Buhari Not Responsible For Nigerians Woes – Afe Babalola

Legal icon Aare Afe Babalola SAN has said that it would be wrong
to blame President Muhammadu Buhari for the current rots in the
system.

Babalola, founder Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD),
disclosed that Nigeria’s problem is deeper than what the citizens
often discussed.

Speaking after being honoured by Northern Youth Council of
Nigeria (NYCN), Babalola urged Nigerian youths to rise up, unite
and rescue the nation from its myriads of challenges.

The Founder traced the nation’s problem to military incursion of
1966.

He was decorated with the Sir Ahmadu Bello Platinum Award as the
‘The Icon of Greater Nigeria’ and Garkuwan Matasan Arewa Najeriya
by the youth group.

The Aare Bamofin of Yorubaland charged Nigerian youths to move
out of their various regional enclaves and form a virile national
body,

This, he said would give them a strong voice.

“The essence of government is to guarantee the security of lives
and property of the people. President Buhari is not to blame for
this insecurity but the military.

“Before military took over in 1966, Nigeria was operating
regional system with each region growing and developing faster at
its own pace.

“These regions were closer to the people. Killings or insurgency
were alien to our culture then. Nigerians love one another, though
they were divided politically.

“I want to say that if those regions were allowed then, the
country would have had a nation or nations that are well developed
today,” he said.

Babalola regretted how Nigerians were dying due to leadership
failure, particularly the civil servants and pensioners due to
non-payment of their entitlements.

“Many pensioners have died having been owed several years of
pension arrears. Even those in the service were owed seven or eight
months salary arrears, so just like I said earlier, our leaders
have turned us into beggars,” he lamented.

Talking about the vision of his university, which was to build
the youth into a reliable future leaders, Babalola told the group
that many of the rich men in the Northern part of Nigeria have
financial wherewithal to establish such fast-growing
university.

“There are many rich people in Nigeria who can establish this
kind of university with the vision to bring quality education as
well as moral and cultural values to the doorstep of Nigerians.

“If we have this kind of university in each of the six
geopolitical zones or every state, Nigeria will change for
better.

“Go to the North and propagate the ideals which my university
stands for. Nigeria must be united at all cost for us to make a
headway and overcome all our challenges,” Babalola stated.

The leader of the youth group, Mr. Steven Bidemi, said the
honour was in recognition of Babalola’s contributions to humanity
and the unity of the Nigerian nation.

“At a time when Nigeria youth are facing relegation from the
scheme of things, Babalola continued to exhibit youth friendly
vision which gave us a renewed hope as leaders of tomorrow.

“Chief Babalola is a symbol of a true Nigeria where unity, love,
integrity compassion and brotherhood take a sit at the high table.
He is a true representation of Sardauna’s philosophy, which was
about religious and ethnic tolerance,” he said.

Legal icon Aare Afe Babalola SAN has said that it would be wrong
to blame President Muhammadu Buhari for the current rots in the
system.

Babalola, founder Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD),
disclosed that Nigeria’s problem is deeper than what the citizens
often discussed.

Speaking after being honoured by Northern Youth Council of
Nigeria (NYCN), Babalola urged Nigerian youths to rise up, unite
and rescue the nation from its myriads of challenges.

The Founder traced the nation’s problem to military incursion of
1966.

He was decorated with the Sir Ahmadu Bello Platinum Award as the
‘The Icon of Greater Nigeria’ and Garkuwan Matasan Arewa Najeriya
by the youth group.

The Aare Bamofin of Yorubaland charged Nigerian youths to move
out of their various regional enclaves and form a virile national
body,

This, he said would give them a strong voice.

“The essence of government is to guarantee the security of lives
and property of the people. President Buhari is not to blame for
this insecurity but the military.

“Before military took over in 1966, Nigeria was operating
regional system with each region growing and developing faster at
its own pace.

“These regions were closer to the people. Killings or insurgency
were alien to our culture then. Nigerians love one another, though
they were divided politically.

“I want to say that if those regions were allowed then, the
country would have had a nation or nations that are well developed
today,” he said.

Babalola regretted how Nigerians were dying due to leadership
failure, particularly the civil servants and pensioners due to
non-payment of their entitlements.

“Many pensioners have died having been owed several years of
pension arrears. Even those in the service were owed seven or eight
months salary arrears, so just like I said earlier, our leaders
have turned us into beggars,” he lamented.

Talking about the vision of his university, which was to build
the youth into a reliable future leaders, Babalola told the group
that many of the rich men in the Northern part of Nigeria have
financial wherewithal to establish such fast-growing
university.

“There are many rich people in Nigeria who can establish this
kind of university with the vision to bring quality education as
well as moral and cultural values to the doorstep of Nigerians.

“If we have this kind of university in each of the six
geopolitical zones or every state, Nigeria will change for
better.

“Go to the North and propagate the ideals which my university
stands for. Nigeria must be united at all cost for us to make a
headway and overcome all our challenges,” Babalola stated.

The leader of the youth group, Mr. Steven Bidemi, said the
honour was in recognition of Babalola’s contributions to humanity
and the unity of the Nigerian nation.

“At a time when Nigeria youth are facing relegation from the
scheme of things, Babalola continued to exhibit youth friendly
vision which gave us a renewed hope as leaders of tomorrow.

“Chief Babalola is a symbol of a true Nigeria where unity, love,
integrity compassion and brotherhood take a sit at the high table.
He is a true representation of Sardauna’s philosophy, which was
about religious and ethnic tolerance,” he said.