The federal government has been urged to address the issue of hunger across the country to prevent struggles for free food that could lead to fatal stampedes.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) emphasized the need for the central government to resolve the nation’s economic challenges to alleviate the suffering of the people.
In a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, NANS National, Abdul-Yekinn Odunayo, on Sunday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the student body noted that hunger in the country has become widespread and has driven many Nigerians to their deaths.
The union leader expressed concern over recent incidents that resulted in the loss of innocent lives, including over 30 children in Ibadan, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Anambra State.
Odunayo described the incidents as unfortunate and a national disgrace, adding that the tragic events could have been avoided if the federal government had addressed the dire economic situation, with its attendant poverty and hunger.
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He further pointed out that Nigerians are hardworking people who rarely resort to scrambling for free food, stressing that hunger in the country is real and that urgent steps must be taken to address it before more innocent lives are lost.
Odunayo blamed the government at all levels for allowing the country’s situation to deteriorate without implementing meaningful solutions to alleviate poverty.
While criticizing what he described as the “nonchalant and insensitive” attitude of the federal government towards the plight of Nigerians, Odunayo stated that no amount of condolences or compensation could atone for the lives lost during the stampedes.
“Arrest the suffering and hunger in the land. The root cause of the stampedes that occurred simultaneously in different states, including the FCT, is the suffering and deeply rooted poverty affecting many Nigerians,” he said.
“Nigerians have never had it this bad. The situation in the country is truly dire and should be a serious concern for any government that understands its responsibilities.
“We are tired of excuses and palliatives that fail to reach the poorest of the poor.
“If the government had genuinely empowered Nigerians through various interventions, the situation wouldn’t have reached this critical point.
“We hereby implore the federal government, under the leadership of President Tinubu, and state governments to wake up to their constitutional duties and revive the already suffocated economy.
“Hunger is real, and poverty is real. No region of the nation is immune to this hunger crisis.
“Urgent measures must be taken to reverse this ugly trend, or the government should prepare for more hunger-induced stampedes across the nation.
“Meanwhile, as a student body, we commiserate with the families of those who lost their lives in the stampedes.
“We hope the government will improve the situation in the country so that Nigerians will no longer die like chickens due to hunger and poverty,” the statement concluded.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE