Mrs Theresa Ogbonna, President, Catholic Women Organisation (CWO), Christ the King Catholic Parish, Kubwa, has called on the Federal Government to introduce programmes that will address the problems of hunger in Nigeria.
Ogbonna made the call in an interview with the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the End of the Year party and Presentation of 2017 Calendar by St. Margaret-Mary Zone of the church in Abuja on Saturday.
She said that the country could not move forward if the people were hungry.
According to her, the current situation in the country does not encourage women because people are hungry.
Ogbonna, however, urged women to show understanding with and support their husbands in the face of the current economic realities as the Christmas celebration drew near.
“The government should try and make sure that people are happy, especially families. They should put in their best to ensure that this recession is over.
“You cannot move any country forward when people are hungry; children cannot go to school; there is no money anywhere; parents are not paid well and things are very expensive.
“The government can change this situation if they want to change it and we are praying that they try and change it,” Ogbonna said.
She also called on the church to hold firm in the hope of a positive outcome at the end.
She said the end of the year party was organised for members of CWO to share love with one another as well as to recognise those who had performed well in their assignment for the organisation.
Also, Mrs Berna Amaechi, Chairperson, Planning Committee, St. Margaret-Mary Zone, called on the government to focus more on providing food for Nigerians.
She also urged Christian women to pray for a turnaround in the situation of the country and also to contribute their quota in the area of agriculture.
Amaechi noted that the former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had advised that Nigerians make adjustments in their lifestyle in 2014 because she foresaw this situation.
“We have to reduce our spending be it the eating aspect or dressing because we cannot be blaming government as there are certain things we can do to help ourselves.
“Every family is expected to be engaged in farming, like poultry or fishery, which are things that women can do.
“The government, even though it is trying its best, should focus more on how to bring food to the table of Nigerians because concentrating on fighting corruption is really distracting them,” she said.
Amaechi also advised women to cut their expenditures for Christmas, adding that Christmas needs should not bring quarrels to homes.
She said that every family should spend within its resources in line with current economic realities. (NAN)