United Nations’ Ambassador, Asha Okojie, has appealed to the federal government to address the increasing level of hunger and poverty in the country as a matter of urgency. The Edo-born woman activist made the call in Benin City when she unveiled her plans to embark on a sickle cell awareness campaign in the country to alleviate the plight of sufferers of the disease.

She said that the government should classify sickle cell as a disability because it is a disease that is invisible and it impoverishes the family.

“The government can do a whole lot to alleviate the sufferings parents of sickle cell patients go through. Some parents are virtually selling their properties to take care of their children who are sickle cell patients and they are living terrible life.

“It is scary to see these children die of sickle cell because of the economic hardship, hunger and poverty that is overwhelming right now. As a matter of fact, it is an epidemic,” she noted.

Amb. Asha Okojie who is making consultations on her ambition of becoming the next governor of Edo State, stated that if she gets the opportunity to serve the state, one of her goals will be the classification of sickle cell as a disability because the parents and folks who have sickle cell children are financially drained, their lifespan is short and mortality rate is high.

“Those with sickle cell live with it all of their lifetime and they are being impacted with everything else, socially, economically, politically and they are disenfranchised.

“We need to come in to address the issues of hunger, poverty, illiteracy and the pain they have to go through all their lives. The continuous blood transfusion they need, the money and all other things make life difficult for them.

“I am saying this with a passion because I lost two of my sisters to sickle cell. The fight against hunger should be a priority of anyone who wants to be a governor in the state,” she added.

According to her, the people should be concerned about who would be able to deliver Edo State, and Nigerians need leaders with leadership skills and empathy for the plight of the people at this stage.

She noted that with the hunger and poverty in the country today there is need for Leaders who connect with the ordinary people on the ground.

“It is however sad that most politicians when they get to power, they don’t deliver to the expectation of the people who elected them. The same person who gave out money and won the elections, when you visit him for favour, he shuts his doors because he has paid for the position.

“It is obvious that the reason is because they spend so much to get into government and when they are there, they are busy recouping their money they spent during the rigorous process they went through before the election.

“The answer is not who has so much money or either being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, All Progressive Congress, APC of any other political party. We need to sit down and ask what can we do differently if we desire a change from the old ways. If we continue to do the same thing all over again and there is no result, that is madness.

” I am not saying let us change the rules, but a commitment that when we are elected things are going to run properly and work. There is something about a woman. We understand the mathematics. We can sit down and even without seeing the measurement, we can say well, if I put this amount of salt in the soup, I will get the right taste, the right texture.

“If a woman gets to that office, she knows where the issues are and just like in the family, the woman manages the home, they have emotional intelligence and they are the people who can connect with the masses.

“There is something not right, that is why we should try something new, do the mixture and see if it will work or not because it is a fight for the future, the sovereignty of the nation and Edo State. If we do not try, how do we know?

“The people are hungry because of the economic situation of the country. The poverty and stress have impacted them. We must fix Edo State, no matter what it takes, let us join hands and standardise everything and we can start by changing the mindset of the people,” she noted.

Amb. Asha Okojie comes from a generation of politicians, and social activists. She is the granddaughter of King Ogbidi Okojie of Uromi dynasty.