Right to food a major right -CISLAC

A one day policy dialogue has been organized in Adamawa state by the Civil society legislative Advocacy centre (CISLAC),and Farm Infrastructure Foundation (FIF) in collaboration with voices of food security where they disclosed that the right to food is a major issue the country need to respond to in other to ensure food sustainability and security.

The organization described the right as a derivative of the right to life and its fulfillment is indispensable to the realization of other rights such as right to education, health and work.

The Program with the Theme; “the notion of food as a Human Right in Nigeria”, stated that food is a right any responsive government must respond to and secure its people through the provision of food.

Mr. Salaudeen Hashimu, the program officer for CISLAC maintained that the low level of awareness among stakeholders about the meaning of the right to food has brought about erroneous belief among decision makers and government.

According to him, despite being a signatory to several International treaties and conventions that recognize the right to food including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights-UNO 1948, The African Charter on Human and People’s Right and the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Nigeria has not taken any step to domesticate these rights.

Alhassan Hammanjoda, Member Adamawa House of Assembly representing Ganye said the state assembly is working tirelessly to boost food security and the right to food in Nigeria.

Hammanjoda who represented the speaker of the House maintained that the House has put in efforts to sustain our economy, and also ensure the live of Adamawa people is agric driven in conformity with the policy plan of the federal and state government.

“ We approved loan for the governor , the manifestation of such loan can be seen in the efforts of the state government through the purchase of tractors, provision of fertilizers to farmers and the Anchor borrowers scheme is been given attention in the state,” he stated.

The Program which was held at Duragi Hotel, in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state drew its participants from the State House of Assembly, Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Women Affairs, Civil Society Organizations’, the media and farmers as well.

The meeting was participatory in nature; participants sought for ways to fast tract the enactment of the right to food legislature in Nigeria, encourage farming and also make food available, affordable and accessible to all Nigerians.

Tom Garba, Yola