…World Food Programme: We provided food for 1.1m Nigerians in 2017***
The Senate on Thursday told President Muhammadu Buhari and the Executive that what was required at the moment to nip in the bud, cases of Killings, kidnappings, mayhem and general lawlessness, is a leadership that would dounce the flames and reduce the tension in the land.
The Senate has also said that Nigeria needs a leadership with the political will, just at it said that the Executive cannot solve the problems alone. According to the Senate, all hands must be on deck to address the problems, adding that Killings in the land are intolerable cycle of hell that must be broken and cannot be the new normal.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja while declaring open the on- going National Security Summit being Organised by the Senate, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki said, “What our country needs at this time is leadership that will work to douse the flames and reduce tension in the land.
It is essential that we lower the barriers in our actions and rhetoric, and refrain from playing politics with a crisis situation in which Nigerian lives are being lost, tragically and needlessly, on a regular basis.
“To the Executive, I say this: you cannot do it alone – and this is why we are all here to join efforts. It is all hands on deck. No one person, organisation or arm of government can single-handedly tackle the hydra-headed monster of insecurity.
The Constitution makes it clear that the safety of lives and property of citizens is the responsibility of government. We in government must therefore do everything in our power to ensure that Nigerians are safe from harm, and their livelihoods and belongings protected.
“Permit me to observe that those who are in this room have the capacity to bring about a change in this situation, to end the violence and bring succour. We have the capacity. But, do we have the political will? I daresay political will is what is required; and it is my hope that we shall marshal it as a legitimate instrument against this problem. Indeed, there is no reason why that should not be the case.
This is not a Summit to trade blames – in no way is this a blame game. Neither is it convened so that any person or entity can take credit. We just want solutions. Solutions only. That is all Nigerians require of us.
“We are here because, in the face of escalating threats to the peace and security of our dear country, it becomes necessary to put heads together, share ideas and map out strategies to see us out of the current predicament.
“The coming together of the Executive and Legislative arms of government for this discussion about security, is a pointer to the seriousness of the situation, and our determination to tackle the problem.
The Summit is also unique, because never before have we had such an inclusive platform for appraising security-related matters in this country.
In the meantime, World Food Programme (WFP) says it provided food assistance for 1.1 million Nigerians in the North-East in 2017.
WFP Representative and Country Director in Nigeria, Myrta Kaulard said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
WFP is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organisation addressing hunger and promoting food security.
“In 2017, we provided food assistant to average of 1.1. Million people every day of the year, we have been doing this because people have lost everything while running away from violence.
“These people have been living in confined areas; so, they literarily had no resources and were dependent on food assistant.
“The activities of the WFP in Nigeria are focus on supporting internally displaced persons in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
“However, because we are a UN agency we are working together with the national, local authorities, non-governmental organisations and civil societies,’’ she said.
She emphasised that the WFP support was mobile money or e-voucher for people who did not have the resources themselves but live in places near a market where they could buy food.
Kaulard also said the agency provided real food in situation when there was absolutely no food available, adding that such foods were bought in Nigeria.
He said 70 per cent of the food that the agency bought in 2017 came from Nigeria, adding that it spent 126 million dollars on food.
The WFP County director noted that from the beginning of 2017, the prospects were sad because it was about five million people that were in need of food assistance then.
She explained that by end of 2017 the number had reduced to 2.5 million.
She said that the focus for 2018 was to invest and engage in effort to support everyone to become completely sustainable and autonomous.
“It is a difficult task. There are many challenges, but there is also a lot of commitment and vision. We hope that the resources will continue to be there.
“We are certain and many are willing to help as many as possible,’’ Kaulard maintained.
Additional report from Vanguard
