Hon. Uche Okonkwo.
Nigeria as the most populous country in Africa needs to win the war on hunger desperately and save her citizens and the continent a disaster unimaginable. Making this call on the backdrop of series of protests by organised Labour, Civil Societies organisations and others, across the country, against hunger, starvation and hardship in the land, is Hon. Uche Okonkwo, representing Idemili North and South Federal Constituency of Anambra State.
Said he: “I’m increasingly very worried that raw hunger has become the number one item of our national agenda discussions, with no hope of exiting that spot quickly in sight. I’m scared the situations are aggravating daily, which is not just sad, but deeply regrettable. This is because when citizens of their country drop their self esteem to cry openly about hunger in the streets, their love and respect for that country is damaged consequentially”.
Appealing for sustainable action against this depressing situation, Okonkwo cautioned that it was a grave red flag, that Nigeria must move to bring down desperately, before the other ingredients of hunger, would invite anger and violence into the plate as vicious allies.
Cried Okonkwo: “I therefore passionately urge the governments at all levels both national and sub-nationals to engage with our citizens truthfully, by waving the white flag of solutions sincerely and believably. We must admit humbly that when leadership failures become routine, anarchy will hover around as norm. That must be addressed, hence the need for intentional solutions with despatch”.
Talking to the youths of Nigeria directly, he praised them for growing courage in the face of these difficult challenges.
Noted the lawmaker: “I salute the youths of this country for being truly tolerant. You have been exceptionally sensitive to our reality that when adversity visits, adventure is suspended for necessity. I know it, and got reassured in our last Constituency Skills clinic that has since become a structured imperative. I urge you to please continue to be self-aware that prosperity is a function of good governance.
“We have raised the bar of our consciousness and commitment for getting leadership right and accountable in this country. We will raise it higher and higher until we get there pretty soon.
“I want you to know that the energy and key to come out of this bend will still come from you; you are the major force for our farms that we must grow now that the rain is here. You are also the strength for the protection of our people and crops in most localities.
“I therefore encourage everyone to do his bit, the best way possible, because it has become inevitable that farming needs all of us in the value chain, to quickly ramp up productivity for our food security”.
On a note of optimism, the lawmaker re-emphasised that Nigeria as a desirable geography of nationalities, was ripe for greatness now that tech education is taking root and multiplying our youths creative diversities, stressing that much more was neede, as it would help make embedded corruption difficult, expose laziness in the processes of governance, and accelerate pressure for transparency and accountability.
He Noted that tech revolution had become the mother of instant access and the nemesis of secret darkness.
