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Foundation To NASS: Reinstate Deleted ‘Right To Food’ Clause In The Constitution

Published

3 years ago

February 21, 2022

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on the National Assembly’s Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution to reinstate the clause on the ‘right to food’ which was reportedly deleted in the Constitution’s amendment Bill.

The call was made in a Press Statement signed by Nnimmo Bassey, Director of HOMEF, and made available to INFO DAILY on Monday in Benin City

The amendment Bill which has been pending before the two chambers of the National Assembly seeks to introduce the words ‘right to food and ‘food security’ in two chapters: chapter two and chapter four with the aim of “addressing the failure of agricultural policies to ensure food security in Nigeria; given the philosophical context that there can be no food security without the right to food”

Reports have it that, the Senate and House of Representatives Committee who are currently reviewing the constitution rejected the clause on the ‘right
to food’ based on the premise that passing the Bill with the clause on
the ‘right to food’ as proposed could put more financial burden on the government.

INFO DAILY reports that the clause was also rejected on the ground that it “could be misinterpreted by citizens and might lead to damaging consequences.”

Reacting to the action of the National Assembly, Bassey in the statement expressed disappointment at this
move, noting that the right to adequate food is a long standing fundamental human right, universally accepted for years and thus should not be cherry-picked by our legislators.

Bassey added that, “To remove
the clause from the Bill is to reinforce the lack of regard for the
people and keep an open door for the purveyors of risky technologies
such as genetic modification and gene editing in agriculture as well as policies designed against the small holder farmers who are the pillar of Agriculture in the country”

He stressed that the right to adequate and safe food is a fundamental human right and law makers should not legislate against this right in the constitution amendment process. To do otherwise sends the signal that the lawmakers wish to set Nigerians on the pathway of starvation and neglect.

Also reacting to the move in the statement, Coordinator, Food Sovereignty Programme
at Friends of the Earth Nigeria/Africa, Mariann Orovwuje, said a recognition of the right to food in the constitution will ensure accountability, transparency,
better governance and policies to provide a thriving environment for
optimum food productivity.

She stressed that the right to food is anchored on human
rights and is recognized in many international treaties and conventions including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR), The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), etc.

“Nigeria is signatory to these instruments and thus needs to strengthen the legal framework for the realization of the right to food in the country including by strengthening people’s access to and use of resources and informing the public about their human rights;
strengthening their ability to participate in development processes and decision making,” she added.

“The ‘right to food’ is a key component of food sovereignty which beyond food security sees to the right of food producers at every level along the food chain to be in control of what they produce and how. Food sovereignty not only ensures access to food but makes sure that the food is healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate; that the food is produced with ecologically sound means. This is the future of food and farming. It is the direction we must go.”

Related Topics:HOMEF Nnimmo Bassey National Assembly

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Netanyahu Says Israel’s Strikes On Iran Have ‘Clear Support’ Of Trump

Published

60 minutes ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel’s air strikes on Iran had the “clear support” of US President Donald Trump.

“Our enemy is your enemy… We’re dealing with something that will threaten all of us sooner or later. Our victory will be your victory,” Netanyahu said in a video statement addressed to Trump on the US leader’s birthday.

“This is what Israel is doing with the support, the clear support of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and the American people and many others in the world.”

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US Lawmaker Shot Dead, Another Wounded In Targeted Attack

Published

1 hour ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

A gunman shot two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota early Saturday, killing one and her husband and wounding the other, in what the northern US state’s governor said were politically motivated attacks.

The shootings came at a moment of deep political divisions in the United States, as thousands took to the streets in protest at the policies of Republican President Donald Trump.

The suspected assailant was still at large, officials said, with a massive manhunt underway.

Trump and US Attorney General Pam Bondi decried what they called “horrific violence” and said the perpetrators would be prosecuted to “the fullest extent of the law.”

State representative Melissa Hortman — the former speaker — and her husband Mark were killed at their home near Minneapolis, Governor Tim Walz told a press conference.

State senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot and wounded, the governor said, his voice breaking with emotion. He said officials remained “cautiously optimistic” they would recover.

“This was an act of targeted political violence,” Walz told reporters.

“Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.”

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said Hoffman and his wife were shot first, and as police investigated, Hortman and her husband were shot about 90 minutes later.

The suspected gunman was able to escape during an exchange of gunfire with officers near Hortman’s residence, Evans told reporters.

“We’re actively searching for that individual right now,” he said.

– Impersonating law enforcement –

In both cases, authorities believe the assailant was impersonating a law enforcement officer.

“The suspect exploited the trust that our uniform is meant to represent,” said Bob Jacobson, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

An anti-Trump rally in Minneapolis — part of the national wave of “No Kings” protests planned for Saturday — was canceled after police issued a shelter-in-place order because of the shootings.

Flyers for the protests were found in the suspect’s car, as well as a manifesto that named numerous politicians and state officials, police said.

Police are looking for a white man with brown hair, wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants, local TV station KSTP said.

“We do have the suspect’s car. Suspect is on foot,” said Mark Bruley, the police chief in Brooklyn Park, where Hortman lived.

The United States has been deeply divided since Trump returned to the White House in January.

The Republican president has drawn criticism from Democrats over his harsh deportation policy, his assault on universities and the media and a perceived flouting of limits on executive power as he pushes his agenda.

“At this precipice moment we’re on, this tragic act here in Minnesota should serve as a reminder to all of us,” Walz said.

“The democracy and the debates in the halls of Congress, in state houses, in school boards, is a way to settle our differences peacefully and move society to a better place.”

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar remembered Hortman as a friend who entered politics at the same time as her and dedicated her life to serving the state, working on issues such as women’s rights and clean energy.

“Let me be absolutely clear: this was an act of targeted political violence, and it was an attack on everything we stand for as a democracy,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “We must all condemn it.”

Minnesota’s other US senator, Tina Smith, also issued a statement condemning the shootings.

Former House member Gabby Giffords, who survived a shooting to the head in 2011 and is now a prominent advocate for the prevention of gun violence, described herself as “devastated” by the death of Hortman.

“We must protect our democracy from those who try to destroy it with a gun,” Giffords wrote on X.

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Diplomat, Wife Injured In Iran Strikes On Tel Aviv

Published

1 hour ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

Croatia’s consul in Israel and his wife were lightly injured in Iran’s missile strikes on Tel Aviv, Croatia’s Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Saturday.

“I am shaken by the news that our consul and his wife were injured in the attack on Tel Aviv. The building they live in was hit,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

“I spoke with them and, fortunately, their injuries are minor and they are not in any life-threatening condition.”

Grlic Radman added that his ministry was in constant contact with the Croatian embassy in Israel and was taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of its staff.

“We strongly condemn attacks on civilians and diplomatic facilities. We call for immediate de-escalation and restraint,” Grlic Radman said.

Israel on Friday launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, hitting scores of targets across the country, including nuclear and military sites and residential buildings.

Iran said 78 people were killed and 320 wounded in the first wave of Israeli strikes.

Iran retaliated with barrages of drones and missiles at Israel, killing three people and wounding dozens.

AFP