National Assembly Urges Nigerians To Fight Poverty

Sen. Aliu Ndume, the Senate Chairman on Millennium Development Goals  (MDGs), has advised Nigerians to join hands with governments at all levels to fight poverty in the country.
Ndume gave the advice in Abuja on Tuesday during the National Consultation on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, organised by the office of the MDGs.
“The major problems we are facing as a nation are poverty and poor quality of education.
“Poverty is common among us and it is the greatest enemy of man. It is our greatest enemy, whether you are white or black, short or tall, Christian or Muslim.
“I urge every one of us to work together in love and unity to fight against poverty, so that we can achieve what will enhance the development of our country,’’ he said.
Ndume said that one of the objectives of MDGs was to ensure that poverty was reduced and to raise the standard of education by the year 2015.
He said that poor quality of education was another important challenge the country was facing, adding that qualitative education was a right and the bedrock of development.
He, however, suggested that young people should have basic literacy, numeric and technical knowledge in order to become active citizens in the country.
In a speech, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala, said that the meeting would provide opportunity for drawing up a successive framework for MDGs.
“It is apparent that much has to be done if we are to attain the main educationally related goal of attaining 100 per cent access to primary education.’’
The permanent secretary said that education was important and a means of economic empowerment, elimination of poverty and achievement of peace and security in the country.
He said that MDGs had set out a goal to achieve universal primary education, adding that the target was to ensure that boys and girls completed full course of primary school by 2015.
“The implication of this is that a child of school age must enrol, attend and complete primary education within appropriate time frame.’’
He said that the outstanding MDGs must be given due attention to ensure that the set objectives were achieved.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that MDGs 193 UN member states and at least 23 International organisations had agreed to achieve eight goals by the year 2015.
The goals are eradication of poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender quality and empowering women.
Others are reduction of child mortality rates, improvement of maternal health, reduction of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.