It is saddening how cheap life has become in this country today. It is now a daily occurrence to read reports of our fellow Nigerians who lose their lives while struggling for basic food to eat.
Just 3 days ago, I lamented the disheartening occurrence involving some of our children at Nasarawa State University who lost their lives in a stampede while hustling for government provided food.
Yesterday, another four people have also reportedly lost their lives in a stampede during an almsgiving zakat exercise for the poor in Bauchi State. These regular occurrences of stampede and struggle for food only reflect the depth of hunger and starvation in the country.
It also shows the level of desperation among our people. With food prices soaring higher every day and our nation continuing to wallow in unproductivity, our people now live their lives not knowing where the next meal will come from.
What is more concerning is the report of UNICEF projecting that over 30 million Nigerians will face acute hunger during the lean months, between June and August.
We now have a situation where our people are losing their lives to hunger before the projected timeline. The physical hunt and struggle for scarce food has become a life threatening adventure in itself.
We have never had it this bad in the nation as we do now, and unless very urgent actions are taken, the situation may get worse. I sincerely appeal to the government to release every resource, human and material, needed to end insecurity in the country, so that farmers can return to the farms, and with the government’s support, ensure that our vast arable lands in the North are fully explored to feed Nigerians and export to the rest of the world.
I commiserate with the bereaved families of the dead and pray God to console them, and all of us, and grant them eternal rest. -PO
