A HUNGER MESSAGE TO LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Youths from the Activista Group in Lagos delivered Hunger free messages and petitions written by concerned Lagosians on the Hunger situation in Lagos State as part of the Action Aid International hungerFREE Campaign to Principal Officers of the Lagos State House of Assembly in December 2008.

Some of the Messages from Lagosians: “The cost of food is very high; please make proper and effective measures to curb this”- Bolaji Olabisi, Orile-Iganmu. “We should please improve on our food reserves and hunger can be treated to a minimal level.” “Empower women and you will feed the world. An empowered woman is the key to a hunger free world.”- Mrs. Blessing Dan-Egua, Surulere. “The society can only be hunger free is we all go back to the land.” “Food talk is a serious talk. The time to act if now.”

The medium: Activista is a global network of young people, students, artists, musicians, filmmakers and friends across rich and poor countries. It began in 2007 and focuses on the campaign for the Right to Food, on the platform of ActionAid’s HungerFREE programme running about forty countries around the world including Nigeria.

The receiver: The Speaker- Rt. Hon Ikuforiji and some of other principal officers of the House, including the Deputy Speaker and majority Leader of the House, received the group. The group lead by Francis Anyaegbu shared some of the views expressed by a cross section of Lagosians and also requested that the House should ensure that they make laws that will help Lagos State and Nigeria as whole meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs), especially Goal 1 which focuses on Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by the year 2015. The group later presented a plaque to the house capturing some of the messages collated from the 20 local government area and 37 LCDAs in Lagos .

The response: The Hon. Speaker appreciated the laudable initiative of the HungerFREE programme and more especially the effort of the Activista youths who are spearheading this effort. He acknowledged that the issue of hunger was a global one and he informed the group that the leadership of the House is a listening one and will continue to make laws that favorable to all and also address the impact of hunger in Lagos . He then promised to have other members look at these messages on resumption of sitting for the next legislative year. The Deputy Speaker- Hon. Funmi Tejuosho also expressed commendation on the activity of the Activistas and also thanked them for bringing the messages to the doorstep of the House.

What type of society will we have if more communication channel between those at the grassroots and the government is encouraged? The youths remain a prominent partner in executing such assignments because of their exuberance and passionate drive, thus this segment of the society must not be neglected by stakeholders at any level.