Amid heightened tension across the country over the August 1 nationwide protest, the United Towns Agency for North-South Cooperation (UTA) has advocated dialogue between the organizers and the federal government. During a press briefing on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, the body acknowledged the hardship being experienced by Nigerians and called on the state and federal government to address the issues bedevilling the nation. In a statement made available to Daily Sun, UTA Country President, Ambassador Abigail Amalaha stated that by pursuing dialogue, a time frame put in place by the government to address the issues can be reached. “While we acknowledge that the federal government is trying to find a lasting and workable solution to the present economic quagmire in the country, we must say that this should go beyond the provision of palliative. “There is an urgent need to put in place wholesome programs and policies that would address food insecurity, security challenges, agitations, and growing disenchantment of Nigerians with the government. “On the planned nationwide protest, we recommend the option of dialogue between the organisers and the federal government. Through dialogue, a time frame can be reached for the impact of the measures so far put in place by the government to be felt”, she said. Speaking further, Amalaha suggested measures the federal government can take to ameliorate the sufferings of the masses. “We want to make some suggestions, which we believe, if considered and implemented, would go a long way in helping Nigeria experience quick socio-economic recovery. “As a matter of urgency, the federal government needs to establish programs that would make the teeming youths of the country actively engaged, like consciously revamping and resuscitating industries, which will lead to massive job creation. “The government should also widen the scope of support for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) so that more youth would benefit and start small businesses. The government should support individuals and organisations that have youth empowerment programs. “To guarantee food security and arrest the rising cost of food items, the government should sustain efforts in boosting agriculture. “The effort can be intensified by making the Bank of Agriculture more active and responsive to farmers and agricultural firms’ needs. The Bank of Agriculture should increase agricultural credit finances and offer to farmers in accordance with its mandate. “Also, the government should ensure that fertilizer and agricultural implements are available at subsidised prices as well as train farmers on off-season farming as well as provide facilities to ensure all-year-round farming. “Part of efforts to boost agriculture and promote economic growth is for the government to address security issues in the country.  It is therefore imperative that the government does everything within its powers to arrest insecurity so that Nigerians would have the confidence to go about their businesses. Security breeds economic growth. “There is a need to cut down on the cost of governance. At a time of economic challenges, the government’s size should be shrinking rather than burgeoning. The federal government should be thinking of merging ministries instead of increasing them. “The government should also find a way of cutting the allowances and perks of office of government officials. The recent offer by members of the House of Representatives to earn half salary for six months, as part of their sacrifice, in an effort to reduce the cost of governance, is a step in the right direction. The executive, both at federal and state levels, should do likewise. “Since education is the bedrock for development, the government, as a matter of urgency, should look into the issue of out-of-school children, enforce tuition-free policy as well as update and upgrade the facilities in all government educational institutions across the country. “The government should also integrate entrepreneurial and vocational training in the curriculum of both secondary and tertiary institutions across the country. The issue of child rights in line with the United Nations charter and that of Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations should also be prioritized by the government,”, she added.

