Today’s Nigerian newspapers report pressing challenges, but behind every story is a call for accountability and change. Join us as we respond to some stories with advocacy calls.
1. ‘How Boko Haram killed 40 farmers in Borno – Survivors’ – Daily Trust
More facts have emerged as to how Boko Haram terrorists killed at least 40 farmers in Dumba community in Baga, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State on Sunday.
Our Take: The tragic killing of 40 farmers in Borno State serves as yet another grim reminder that Nigerians are not asking for too much, just the basic constitutional right to stay alive. National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu and our esteemed security chiefs, perhaps it’s time to swap endless strategy meetings for actual results on the field. After all, the Constitution doesn’t specify that insecurity is a permanent fixture, it mandates government to protect citizens. Let’s move from ‘thoughts and prayers’ to ‘action and peace’.
2. ’21m housing gap: N5trn needed for 2.7m new houses annually for 10 years’ – Vanguard
Nigeria is grappling with a huge housing challenge of a 21 million-unit deficit, just as its population, which currently stands at 220 million, is growing at an annual rate of 2.5 percent.
Our Take: Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, the 21 million-unit housing deficit cannot be solved by rows of empty luxury estates or abandoned projects gathering dust. It’s time to prioritise affordable, accessible housing for the common man, not just those who can pay premium prices, by creating policies that make home ownership a reality for everyday Nigerians.
3. ‘FG okays N1,125 daily feeding allowance for correctional inmates’ – The Guardian
Apparently deferring to the economic realities in the land, the federal government has approved N1,125 daily feeding allowance for inmates of correctional centres.
Our Take: While the federal government’s decision to increase inmates’ feeding allowance to N1,125 per day is a commendable nod to our ‘economic realities’, let us not celebrate too soon with empty pots and promises. We call on the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Nwakuche to ensure that the monitoring teams must deliver more than headcounts; they should guarantee inmates’ plates are filled with substance, not shadows.
