Gyang Bere, Jos
Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Joshua Madaki, has decried the high level of poverty and hunger among Nigerians and said further delay in the passage of Right to Food Bill will consume most families in the country.
He lamented that most households in the country are passing through excruciating pains, hardship and starvation as they cannot afford a square meal a day.
Hon. Madaki said this in Jos when Programme Manager of Civil Society Legislation Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Comrade Salaudeen Hashim, led farmers, students and other civil society organisations, on national campaign on the right to food in Nigeria to Plateau State House of Assembly.
According to the Speaker, “We will not play with this subject matter because right to food is next to right to life and right to life is sacred under our fundamental Human Right. The right to food must be taken serious so that life will be given it full meaning and value.
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“We want to assure you that Plateau State House of Assembly is in support of the right to food bill, we want the National Assembly to expedite action on this bill that is critical to the existence of citizens of Nigeria.
“We will never allow hunger to kill us, we will not allow issues of starvation among our children, this is a need. Looking at the population of this nation, the right to food must be given to the citizens of Nigeria.”
Hashim, who pleaded with the National Assembly to pass the Bill into law, also urged members of the State Houses of Assembly in the country to also initiate Right to Food Bill in their states to cushion the effect of poverty in their respective states.
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Hashim urged state legislators in the country to request the National Assembly to speedy the passage of the right to food bill to avert the looming food crisis and insecurity in the country.
“We have observed that there is hardship and so much hunger in the country due to poor agricultural policies and insecurity that has consumed several lives and constitute fear on farmers who have abandoned their farms due to insecurity.
“We want the State Houses of Assembly in the Country to ask the National Assembly to pass the bill on Right to Food which is at second reading. We are also advocating that when the bill is passed into Law and send to State Houses of Assembly for 2/3 majority requirement, it should be given the necessary attention.”