According to the Country President of UTA Nigeria, Princess Abigail Amalaha, through dialogue, pro-protest agitators and government would reach a workable agreement with regards to federal government’s request to be given some time for the benefits of its programmes to manifest. Princess Amalaha, however advised the government to take some measures to solve the prevailing economic difficulties in order to reduce hardship being suffered by the citizenry. The organisation offered some suggestions that could help the government to achieve the desired result. The Country President said: “There is an urgent need to put in place wholesome programs and policies that would address food insecurity, security challenges, agitations, and growing disenchantment of Nigerians with the government. “On the planned nationwide protest, we recommend the option of dialogue between the organisers and the federal government. Through dialogue, time frame can be reached for the impact of the measures so far put in place by the government to be felt. “We want to make some suggestions, which we believe, if considered and implemented, would go a long way in helping Nigeria experience quick socio-economic recovery. “As a matter of urgency, the federal government needs to establish programmes that would make the teeming youths of the country actively engaged, like consciously revamping and resuscitating industries, which will lead to massive job creation. The government should also widen the scope of support for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) so that more youth would benefit and start small businesses. The government should support individuals and organisations that have youth empowerment programmes. “To guarantee food security and arrest the rising cost of food items, the government should sustain efforts in boosting agriculture. “The effort can be intensified by making the Bank of Agriculture more active and responsive to farmers’ and agricultural firms’ needs. The Bank of Agriculture should increase agricultural credit finances and offer to farmers in accordance with its mandate. Also, the government should ensure that fertilizer and agricultural implements are available at subsidised prices as well as train farmers on off-season farming as well as provide facilities to ensure all-year-round farming. “Part of efforts to boost agriculture and promote economic growth is for the government to address security issues in the country. It is, therefore, imperative that the government does everything within its powers to arrest insecurity so that Nigerians would have the confidence to go about their businesses. Security breeds economic growth. “There is a need for cut down on the cost of governance. At a time of economic challenges, the government’s size should be shrinking rather than burgeoning. The federal government should be thinking of merging ministries instead of increasing them. The government should also find a way of cutting the allowances and perks of office of government officials. The recent offer by members of the House of Representatives to earn half salary for six months, as part of their sacrifice, in an effort to reducing cost of governance, is a step in the right direction. The executive, both at federal and state levels, should do likewise. “Since education is the bedrock for development, the government, as a matter of urgency, should look into the issue of out-of-school children, enforce tuition-free policy as well as update and upgrade the facilities in all government educational institutions across the country. The government should also integrate entrepreneurial and vocational training in the curriculum of both secondary and tertiary institutions across the country. The issue of child right in line with the United Nations charter and that of Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations should also be prioritized by the government. “Though the government has introduced various palliative measures through the distribution of grains and various food items across the country, this should just be a stop-gap measure. The government should evolve a more permanent measure to solve the problem of hunger in the land. “While we applaud government for the current increase of the minimum wage of civil servants from N30,000 monthly to N70,000, we hope that there will be sincerity and diligence in implementation and that workers would be paid when due. “We acknowledge that economic challenges are not peculiar to Nigeria. However, we know that the solution to the problem lies in the hands of the leadership. Nigerians are looking up to the leadership to take the country out of the woods.” Identifying the issues in Nigeria, the UTA Nigeria stated: “We have noted the hardship being experienced by Nigerians, arising from economic challenges the country is facing. We have noted the rising cost of food, transportation, medicine, healthcare services, housing, and living generally, exacerbated by the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy and the volatility of the foreign exchange regime. “It is important for us to also point out the hardship being faced by people with disability, who seem to have been neglected in the scheme of things. While the able bodied are complaining of prevalent hardship in the country, the plight of the physically challenged can better be imagined. “We have noted the exodus of Nigerian professionals and the workforce in search of greener pastures abroad. We have noted insecurity across the country, as kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, and sundry crimes are on the rise. We have noted restiveness among the youths, who are the most hit by the ugly situation in the country. We are worried about these.” The UTA Nigeria commended the media for their unflinching support. On its activities since inception two years ago, Princess Amalaha said: “We are happy to say that we had brought the plights of Nigerians in IDP camps to international attention with presentations at UN fora in Geneva and have engaged in advocacy on peace building, unity, and equality across the country.” 0

