Founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola, SAN has said the present administration of President Bola Tinubu must be alive to its duty of ensuring the social and economic well-being of the citizens regardless of the present challenges.
The renowned lawyer stated this at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital when the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Ekiti State council under the chairmanship of Comrade Kayode Babatuyi paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Babalola who absolved President Tinubu of blame over the current economic situation and attendant hardship in the country, said the situation predated his ascendancy to office.
He admonished the president to brace up and fashion out workable economic blueprints to salvage the harsh situation so that Nigerians would quickly put the present hardship behind them and begin to experience improved living standards while the country itself begins a fast-paced journey to greatness.
Babalola noted Nigeria was witnessing geometric growth and development on all fronts because the country’s journey to nationhood was imbued with high hopes and prospects for national unity, peace and development until the military seized levers of power on January 15, 1966, and disrupted the developmental process.
He claimed that the military plundered the country’s economy, weakened the national institutions and institutionalised corruption through the implementation of disastrous policies before exiting the political firmament.
The elder statesman noted that the consequences of decisions made by the military rulers still influence socio-economic events in contemporary Nigeria, adding that the outcome of the juntas’ bad governance and poor management of the economy was what Nigerians are currently facing.
He said, ” We all know about the poor condition of our people today economically, we all know about safety on the road. We have a new government in the country, it is not its fault. I must say it is not the fault of the president(Bola Tinubu) but he has a duty to do and the duty is the well-being of the citizens in the country.
“A day forward and a day backwards, that has been our problem for years.”
Emphasising the importance of media in nation-building, the legal luminary tasked journalists to step up its constitutional responsibility of holding the government accountable to the citizenry.
Babalola urged them to expose the ills of government at all levels without any fear of intimidation and make Nigeria a better place for all.
He described the profession as the most powerful weapon to sensitise and advise as well as make suggestions to political officeholders on how best the country can move forward.
Speaking, Babatuyi said the essence of the visit was for the NUJ to reiterate its support to the legal luminary who he said has changed the face of university education in the country with the exploits of ABUAD.
He added that journalists in the state would continue to support Babalola’s quest to make the state and the country a better place where quality education, functional healthcare services and good governance will be the hallmark.
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