By Festus Ahon

ASABA—NATIONAL President of Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, ICMC, Dr Louis Ogbeifun, has warned the Federal Government against politicising the economic recession in the country.

Speaking in Asaba, Delta State, Ogbeifun urged the Federal Government not to allow the economic recession to deteriorate into depression, warning that poverty and hunger were the sole catalysts for peoples’ revolt in almost all ages.

Ogbeifun said: “Government can fight corruption with the teeth of the law. It can fight militancy, insurgency and other wars with guns and bombs but the war orchestrated by hunger, if allowed to rear its ugly head,  does not respond to any law, arsenals and armaments.

“We still have the collective opportunity of working to ensure that our staple foods do not disappear or skyrocket from what is obtainable today.

“Government must stop playing politics with the economy. Government cannot be keeping idle fund when it is needed to reflate the economy. Bailouts should be production driven, specific and targeted towards meaningful development and not just to pay salaries.

“Once the stomach infrastructure is sorted out, we should side by side improve on our educational and health institutions to deal with poverty of the mind and body.

“There is no reason why our country cannot attract educational and medical tourism if we plan well.  Every Nigerian should have access to clean water, affordable and clean energy,  decent work and economic growth engendered by small and medium scale enterprises.”

In his remarks, the Delta State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Peter Mrakpor, said that the state government under Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, believes in peace building.