By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja
AMID soaring poverty levels, ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, has asked the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to take urgent measures after swearing in on May 29 to curb hardship of Nigerians.
Among the suggestions ActionAid submitted were backtracking on borrowing spree, auditing the electioneering process and funding security agencies.
The Board of Trustees, BoT, AAN, made the call in a statement by Board Chair, Dr Jummai Umar-Ajijola, after a review of state of the nation at her 49th meeting held in Abuja.
The statement reads in part, “In the short term, the President-elect is advised to take measures such as improving the distribution infrastructure, crack down on fuel hoarding and diversion, and increasing fuel importation.
“In the long term, Nigeria must invest in domestic refining capacity, diversify the economy to reduce dependence on oil, and promote alternative energy sources.
“The Federal and state governments, INEC, CSOs (Civil Society Organisations), and all stakeholders involved in Nigeria’s electioneering must work together to audit the entire election process from the beginning to the end.
“This must include a national debate to address all the critical challenges that still confront our electoral process to ensure more transparency and help to build peoples’ confidence in the democratic process.
Backtrack on borrowing spree
“The Federal Government must backtrack on her borrowing spree and proffer workable and sustainable solutions to grow the economy rather than a fixation on distributing $16 per person for two years, which will have minimal or no impact in lowering the cost of living and poverty.
“The fresh request of President Muhammadu Buhari for a loan of $800 million days to his exit from office is appalling and the Senate must reject this in its entirety.
“The incoming administration under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should prioritise the conduct of a national census because the data so sourced is crucial for policy making, planning, and resource allocation.
“A successful census will be critical for Nigeria’s development.
“Hard-to-reach communities and locations with security threats must be adequately planned for.
Ensure availability, accessibility of new Naira notes before December 31.
“Ahead of the December 31, 2023 deadline for the validity of the old naira notes, as declared by the Supreme Court, the Central Bank of Nigeria, should focus on not just reducing the number of naira notes in circulation to control inflation, it must also make the currency difficult to counterfeit.
“The CBN must plan to prevent subjecting Nigerians to the level of hardship experienced in the 1st quarter of 2023.
Develop flood response plans, promote awareness of flood risks
“The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) must be pragmatic about working with state and local governments and communities to develop flood response plans and promote awareness of flood risks.
“Additionally, government agencies must provide training and capacity building to relevant stakeholders to enhance their ability to respond to flooding; the federal and state emergency interventions must be commensurate with the level of flood impact; governments at all tiers must increase their investment in infrastructure and technology and enhance coordination and communication among relevant stakeholders.
“All concerned stakeholders must promote community participation and awareness of flood risks and integrate early warning systems with broader disaster management and climate resilience strategies.
Prioritize funding of security agents
“The incoming government must prioritize funding to all security agents in Nigeria to enhance intelligence services and improve infrastructure through training and standardized equipment. This should also include strengthening community policing initiatives.
Source: Vanguard