Ezekwesili raises the alarm over rising level of poverty in Nigeria

November 29, 2022 Village Reporter

Patrick Okohue Former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, hasraisedthe alarm over the increasing level of povertyinthecountry, saying in today’s Nigeria, research has shown that six people fall into extreme poverty every minute.

According to her, this developmenthasbroughtabout a situation where more than one in every three Nigerian desires to leave the country in order to escape economic hardship, according to research.

Ezekwesiliwhowas speaking on the occasion of the activation of the Office of the Citizen (OOTC) organised by #FixPolitics, expressed the worry that since 2015 Nigeria has been on the downward slide on major development indicators.

She, however, posited that the country’s economic development is a function of the quality of people elected into political offices in the country, noting that election and other political processes are pivotal to the quality of a country’s governance and can either advance or stagnate or decline the short, medium and long term prospects of a people, noting: “All citizens in a democracy who qualify to select those that govern their society are inherent possessors of political powers.

“Elections in a democracy is the means of competition that enables people to choose their candidates or make preferences among options in individuals who wish to be handed the political power that belongs to the people.” Also speaking on the sideline, the co-chairman of #FIXPolitics, Chinenye Mba Ozukwu, said the event was a realisation from a combination from years of work that rose from the realisation that thosewhowillfixthepolitical system of the country must comefromwithinthesystem.

“This is because if this country must move forward, the people must have to take their own destinies in their hands; they must choose where the power must go and who will decide their political leaders; and they are the ones who are to also hold them accountable and they must get to a point where they have to recognise these responsibilitiesandbereadytostepinand play the roles effectively.”

Also speaking, one of the participants at the event and musician, MI Abaga noted that the idea of working on creating awareness on the office of the citizen was born out of the fact that the supply side of politics was underfunctioning and needed to be energised, because it is needed to enhance the quality of people coming into the political space to seek elective offices.

In his vote of thanks, the Executive Director, #Fixpolitics, Anthony Ubani, said: “From the inception of #FixPolitics, our vision has been to activate the office of the citizen and develop a politicalclassof servant-leaders.

Today, withyoursupport, you have helped us to successfully take the first step in the process of actualising our vision.”