A New York-based Nigerian lawyer, Chief Owolabi Salis, has counseled the Federal Government to make palliatives distribution a continuous exercise in view of the endemic poverty in the land, warning that hunger occasioned by poverty is a time bomb which Nigeria cannot afford.
Chief Salis, who is also former Governorship Candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos, made the call in a statement from his United States base, saying that the advice has become expedient, going by the army of poor people across the country, which he noted had been made worse by the removal of subsidy by the current administration.
According to the Attorney, who is widely known as Oba Mekunnu of Africa, in view of his philanthropy, it would therefore make a lot of sense, if the distribution of palliatives was made continuous to address hunger occasioned by poverty ravaging the country and the dire effect as a time bomb which the nation cannot afford.
Salis argued that government no doubt needed to be proactive in addressing the misery in which millions of Nigerians had fallen into in recent times, urging the presidency to “set up a grassroots governance system like ‘Presidency Direct’ by recognizing the circle of relationships at the wards.”
“People are dying of hunger. Let us imagine many elderly people in the grassroots who are poor and have no family or think of those children without family, waking up daily hungry. This is pathetic. We have to think of them and make provisions for them.
“The government in any country must defend the people’s interest and the Tinubu administration cannot afford to fail in this regard by ensuring it ensures that the poor not only breathe but breathe well.
“The administration is equally advised to prevail on Universities that have increased fees astronomically to back down in the interest of the poor.
“Education is a very potent weapon changing the world on a daily basis and should therefore not be left to a privileged few.
“The government should heed the advice of well meaning Nigerians in this regard, to stem the population of gangsters and other undesirable elements in the society.”
. TheWitness
