Nation
African Parliamentarians To Meet Over MDGs
African parliamentarians are to meet in Abuja tomorrow to prepare a roadmap to accelerate urgent action toward effective development of strategies for the realisation of the MDGs.
Rep. Saudatu Sani, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on MDGs, told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that a Network of African Parliamentarians on MDGs would also be inaugurated.
Sani said that after the inauguration, the conference would also proactively engage other lawmakers in reviewing all the gaols to be met before the end of this year.
Other issues to be discussed at the conference, according to her, include the inter-connections between achieving the MDGs, ensuring food security, tackling climate change and addressing the global financial and economic crisis.
“The conference will afford participants opportunity to share ideas that will influence institutionalisation of MDGs committees in African parliaments to facilitate effective partnership with the executive arm of governments.
“The effective achievement of the MDGs is certainly not the concern of only governments and parliaments. It is a collective responsibility, which in my estimation, the media has a larger stake,’’she said.
She said that a strategic meeting of some selected African countries including Nigeria was held in Nairobi in December 2009 where progress made by African governments in achieving the MDGs were reviewed.
Sani noted that Nigerian parliament was the first African parliament to constitute a standing committee on the MDGs with remarkable efforts in popularising and developing collaborative mechanisms. She said that the National Assembly had always ensured that appropriate funds were earmarked for projects without any reduction. The conference which would be inaugurated by Speaker Dimeji Bankole and would be attended by Parliamentarians from Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi. Others are Mozambique, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Liberia, ECOWAS, AU, civil society organsations and officials of the UN millennium campaign.
In a remark, Mrs Amina Az-Zubair, Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, said that there was a gap in allocation of resources to the MDGs project in the country.
She stressed the need for states and local governments to scale up their contributions to the project to enhance its sustainability.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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