Barely 24 hours to the commencement of the scheduled August 1 protest in Nigeria, the United Towns Agency(UTA) Nigeria, a United Nations affiliated non-governmental organization, has called for dialogue between the federal government and organisers of the protest. While addressing the media in Abuja, the nation’s capital on the impending protest called to ensure good governance and to protest against hardship and hunger ravaging the citizens, president of UTA Nigeria, Princes Abigail Amalaha sued for dialogue that can guarantee timelines for the federal government to meet up with the demands of the protesters. Amalaha noted that while the government of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is doing everything to address the issues of hardship and hunger in the land, she advised that government should go beyond distribution of handouts in the name of palliatives.UTA Nigeria advised that government should put in place mechanisms that can meaningfully engage Nigerian youths and the unemployed as well as providing enabling environment for private businesses to thrive.   She further tasked the federal government on ensuring that cost of transport, cost of living, availability and reasonable cost of petroleum products are available just as she tasked Nigerians to appreciate government response to their needs as well as trust the government and give it time with specifics to address the concerns.The UTA Nigeria president noted that, “There is an urgent need to put in place wholesome programs and policies that would address food insecurity, security challenges, agitations, and growing disenchantment of Nigerians with the government.   “On the planned nationwide protest; to avoid spill over of violence on the anticipated peaceful protest, we recommend the option of dialogue between the organisers and the federal government. Through dialogue, time frame can be reached for the impact of the measures so far put in place by the government to be felt. “We want to make some suggestions, which we believe, if considered and implemented, would go a long way in helping Nigeria experience quick socio-economic recovery. “As a matter of urgency, the federal government needs to establish programs that would make the teeming youths of the country actively engaged, like consciously revamping and resuscitating industries, which will lead to massive job creation. The government should also widen the scope of support for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) so that more youth would benefit and start small businesses. The government should support individuals and organisations that have youth empowerment programs.   The statement in part reads: “I want to first and foremost thank you all for your continued support of the United Towns Agency, right from when we got the mandate in 2022 for the Nigerian chapter until now. In the last two years that the UTA Nigeria has been in place, we have been contributing our quota to help our country attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to reap the benefits therein. We solicit your continued support in the years ahead. “We are happy to say that we had brought the plights of Nigerians in IDP camps to international attention with presentations at UN fora in Geneva and have engaged in advocacy on peace building, unity, and equality across the country.   “As the country president of UTA Nigeria and a bona fide citizen of Nigeria, I feel obliged today to speak on the current state of our nation in line with my mandate. “We have noted the hardship being experienced by Nigerians, arising from economic challenges the country is facing. We have noted the rising cost of food, transportation, medicine, healthcare services, housing, and living generally, exacerbated by the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy and the volatility of the foreign exchange regime. “We have noted the exodus of Nigerian professionals and the workforce in search of greener pastures abroad. We have noted insecurity across the country, as kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, and sundry crimes are on the rise. We have noted restiveness among the youths, who are the most hit by the ugly situation in the country. We are worried about these. “As patriotic Nigerians, it is incumbent on us to call on the federal and state governments to take measures in addressing these issues. While we acknowledge that the federal government is trying to find a lasting and workable solution to the present economic quagmire in the country, we must say that this should go beyond the provision of palliatives.   As a matter of urgency, the federal government needs to establish programs that would make the teeming youths of the country actively engaged, like consciously revamping and resuscitating industries, which will lead to massive job creation. The government should also widen the scope of support for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) so that more youth would benefit and start small businesses. The government should support individuals and organisations that have youth empowerment programs. To guarantee food security and arrest the rising cost of food items, the government should sustain efforts in boosting agriculture. The effort can be intensified by making the Bank of Agriculture more active and responsive to farmers’ and agricultural firms’ needs. The Bank of Agriculture should increase agricultural credit finances and offer to farmers in accordance with its mandate. Also, the government should ensure that fertilizer and agricultural implements are available at subsidised prices as well as train farmers on off-season farming as well as provide facilities to ensure all-year-round farming. Part of efforts to boost agriculture and promote economic growth is for the government to address security issues in the country. It is therefore imperative that the government does everything within its powers to arrest insecurity so that Nigerians would have the confidence to go about their businesses. Security breeds economic growth. There is a need for cut down on the cost of governance. At a time of economic challenges, government’s size should be shrinking rather than burgeoning. The federal government should be thinking of merging ministries instead of increasing them. The government should also find a way of cutting the allowances and perks

Giornalista:Tra pochi giorni si aprirà la sessione a Ginevra per il 57° concilio sui diritti umani. Da anni, Lei si occupa di tematiche internazionali legate ai diritti umani. È stata la prima donna europea a rappresentare i Paesi arabi e, nel 2018, ha aperto il primo centro di formazione professionale in collaborazione con il Governo tunisino. Ha ricevuto tre premi internazionali e numerosi riconoscimenti. Qual è il segreto di questo successo? Forse un tocco di magia?Rodà: (ride)Grazie per le gentili parole. Non è stato semplice, ma ho lavorato duramente per guadagnarmi il rispetto e la reputazione di serietà che oggi mi accompagnano. Essere donna, poi, ha reso tutto più difficile, soprattutto in un mondo prevalentemente maschile. Giornalista:Lei è anche una donna molto affascinante. Quanto conta la femminilità nel suo ruolo?Rodà:La femminilità viene dopo. Ciò che desidero è essere riconosciuta per le mie capacità professionali. Giornalista:È vero che sua figlia, per il tema del diploma sull’emancipazione femminile, ha scritto di Lei?Rodà:Sì, è vero. Gli esaminatori, dopo aver letto il tema, hanno voluto conoscermi di persona. Mia figlia ha parlato di me con stima e orgoglio, il che mi ha profondamente emozionata. Giornalista:Com’è la sua vita personale? So che preferisce non parlarne spesso…Rodà:La mia vita è dedicata ai miei figli, che seguo con grande amore, e alla mia “bambina pelosa” (ride). Inoltre, mi impegno molto nel mio lavoro per mantenere la mia indipendenza e per poter condividere i miei successi, sia professionali che economici, con gli altri. Giornalista:Quanto è difficile mantenere questo equilibrio?Rodà:È difficile quantificarlo, ma ci sono sicuramente sfide da affrontare ogni giorno. Giornalista:Parliamo del concilio. Quale sarà il tema di apertura?Rodà:Il tema sarà “L’importanza della cooperazione internazionale per lo sviluppo dei Paesi del Mediterraneo”. Insisterò molto sull’importanza di investire in questi Paesi, non solo per contrastare i flussi migratori, ma anche per creare sinergie economiche e formare il personale locale. Questo è il motivo per cui, nel 2018, ho aperto un centro di formazione a Tunisi. Oggi, molti giovani lavorano per aziende europee direttamente sul posto. Giornalista:Lei ha accennato al problema dei flussi migratori. Qual è la sua opinione?Rodà:Il problema dei flussi migratori non riguarda solo i numeri o la sicurezza, ma anche la sanità. Questi flussi incontrollati portano con sé malattie che in Occidente erano ormai superate, come HIV e infezioni da herpes, che colpiscono soprattutto i giovani. Inoltre, esiste la questione della resistenza agli antibiotici, un problema globale sottolineato da molte società di ricerca. Se non lavoriamo sulla prevenzione, ci ritroveremo con costi sanitari enormi e con sfide che potrebbero diventare ingestibili per il nostro Paese. Giornalista:Non tutti i migranti provengono dall’Africa. Ci sono anche persone che fuggono dai Paesi in guerra.Rodà:Certamente. Stiamo assistendo a un aumento degli ingressi nel nostro Paese da zone di conflitto, il che rende necessario un controllo rigoroso per evitare criminalità e sfruttamento. Inoltre, dobbiamo considerare le differenze culturali, alimentari e abitudinali. Non possiamo aspettarci un’integrazione rapida senza un supporto adeguato. Giornalista:Quindi si parla di sicurezza sanitaria e non solo?Rodà:Esattamente. Abbiamo visto un aumento di baby gang e fenomeni di violenza tra giovani migranti frustrati e rifiutati dalla società. Anche le donne, spesso destinate a lavori di assistenza, finiscono vittime della prostituzione. Lottiamo per i diritti e l’uguaglianza di genere, ma i fatti ci dimostrano che c’è ancora molta strada da fare. Giornalista:Cosa pensa della candidatura di Kamala Harris come possibile Presidente degli Stati Uniti?Rodà:Qui vediamo una contraddizione sociale: da un lato, donne al potere che si battono per l’emancipazione, ma che spesso sacrificano la loro vita personale. Dall’altro lato, donne che, senza una posizione sociale o economica, diventano vittime di violenza e sfruttamento. Questa dualità riflette bene le sfide che dobbiamo ancora affrontare.