* Vows to continuously monitor past and future MDGs
Projects in the state.
The leadership of the Delta State chapter of the
league of patriotic and progressive youth, aka young patriots at a recent press
briefing on the assessment and impact of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) in Delta State made public their concerns, regrets, pains and
progressive response in the near future.
Comrade Okonta Emeka Okelum, the Delta State
Coordinator of the group told newsmen, that, in order to address the problems
of poverty and promote sustainable development, the eight millennium goals were
adopted in September 2000 at the largest gathering of heads of states committed
both rich and poor nations to do all they can to eradicate poverty, promote
human dignity/equality, achieve peace; democracy and environmental stability.
The MDGs, her
related 18 targets and 48 indicators serve as benchmarks of progress
towards the shared vision of where we want to go and commitment to work
together to get there by 2015, Comrade Okonta emphasized.
Young Patriots-Delta State Chapter believes that thirteen
years since year 2000 millennium summit, it seems all efforts by stakeholders
towards achieving MDGs by 2015 is fleeting into hopelessness.
Though Delta State has recorded some micro progress
in attainment of few MDGs targets, Delta State is visibly on a speedy journey
at falling short in the overall attainment of most MDGs targets.
Comrade Okonta Emeka informed journalists that the
consequence of these shortfalls were further aggravated by the combined effects
of the recent flooding the state suffered, which heightened food insecurity,
increased effect of climate change, insufficient power supply for nano, micro
and small scale entrepreneurs, as well as rampant recorded cases of insecurity,
kidnapping, armed bandits, robbery and
community clashes, which to some great extent is challenging grassroot oriented
development framework of action as envisioned in year 2000, the worst is that improvement
in the lives of poorest Deltans are happening at an unacceptable slow pace.
The league is of the opinion that Delta State will
lose all her grip at any possible dream of achieving the MDGs in the face of
bad leadership, hunger, starvation, preventable diseases, corruption, moral
decadence, communal clashes and anti poor people political policies and
programs.
At the current pace in the state, most of the MDGs
related targets are likely never going to be attained, Deltans are suffering
amidst plenty as we have enough or more than enough human, environmental and
material resources to permanently put an end to this regime of suffering in
Delta State.
A greater percentage of Deltans are still living in
poverty, our young population pass out from higher institutions without jobs
thus turning some of them into emergency armed robbers and prison inmates,
while many on daily basis led hopeless lives, Okonta points out.
The leadership of Young Patriots in Delta State has
vowed never to leave any stone unturned with regards to constant and continuous
monitoring and evaluation of all Federal Government’s sponsored MDGs projects
in Delta State.
Our doors of partnership is open to all willing
NGOs, media houses, grassroot youth/women groups and proactive opposition
political parties, together we can synergize and maximize opportunities to
effectively engage the system to see that the people’s fund work for the
people, Comrade Okonta said.
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