CS-SUNN Visits Enugu Assembly, Canvases Establishment of Nutrition Departments In MDAs

The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has advocated the establishment of Nutrition Departments in Ministries, Department and Agencies(MDAs) in Enugu State.

The Programme Manager, CS-SUNN, Dr Goodness Anyanwu, made the call in Enugu, Tuesday, when she led members of the organization on advocacy visit to the Deputy Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Ezenta Ezeani.

Dr. Anyanwu urged the Assembly to support legislation that would ensure that working class nursing mothers get six months maternity leave for adequate care and well being of the babies.

The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) is a non-governmental, non-profit alliance of organizations with a shared vision to transform Nigeria into a country where every citizen has food and is nutrition secure.

CS-SUNN, Programme Manager also urged the lawmakers to take the campaign to their respective constituencies to sensitize the people on the need for exclusive breast feeding which she said would make for healthy children and a healthy society.

“We want to beg you to use your good office to see how we can promote nutrition in Enugu State and to also support the legislation for six months maternity leave.

“You can take the advocacy to your respective constituencies, sensitising women on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding so that women will key into it,” she said and equally urged the legislators to ensure that the state increased the counterpart funding for child nutrition fund.

To ensure that exclusive breastfeeding takes place in the state, Anyanwu called on the house members to advocate that nutrition departments are created in the ministries as well as create Creches in ministries and departments where working mothers can conveniently breastfeed their babies.

She also implored that Committee for Food and Nutrition should be created in the local governments across the state so that nutrition matters can be internalised.

Responding, the Deputy Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Ezenta Ezeani,  who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the CS-SUNN for the visit and promised to assist in anyway they can as lawmakers to ensure that malnutrition is rooted out, if not minimised in the state.

“Once it is in line with the pursuit of well being of humanity, we shall support it.  Whatever we can do to achieve the success of promoting nutrition in the state, we shall do,” he said.

“I thank you for coming.  You are helping our generation and the generation to come,” he continued, saying that, “we are committed to ensuring that we have a healthy society through adequate nutrition.”

The lawmaker and his colleagues, however, took time to x-ray the merits and demerits in the 6-months maternity leave and exclusive breast-feeding, concluding that there should be aggressive enlightenment on the project for more women to embrace it.

The visitors were later led to the office of the Speaker of the state assembly, Hon Uche Ugwu where he was briefed by his deputy on the discussion that took place.

Programme Manager, Dr. Goodness Anyanwu, (Right) presenting souvenir to the speaker, Enugu House of Assembly, Hon. Uche Ugwu, (Left) while Princess Obiajulu Ugwu, Deputy Chief Whip, (Middle) watches