Governor Otu is Committed to Improve Food and Nutrition - SA Budget

Iloke, Egbe Reporting

The Special Adviser to the Governor of Cross River State on Budget Mr. Otu Otu Ita has asserted that the Governor, His Excellency, Senator. Prince. Bassey Edet Otu is sincerely committed to improving Food and Nutrition Programmes in the State. 

He stated this in his office, Budget Office Complex Calabar when he received the State  Chapter of the CS-SUNN in collaboration with the State committee on Food and Nutrition who were on advocacy visit. He said the Governor has approved funding to support food and nutrition activities in the 2024 budget and can be access by any of the cluster MDAs that are into Food and Nutrition Programmes.

According to Mr Ita Budget Office and State Planning Commission ordinary would have been together, but Government in her wisdom segmented them for more effective delivery and expressed excitement with the advocacy and collaborations already in progress.

He acknowledged lack of funds as a major challenge that had confronted implementation of the programmes in the past years, while assuring that the Governor strongly support people oriented activities like this, stating further that though the budget may not be enough it can be review through supplementary instruments when the time comes. The SA affirmed the continuous support of his office in the promotion of Food and Nutrition activities.

Earlier the Permanent Secretary, State Planning Commission Dr. Peter Uklala informed that Budget Office has been a strong pillar to SPC and that their partnership has yielded good results with the conclusion of Plans to launch the State policy on Food and Nutrition, adding that, Nutrition indices in the State are very poor.

In his speech, the State Statistician General, Dr. Josephat Ogar said nutrition is key and has a lot of positive implications, pointing that the first milk from the mother one hour after birth is very essential to the health of children as it contains so much nutrients to boost the child's immune system.

He said any child or person that is poorly feed will experience low productivity reiterating that nutrition remain number one. According to Dr. Ogar, before now poverty was measured using money, the situation has changed, poverty is now measured through deprivations and Nutrition is considered number one while food security is rated number 2, adding that, CRS is rated 70.1% poor. He said if proper attention is paid to Food and Nutrition in the next 5 to 10 years there will be positive multiplier effects.

Speaking on progress and achievements recorded, the State Coordinator Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN)Mrs Nkem Eyong said nutrition is multi sectoral and appealed to the SA Budget to lend his voice and support nutrition activities through budget instruments for each MDAs performing nutritional Programmes.

According to Mrs Eyong the State nutrition index is low and can negatively affect a child while transiting to adulthood. That CS-SUNN is a non profit organization operating in 24 States in Nigeria and work with a lot of bodies to support nutritional component and programmes.

In a vote of thanks,  the Permanent Secretary Budget Office, Mrs Ikwo Eyo Abu advised that Budget Office is to make budget provisions to MDAs but do not facilitate financial releases to MDAs and thanked the guest. The visit featured interactive session, questions and answers and group photograph while all Directors and heads of Departments in SPC and Budget Office were in attendance.