ActionAid Calls for Proper Resource Utilization
Daily Triumph
Jan 14, 2009
Professor Uvie Igun, the chairman of ActionAid Nigeria's Board of Trustees, had in Abuja called for proper utilisation of the country resources for improved living standards.
Igun, who made the call at a public presentation of ActionAid Country Strategy paper, added that it was unfortunate that Nigerians still wallow in poverty in spite of its huge resources.
"It is unfortunate that Nigeria, the eighth largest oil producing country in the world, still wallows in poverty,’’ Igun said.
He noted that Nigeria had a generalised high manifestation of poverty and inequality in the distribution of income and needed to be addressed.
According to him, unless there is proper utilisation of the country’s natural resources, the fight against poverty will remain a mirage.
He said the strategy paper with the theme `"Fighting Poverty In The Midst of Plenty,'’ would provide a clear framework to ensure accountability to the poor and excluded people.
Igun expressed optimism that the implementation of the strategy paper would contribute significantly to the fight against poverty and injustice.
He said the development of the strategy paper was built on programme performance and poor people’s perspective.
Mr Ferguson Iheme, who represented The Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution at the presentation, commended ActionAid for its initiative in the fight against poverty and injustice.
Iheme observed that peace could not be enthroned in a society where poverty was the order of the day.
"The fight for the enthronement of peace cannot be won in the midst of poverty. Your work is very significant in helping to achieve our objective of enthroning peace,’’ he said.