The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has accused the federal government of failing to develop indigenous communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

PPDC’s Senior Programme Manager, Onyekachi Chukwu, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at a programme promoting inclusive governance for ‘Right-Holders’ in the FCT.

“One will think the indigenes are okay, considering the fact that these communities are located in the FCT.

“You will be surprised that most of these communities within the FCT are inaccessible.

“When we visited, those communities were very difficult to get to. For some of these places, we had to park our cars and use our legs to get to some of these communities,” Mr Chukwu said.

The centre has organised series of community engagements between September and October to understand citizens’ expectations regarding service delivery in the FCT.

“We want to spotlight these communities in the FCT which have not seen government presence in over ten years.

“Basically, in as much as those people are in the FCT, doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is well with them,” he added.

In his remarks, Thomas Bako, a clergyman who represented the Yimi community under Gwagwalada Area Council, said FCT indigenes have been cheated in Nigeria.

Criticising people in government, he said, “You go to their offices; they will say you should come another day.

“We are peasant farmers. How will you keep spending transport to visit someone’s office that doesn’t care about you?” the clergyman added.

(NAN)