Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq,has said President Muhammadu Buhari was really disturbed over Nigerian’s increasing poverty rate,saying he was committed to tackling the development headlong.
The minister, speaking at the weekend, at Barwa,a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT,Abuja,at the commemoration of the 2020 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the minister said the president had put measures in place to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years.
According to the minister, “the issue of poverty eradication has emerged as a significant concern for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Noting that the day “presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty and a chance for them to make their concerns heard”, Farouq,who was represented by the Director, Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Ali Grema, said noted with regret that,”The fight against poverty has been ongoing for a number of years, yet poverty keeps fighting back and has even transformed into a multifaceted and complex issue which perhaps speaks volumes on the inefficacy of the various poverty eradication strategies and interventions that have been deployed.”
“Forty percent of total population in Nigeria live in poverty according to the National Bureau of Statistics,” she said ,adding:”One of the government’s primary responsibility is to assist and protect all person in an equal manner.”
“It is also pertinent to emphasize that the issue of poverty eradication has emerged as a significant concern for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Therefore, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD) will continue to work with relevant stakeholders and Agencies under its supervision to ensure the realization of Mr. President’s vision of lifting 100 Million Nigerians out of Poverty in ten years,” she said.
Farouq, who had earlier built a health centre and sank a borehole to provide potable water for the community, explained that “the ministry had adopted Barwa Community as a pilot community in her visit last year during 2019 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. ”
“The community was supported with the construction of medical facility and drilling of borehole by the Ministry through Community and Social Development Project (CSDP),” she said.
According to her,”It is a welcomed development that the theme for this years’ Commemoration of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is “Acting Together to Achieve Social and Environmental Justice for All”, as the overall objective of the programme is geared towards having an inclusive society and respecting the Rights/Dignity of persons living in poverty.”
“I want to assure all Nigerians that this administration remains dedicated to the principles of International protection of vulnerable persons and shall align the National frameworks with the provisions of United Nations,” she said.
Earlier,the people of Barwa community praised the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for building a Health Center and sinking a borehole to provide potable water for the people.
The head of the community Chief Monday Kogi gave the commendation on behalf of the community. Chief Kogi who expressed gratitude to the federal government recalled that the community had no potable water and Health Centre until the ministry’s first visit last year.
“Since your first visit on October on October 17, 2019, we witnessed the construction of a bore hole in Barwa community and the building of a Health Centre. On behalf of the people of Barwa community, we say thank you”,he said.
The community head also appealed to the federal government to help fence the health Centre and construct an access road from the airport road to the community.
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