A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun has lamented the increasing level of poverty among citizens of the country, calling on individuals and government at all levels to address the ugly situation.
The legal icon revealed that a larger percentage of the citizens are in extreme poverty and struggling for survival which he said was responsible for the high rate of instability, agitations and anger in the country.
Olanipekun spoke in the Ikere-Ekiti headquarters of Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti during the 27th edition of the Wole Olanipekun Foundation Scholarship Award Scheme & 4th Empowerment Programme hosted by the legal luminary.
The foundation gave out multi-million naira scholarships to 250 students ranging from secondary schools to university/law school education levels, youth empowerment to about 100 beneficiaries, 100 aged and widows grants and palliatives to 600 beneficiaries
He argued that the country wouldn’t survive its challenges if urgent measures were not taken to tackle the poverty rate, urging the elites in the society to show concern by assisting the government to lend a helping hand to the people.
The former chairman of Body of Benchers said, ” We have a lot of people today in this country who are hungry. There are a lot of people that are naked and poverty-stricken. So many people are roaming the streets because they are jobless and cannot make ends meet.
“A lot of people are thinking like that widow in the Bible that let take this last meal and die. We must lift them up. We must touch them. To those who may think that they have made it and we are okay. We are not okay.
“The poverty level in Nigeria today is not just scary but also terrifying, as over 70 per cent of Nigerians are rudderless, poverty-stricken. The situation does beckons on those who have received God’s benevolence to also tap from God’s attribute of compassion by lending hands to their fellow men.”
In his own remarks, the Ekiti state governor, Biodun Oyebanji urged notable indigenes of the state to borrow a cue from the likes of Chief Afe Babalola and Chief Wole Olanipekun’s attitude of giving back to the society.
“I appeal to other indigenes of Ekiti State to please come home and assist our people. I was looking at the brochure and over 600 people are going to benefit one way or another. I want the beneficiaries to float an association to start preparing to give back to the people.
“The government is trying to create access and opportunity for Ekiti indigenes to thrive. We will make it public at the appropriate time, and plan to support this foundation to help lift many people out of poverty in Ekiti,” he said.
The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who was the Chairman at the occasion, said that people are facing hardship in different dimensions due to poor economic management of the past, saying that efforts are ongoing by the current administration to put things right.
He urged privileged people who have gone through the mentorship of Chief Olanipekun to learn from him how to give back to society and give succour to the less privileged.
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