{"id":1050,"date":"2020-02-20T07:32:30","date_gmt":"2020-02-20T07:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vor.org.ng\/?p=1050"},"modified":"2022-08-14T08:54:14","modified_gmt":"2022-08-14T08:54:14","slug":"afe-babalola-agrees-with-and-endorses-vor-draft-constitution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ictnetworldltd.com\/newvor\/2020\/02\/20\/afe-babalola-agrees-with-and-endorses-vor-draft-constitution\/","title":{"rendered":"AFE BABALOLA AGREES WITH, AND ENDORSES, VOR DRAFT CONSTITUTION"},"content":{"rendered":"

REMARKS BY THE FOUNDER & CHANCELLOR OF AFE BABALOLA UNIVERSITY, ADO-EKITI, ABUAD, AARE AFE BABALOLA, CON, SAN, AS THE CHAIRMAN AT THE FIRST VOICE OF REASON (VOR) GOKE OMISORE ANNUAL LECTURE HOLDEN IN LAGOS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Protocols:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I consider it an honour to be invited as the Chairman of the <\/span><\/span>First Voice of Reason, VOR, Goke Omisore Annual Lecture <\/b><\/span><\/span>with the theme: <\/span><\/span>\u201cRestructuring- Building a Knowledge-based Society\u201d.<\/b><\/span><\/span> I am the more delighted to be part of the Lecture in that it is designed to address and provide answers to the major problems afflicting Nigeria today. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tribute: <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I pay special tribute to Mr. Tunji Alapinni, a believer in a strong and prosperous one Nigeria. This humble Assistant Inspector General of Police (rtd) led a team of other eminent Yoruba Leaders to deliver the letter of invitation in my office in far away Ado-Ekiti. I want to publicly appreciate him for the honour. My prayer is that your labour of love will not be in vain.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The timing of this Lecture cannot be better than now in view of the recent developments in the country and the myriad of problems facing it today. Such problems include but are not limited <\/span><\/span>to unpaid salaries, pensions and other emoluments, spiral unemployment, different shades and shapes of violence, armed robbery, poverty, grossly underfunded institutions, poor infrastructure including deplorable road network, insecurity at home, on the road and on the farms as well as killings for different motives.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Voice of Reason:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is a notorious fact that the Voice of Reason is not a political party, but it is out to solve political problems like that of the restructuring of the country and those mentioned above. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is a well known fact I grew up as a young man during the Colonial era. During the time under reference, there was quality education which I benefited from and that is what has brought me to where I am today. During that era, there was no poverty in Nigeria. There was 100% employment as a result of which there was no hunger or begging. Life was safe at home, on the road and on the farms. You could leave the door to you house open and go to your farm and come back to meet your house intact. This was simply because everybody was gainfully employed. Even those who were engaged in other vocations like Bricklaying, Tailoring, Barbing, Trading and Carpentry still engaged in Agriculture if only to feed members of their immediate families. At that time, Nigerians harboured a strong abhourence for corruption. That was the trend in those days.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Problems of Nigeria today:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have enumerated some of the problems afflicting this country earlier in this narrative. All of these problems arose because we disobeyed our founding fathers who in their wisdom fashioned out the 1960 Independence Constitution and the 1963 Republican Constitution that would have continually improved our lot as a nation. Our founding fathers appreciated more than the present crop of leaders that we are a country of many nations waiting to evolve as a country.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing that Nigeria contains more than 250 ethnic nationalities with different cultures, languages, religions and customs, Nigeria\u2019s founding fathers, after sitting together in Lancaster House in London for almost 10 years, fashioned out a constitution that united the different ethnic nationalities. This was one of the main reasons why both the 1960 Independent Constitution and 1963 Republican Constitution worked well before the Military made a forceful incursion in governance following the Military coup of January 15, 1966.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In essence, when the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions were in operation in Nigeria, poverty and other problems afflicting Nigeria today were virtually non-existent in the country. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The real problem:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In my New Year message to the nation, I had said that: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n