Senate on Tuesday passed into second reading a bill seeking to fight hunger in the country, which was sponsored by Senator Theodore Orji (PDP, Abia Central).
The bill tagged, ” A bill for an Act to make provision for freedom from hunger and right to adequate food of acceptable quality, right of every child to basic nutrition and for connected purposes” was unanimously supported by the Senators.
In his lead debate on the bill, Orji said the bill sought to make provision for freedom from hunger, create basic right to food of acceptable quality and the right of every child to basic nutrition.
According to him, the right to food was basic human right which protects the right of all human beings to be free from hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.
He said the bill sought to establish Food Security Agency (FSA) to formulate strategies and programmes for the realization of the rights to food in the country.
Our correspondent reports that debate on the bill was dominated by former Governors who are in the Senate. Isiaka Adeleke, Jonah Jang, Abdullahi Adamu, Sam Egwu, Adamu Aliero, all emphasized on the need to have food security in the country.
In his remarks, the Senate President Bukola Saraki referred the bill to the Senate committees on Agriculture and Rural Development.
“The persistent hunger and malnourishment is unacceptable and it is our responsibility as lawmakers to fight it through legislation,” he said.
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