From Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Network of Peace Journalists Kaduna (NPJK) is calling on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on food security in the country.
In response to the escalating economic challenges, particularly affecting millions, especially women and children, the media experts express deep concern over the increasing day-by-day high cost of living.
Mallam Ibrahim Yakubu, the team leader of NPJK, issued a press release this morning, urging the government to address artificial scarcity and hoarding of goods by some marketers.
He emphasized the urgent need to alleviate the growing economic stress faced by family providers, highlighting the severe impact on women, children, and the elderly.
Yakubu attributed the surge in prices of goods and services to the removal of fuel subsidy, inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians. He called for practical measures to ease the ongoing hardship and urged a meeting between all 36 state governors and President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on food security.
Expressing concerns about marketers taking advantage of the holy month of Ramadan by hoarding goods, Yakubu pleaded with the government to provide sufficient palliatives.
He acknowledged the insufficient token assistance rolled out and stressed the need for more substantial support to sustain the Nigerian people for an extended period.
Highlighting the worsening economic hardship as a factor fueling youth battles with depression, Yakubu called for prompt government intervention to address the challenges.
The recent removal of fuel subsidy, depreciation of the naira, an impending increase in electricity tariff, and the introduction of Value Added Tax on diesel have intensified the cost of living, pushing many Nigerians into untold hardship.
In response to the crisis, NPJK appealed to the federal government to take immediate action and called on philanthropists to support the less privileged with adequate palliatives. Urgent and practical solutions are crucial as Nigerians grapple with increasing challenges and hardships.