House of Rep want condom plants in Africa

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Donor Agencies and Civil Societies, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, has advocated the relocation of condom manufacturing plants to Africa as a mark of commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS.

Eyiboh said such plants, if sighted in a country like Nigeria could generate employment and tackle poverty.


The lawmaker argued that poverty and a lack of economic opportunities for populations in Africa were factors contributing to the spread of the disease on the continent.


He noted that though condoms and anti-retroviral drugs were given free by donor agencies, a greater impact in the fight against HIV/AIDS could be made by addressing unemployment and poverty.


He added, “Is it not better for us to have the plants in the countries where donor agencies have identified as having high prevalence rates?


“These donations are worth billions of dollars, but the truth is that the money goes to plants in some European countries to develop their own economies.”


Eyiboh, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, argued that to make foreign donations truly beneficial to recipient nations, the citizens must be involved in the coordination of such donations.


According to the lawmaker, there is a little economic sense in a donor agency announcing a $300m aid to a country “when in reality, 95 per cent of the money returns to the donor country.”


He said, “The aid may come in form of vehicles, which are manufactured outside this country.


“We don’t even have the capacity to repair the vehicles when they break down.


“The remaining five per cent of the aid is spent on hiring consultants; so, at the end of the day, there is really no donation.”


Eyiboh explained that the committee would work with the National Planning Commission to ensure proper coordination of the activities of donor agencies in the country.


He added, “There is an urgent need to track such donations and ensure that they have achieved the purpose for which the money was given.


“We have instances were all the tiers of government are spending money on the same projects that a donor agency is handling.


“The question is, where is the money for the donor agency?


“At what point did one agency stop funding a project and when did another agency start and all that?.”


Eyiboh said a bill was before the House to harmonise the operations of donor agencies in the country.


He explained that the legislation would look into issues relating to the registration of agencies, non-governmental organisations and their mission statements in order to identify their real intentions for coming to operate in Nigeria.

Posted: at 13-10-2011 12:39 AM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

what are all these perpetual perpetrators talking about...dint the have something else to discuss about in the country? there are no light no water no good roads not even good schools for the kids...but all the talk about is sex,legalising prostitute and condoms what a phyuk is going on?

Posted: at 16-10-2011 08:42 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

 

Posted: at 16-10-2011 11:40 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac