Obasanjo implores federal government states, NGOs to help fight hunger

‘How S’East govs can develop the zone’

The former President and Chairman, Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged the Federal Government, states and non-governmental organisations to join hand in the fight against hunger.

Obasanjo said this yesterday when he met with six state governors, including Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Atiku Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), in Abakaliki for the second quarterly forum of zero hunger programme of the Federal Government to achieve food sufficiency.

The former President, who stated that Ebonyi is among the six states of the federation chosen for a start of the zero hunger programme of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), noted that one of the aims of zero hunger is to make sure that policies and programmes that will take us to promise land are made.

He further stated that the programme was designed to achieve in the country by 2030 noting that the team while in the state will be looking for agricultural programmes to implement to achieve the desired objective.

Besides, the former President has identified education, economy and social welfare of the people as basic ingredients for development of any society.He, therefore, asked the South-East governors to continue to work together for its realisation.

Obasanjo said that the zone had enormous potentials that must be explored with the support of all and sundry, stressing however that the governors must take the lead.

The former President, who spoke when he led a delegation of Brenthurst Foundation to the Government House, Enugu, recalled that he had made similar suggestions during the South-East Security and Economic Summit in Enugu last December.

He expressed delight with the commitment of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi towards the socio-economic development of the South-East.Ugwuanyi, who lauded Obasanjo for his passion for the development of the region, said that the success story of the foundation informed the South-East’s decision to explore a working relationship with it.

He also thanked him for the recent free medical treatment his foundation (Obasanjo Foundation) offered people with hearing impairment in Enugu State in partnership with the state government.