NLC, OTUWA lament ECOWAS govts inability to achieve food sufficiency since 1975

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA), have lamented the inability of the government of West African countries to achieve food sufficiency, after four decades since the formation  of ECOWAS in 1975.

This position came up during  a one-day Working Group Meeting of OTUWA held in Abuja on the role of communication in the fight against hunger and food insecurity in West Africa.

In his speech, President of NLC Comrade Ayuba Wabba decried the unacceptable plague of hunger and want that have continued to haunt the sub region.

Wabba said: “After four decades since the formation of ECOWAS in 1975, one would have expected that our sub region, in its avowed integration process, would have been able to feed the citizens of the economic community.

“Instead, due to poor policy choices as well as policy inconsistencies, the ECOWAS sub region have failed to achieve food sufficiency and food security for the huge population of the sub region. Our agricultural production methods have stagnated and hardly benefitted from input of modern science and technology development.”

He stressed the for OTUWA to address the causes of the “retardation in our agricultural policies in the sub region and clearly outline the roles that we can, as trade unions play, to change the situation in the interest of millions of poor working families in our subregion.”

The NLC president added: “The incidences of people going to bed habitually Hungary on a daily basis as a result of insufficient food on the family table, must become a thing of the past in this region. As a trade union movement, this is one campaign that we must invest all our ingenuity on to succeed.”

Also, the President of OTUWAA, Comrade Mademba Sock said the “inability of our respective governments in the sub region to adequately feed their population cannot obviously be a thing of joy for us as unions. Therefore the ongoing efforts on our part to interrogate the root cause of the current state of food insecurity in the sub region must be welcome and embraced by all trade unions in the sub region.”

He pointed out that their focus on hunger and food insecurity is to underscore the fact that it is an important area in the live of their members that have over the years paid very little attention to; “yet a significant percentage of our members’ monthly budget is on food for the family.”

The General Secretary OTUWA and former NLC General Secretary, Comrade John Odah said since OTUWA has been working to rebuild, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftu, (FES) has been playing a crucial role in assisting the Organisation.

As the sub region is faced with hunger and starvation, Odah said the trade unions have a critical role to play, adding that OTUWA is determined to take the lead.

The Resident Representative of Friedrich Ebert Stiftu, Mr. Ulrich Thum, commended OTUWA for the workshop which is a starting point on work against hunger in Africa, adding that it is an effort by OTUWA to see what they can do against hunger.

He stated that this stressed the need to support OTUWA in reviving their important role in Africa, and assured that the Foundation would continue to fully support them in Africa, especially in NIigeria where they have their office..

He also commended Comrade Odah for working very hard to revive OTUWA.