The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) in Edo has bemoaned the poor state of the economy for putting “excruciating pain” on the people of Nigeria.
Dr. Samson Isibor, the chairman of the coalition at a ceremony to honour some dignitaries in Benin on Sunday asserted that the level of poverty and rate of unemployment among the people was alarming.
Isibor, who put the unemployment figure at 70 million, called on the Federal Government to devise a means to reverse the ugly trend.
The CRPP leader urged Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo to sign the anti-grazing bill into law, which according to him will stem the rate of kidnapping, and curtail the activities of suspected criminals among the herdsmen in the state.
“We urge the state government to ban the various service providers’ associations, unions and middlemen.
“They are contributing to high cost of food and services in the state because they dictate market prices with impunity unchallenged.
“The CRPP is very concerned about the plight of the masses in the excruciating pain of the Nigeria Economy.
“The rate of poverty in the country in which countrymen and women are living below poverty level is frightening the unemployment market is over 70 million, where are we going in this country?
“Insecurity is becoming a daily occurrences, killer herdsmen are everywhere in our forests we cannot travel anyhow, anywhere because the fear of the herdsmen and kidnappers.
“Our farmers cannot access their farm, which is leading to high cost of food, the insecurity in our state needs to be tackled head long”, he said.
Isibor, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its performance at the recently conducted governorship election in Osun, calling on the people of Edo state to register ahead of a participate in the 2023 General Election.
On the awards, the coalition bestowed Award of Excellence on Ozioruva Aliu, a Correspondent of the Vanguard Newspaper in Edo State, alongside some political leaders for their contributions to humanity in their various endeavours.
This Awards, Isibor said was unique in the sense that it was not based on highest bidders.
“If you look around the recipients, it caught across many fields of endeavour,” he said while presenting plaques to the awardees.
Other dignitaries honoured included Edo Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Mr Monday Osaigbovo; Edo North Senatorial candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pascal Ugbome; Senator Yisa Braimoh; and a business mogul and the Ayobahon of Benin Kingdom, Chief Osamede Adun popularly known as Bob Izua.