, but with this kind of incidence, many people should understand that indigenous students studying at UniJos are from various local communities that make up the entire FCT,” he said.
According to him, the present crisis in Jos is similar to a war situation, where innocent lives are taken without thinking twice, that was why they decided to move into action and ensured a very a swift evacuation of the stranded students.
However, the leader of Abuja Indigenous Students Association, AISA, comrade Johnson Michael who spoke on behalf of the students commended the AOIYEO president over the kind gesture.
Imo community partners with churches, NHRC to abrogate caste system in Igbo land
The Mbieri community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo state will in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), along with other non -governmental organisations, including Pillars of Hope Africa Initiative, (POHAI), Kemdi Chino Opara Foundation, Marvico and Global Family Foundation GFF begin the process to abrogate the long time cast system in the community as well as other parts of Igbo land.
The partners have through the abrogation campaigns across some communities in the South-East counseled on the need to put an end to the caste practice.
Chairman of the abrogation ceremony, Chief Onyewuchi Asinobi, in a statement said the caste is an ancient traditional religious practice anchored on evil altars and shrines controlled by principalities and powers, and by the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places.
He said that in the light of the dedications, covenants, sacrifices, idolatrous practices and the peculiar circumstances surrounding the obnoxious practices, top clergies will on August 28 be conducting community and family liberation prayers as well as services at Afor Nnudo Market Square, Umuagwu, Mbieri to end the practices which included erronous classification of some people as ‘Osu’, ‘Ume’ or ‘Ohu’ as slaves, while the ‘Diala’ are classified as free born in the society.
The clergies who will partner with the abrogation include Arch Bishop A.V Obinna, the Metropolitan Catholic Bishop of Owerri, Bishop Chukwuma Opara, Anglican Bishop of Owerri, Bishop Collins Chidi Oparajiaku, Anglican Bishop of Ohaji/Egbema, Bishop Innocent Erimujor, Healing the Nation Ministry Int, Bishop Ngozi Durueke, He Reigns Cathedral, Bishop Blaise C. Iwuogo, New Life Evangelical Church, Bishop Stanford Nworgu, Praise Centre Cathedral and Rev. Dr. Victor Isiodu, Balm of Gilead Ministries.
According to Asinobi, Imo state governor Sen Hope Uzodinma and the traditional rulers of the 7 autonomous communities of Mbieri including Umueze, Amaike, Awo, Osuji, Obazu, Ezi and Ihite are to play prominent roles in the abrogation ceremony.
