*Desires a state of emergency being declared by the government regarding youth unemployment
The federal government has been urged to reverse the recent increase in fuel prices and move quickly to implement palliative measures to mitigate the impact of the removal of fuel subsidies, according to the Nigeria International Non-Governmental Organization Forum and the Civil Society Networks in Nigeria, with support from the Development Research and Projects Centre (DRPC).
They also urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency regarding youth unemployment and to start an economic resuscitation program with the goal of improving skills and creating jobs to make them self-sufficient and less susceptible to being recruited into criminal activities.
In a press conference yesterday, Amb Ahmed Shehu, the chairman of the North East Civil Society Network, expressed grave concerns about the state of the country and the scope of insecurity in some areas of the region, ranging from economic hardship, insurgency, kidnapping, and youth unrest that has become all too common.
He claimed that the government’s recent removal of subsidies without offering relief had made things worse for the people of the nation.
Shehu urged the administration to take action to represent the interests of the non-working class, including the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries, the introduction of affordable transportation, the exploration of other alternative energy sources, a review of worker pay, and the inclusion of Civil Society on the presidential steering committee on palliative care.
“The current economic situation has adverse effect on productive men and women from active socio-political and economic activities like farming and other means of livelihood,” he claimed. Therefore, deliberate efforts should be made to enable citizens to meet their basic needs for survival through effective and thorough implementation of the Social Investment Programs Law.
“Due to the cost-of-living crisis, our sector has seen an increase in demand for nonprofit services, a decrease in donations as a result of the crisis, and an increase in energy costs (the removal of fuel subsidies is making it difficult for nonprofits to stay afloat,” the report states.
He advised the government, at all levels, to increase citizen engagement and sensitization before making significant decisions, particularly on matters of national importance. He also advised leveraging the presence of the National Orientation agency, CSO networks, and its partners in educating the public about its policies and programs, as well as their roles, rights, and responsibilities. This will support the promotion of inclusiveness, effective service delivery, and good governance.
In order to combat banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping in the nation, Shehu also urged the federal government to use technology, community policing, and both.
Specifically across all the volatile areas in the Northwest, North Central, and North Eastern parts of the country, he suggested that a multi-security coordinated attack be introduced in eliminating red spots using land and air forces.
Comrade Peter Egwudah, a CSO representative for the Humanitarian Country Team (HTC), also spoke during the event and bemoaned the fact that the crisis in the North-East has lasted for more than ten years, displacing over 2.1 million people as a result of both natural disasters like flooding and human-caused events like insurgencies, farmers’ struggles, and herders’ conflicts, among other things.
He revealed that there are plans in place to start humanitarian action in the region of the north west to help those who have been impacted by banditry and kidnapping in the area.
Egwudah urged the government to carry out the UN Localization Agenda to make sure that NGOs deliver aid in crisis areas effectively and efficiently without assistance from anyone.
