A legal Icon, and Founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola has called on the House of Representatives to decline the $800m fresh loan request tendered by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Afe Babalola stated this on Wednesday, while addressing newsmen at a public lecture organized by the Barr Adetunji Fasanmi led Nigeria Barr Association, (NBA) Ado Ekiti branch in honour of Are Afe Babatola held at Alfa Belgore hall, ABUAD.
Specifically, he noted that Nigeria is suffering from the trauma of outstanding debts hence, no reason for fresh loan especially, when he would exit office on May 29.
At the 12th series of the lecture which was part of the 2023 Law Week’s program in the state, Afe Babalola pointed out that no Country and financial Institutions would lend money to the country, considering the trillion dollars of debt owed to other Countries.
In his words, “How can we be owing so many trillion of dollars and yet when you are about to leave office, you are asking for another 800million dollars?
“If you have the right type of House of Assembly, they would say no. They would say they can’t do it, because the interest would be high and there are outstanding debts on ground.
“How can you be an undeclared bankrupt, and yet borrowing money? It’s not allowed, I don’t think anyone can still give us further loans to the trillions of naira we are owing now and I believe that the parliament will reject it”
Recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had sought the approval of the House of Representatives for a fresh $800 million loan to finance the National Social Safety Network Programme (NSSNP).
Speaking about the lecture, Afe Babalola emphasized that a better Nigeria is possible with the right policies and implementation.
The founder however appreciated, the innitiator of the law week years back, Barr Owoseni Ajayi, and all other NBA chairman and leaders who have sustained it up till today.
While appreciating the NBA chairman, Barr Fasanmi and his team for the 2023 law week, Afe Babalola appreciated the Nigerian Bar Association Ado Ekiti branch for the honour done to him.
The guest lecturer, Professor Joash Amupitan identified upholding the rule of law and enforcing the supremacy of the constitution have been identified as steps to engender development in every sector of the nation’s economy.
In his lecture titled: Addressing the Nigerian Economic Challenges through the instrumentality of the law and future prosperity, Prof. Amupitan emphasized necessary constitutional amendment, political will to implement the constitution.
Prof. Amupitan, who said that Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution must be made justiciable, said that implementing the chapter would promote the well-being, welfare and security of the average citizen, promote economic growth and development and ensure an egalitarian society.
He also urged the country’s apex court to move from just error correction to policy courts, saying, “This will involve a lot of awareness and advocacy actions by the Nigerian Bar Association and Coalition of Civil Societies and the Judicial Statesmen.Second, the Courts need to be more involved especially at the highest level- moving from just error correction to policy courts.
“We need the likes of Lord Denning, Justice Marshall of the United States, Justice Kayode Eso, Justice Obaseki, Justice Oputa, Justice Niki Tobi, and the like to reactivate the era of judicial activism in Nigeria. There must be an orchestrated judicial agenda to help fix the political, economic and social challenges being faced in Nigeria.
“The Judiciary and the legal profession cannot fold their arms any more while this country is being destroyed when they are the last hope of the common man. We need to have Legal and Judicial Statesmen who would midwife a judicial agenda for Nigeria. We need to create something (not in the like of Okija Shrine) that our leaders must fear.
“May I use this occasion to propose a judicial hall of Fame for some of our Legal Heroes and Champions who would be our Legal Statesmen. This can be undertaken through a Non-Profit Organisation that will periodically use and evaluate the contributions of jurists and Lawyers to the cause of legal change/engineering.
“The Non-Profit Organisation will have the power to award fellows to deserving members. May I suggest that Aare Afe Babalola, SAN be the first to be enlisted in this Hall of Fame.There is a need for a powerful lobby force at all levels to influence Executive policies and laws to be enacted by the National Assembly.
“Our Appellant Court especially the Supreme Court should not just be an error correction Court, but a policy Court and in some deserving cases exercise its jurisdiction in qua judex and help discipline our leaders as was the case of Amaechi v. INEC43.We need to revisit the recruitment process to the Bench. The best should be recruited, and it should not be politicked.
“Those recruited must be indoctrinated early enough before they are debriefed by hijackers and bad elements. What we need is having the right people in place. Justice Amina Augie, JSC once said that we need to rethink ourselves and not just our laws”. He added.
Prof. Amupitan also stressed that protection of fundamental human rights are pivotal in bringing Nigeria out of its numerous challenges Even as the country sets for another political dispensation.
He commended Aare Afe Babalola for always speaking out towards engendering a change in the country while urging Legal practitioners to be instrument of change and social engineering in the country.
The state Governor, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State pledged partnership with NBA, Ekiti State chapter, to formulate policy on Economy development.
Oyebanji, represented by Barr. Femi Onipinde, hailed the importance of NBA in the state, adding that his partnership with NBA will foster unity and smooth running of his administration.
Earlier, the NBA chairman, Barr Fasanmi noted that the 2023 law week was crucial, important and monumental considering the timing and current happenings in the country.
Fasanmi said, “This year’s event is monumental because it is happening at a time when Nigeria, our dear country, is passing through a democratic transition. Hopes are high and expectations are in the altitude for economic restoration and national development in the new dispensation”.
According to him, the programme is intended to expand coverage of shock responsive safety net support among poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Fasanmi and other speakers at the event applauded Aare Afe Babalola who is the grand patron of the association for his contributions to the development of the law profession and other sectors in the country.
The event which was a convergence of Legal practitioners and people from all walks of life to celebrate the achievements of the legal luminary, Aare Afe Babalola in the legal profession as well as examine the roles of lawyers and the law in re engineering the country, featured, Citation of Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, Citation of the Guest Lecturer, the Lecture, Comments, Questions & Answers Session, and presentation of Award to Are Afe Babalola.
Photos at the event:
