By Diana Omueza
Center for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), an NGO, has urged politicians vying for elective positions in 2023 to make public their poverty alleviation strategies.
Mr David Anyaele, CCD Executive Director, threw the challenge in a statement on Monday in Abuja to commemorate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oct. 17 every year is marked as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
This year’s anniversary theme is “Dignity for All in Practice”.
“This is a day to solidarise with people living in extreme poverty, in particular Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), women and children.
“It is also a day for sober reflection and an opportunity to ask ourselves questions as a people on the extent to which we have contributed to the increase or reduction of poverty in our societies.
“As the 2023 general elections are around the corner, we call on Nigerians to make poverty reduction a key campaign issue.
“Political party candidates contesting for elective positions at the local, state and national levels must tell Nigerians how they intend to bend the poverty curves in Nigeria.
“We as citizens should be prepared to hold elected officials accountable for poverty reduction come 2023,” he said.
Anyaele expressed worries that while other countries were taking steps to reduce poverty within their societies, the increasing number of Nigerians that were experiencing extreme poverty was becoming more alarming.
He said that the bank projected that the number of poor Nigerians would hit 95.1 million in 2022.
“The most challenging aspect of this situation is that people living in poverty experience many interrelated and mutually reinforcing deprivations that prevent them from realising their rights and this perpetuate their poverty.
“This leads to degrading working conditions, unsafe housing, limited access to nutritious food, limited access to justice, stiffen access to political power and hindrances to accessing healthcare services, amongst others,” she said.
Anyaele said that the poverty situation in Nigeria was man-made, fuelled by corruption which unfortunately increased the risk of acquiring disabilities for Nigerians.
He appealed to the present administration to look into the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Dignity to address poverty and other factors that hindered inherent dignity, equal and inalienable rights of freedom, peace and justice in the country.(NAN)