*Lasun tasks leaders on peace to global conflicts
James Emejo in Abuja
The House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed concern that measures being taken by the federal government towards poverty alleviation have not impacted positively as expected on the country’s poverty index.
It further expressed worry the recent UN report on Nigeria’s Common Country Analysis (CCA) referred the country as one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world with over 80 million or 64 per cent of her estimated population of 175 million people living below globally defined poverty line of $1.90 per day.
However, the lower chamber, in a motion moved by Hon. Ali Wudi Muhammed (APC, Kano) to mark this year’s Poverty Eradication Day, passed a resolution calling on the federal government to be more effective in implementing various programmes aimed at tackling poverty in the country.
It among other things, urged government to also efficiently promote the establishment of small and medium scale enterprises through its relevant agencies so the nation’s teeming unemployed people could be gainfully employed thereby improving their living standards.
The motion elicited extensive contributions from members who claimed to be overwhelmed by increasing complaints from people from their respective constituencies due to the economic hardship.
Hon. Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno) lamented that the North-east represented the least developed region in the country with endemic poverty index largely as a result of neglect by successive governments by way of appropriation.
He said the way forward would be for government to invest massively in agriculture to address the worrying unemployment rate.
But Hon. Ayodeji Omidiran (APC, Osun) said poverty should not be seen as a regional affair as it’s everywhere.
She said every member is currently feeling the pound of poverty from his or her constituents, adding that “I stand to you as poor woman because my people are poverty stricken…and begged for basic needs including salt.â€
She urged government to structure poverty initiatives to effectively cover all parts of the country.
Hon. Agunsoye Rotimi (APC, Lagos) said the poverty situation the country has found itself was caused by insincerity of purpose, bad policies and corruption.
He said only the devolution of powers will end poverty as the federal government has nothing to do with the grassroots.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff has urged world leaders to work together toward finding lasting peace to global conflicts.
Speaking at the ongoing 137 IPU Conference ‎holding Russia, he said all hands must be on deck to find lasting solutions to the problems that caused conflicts across the globe.
He said: “In the last few years, we have been feeling the intense heat of extremism, Xenophobic attacks, the issue of racism has started rearing its head again and we also have the issue of intolerance.
“These are the issues that the whole world is facing today and everybody is trying to find a way to settle conflicts. This is because it is in the midst of peace that we can have democracy and without democracy, it is very difficult to have development.
“The first thing would be to find a way of achieving peace before talking of development.â€
He said: “The 8th National Assembly is poised to making laws that would promote peace and unity, as well as take advantage of its oversight powers to dialogue with different sections of the country and would continue to engage the executive toward ensuring that it improved on its policies and programmes to enable the public feel the positive impact of governance.â€
