Why restructuring is panacea to Nigeria’s problems, by Afe Babalola

ELDER statesman and Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, has reiterated that Nigeria may continue to grapple with its prevailing problems of spiral unemployment, insecurity and under-development, unless the country treads the path of restructuring.

Specifically, Babalola, who received the management team of the Nigerian Tribune in his office in Ado-Ekiti over the weekend, said until Nigeria goes back to implement the blueprint the trio of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and the late Sardauna painstakingly fashioned out for 10 years in Lancaster House, England between 1950 and 1960, Nigeria may find it difficult to evolve as a nation.

His words :”Those who know me would appropriately recall that I have been championing the course of restructuring for some times now. On November 4, 2011, the descendants of His Majesty, King Abbi Amachree IV, the Amanyanbo of Kalabari, gathered together in Port-Harcourt to celebrate the First Memorial Lecture. The Board of Trustees, including the talented Prof. Tam David-West, brought together a large crowd including the Deputy Governor and the Vice President. I was honoured to deliver the 1st Memorial Lecture titled, ‘Nigeria in Search of a Nation’.

“I was then and I am still an advocate of restructuring Nigeria. In my articles in the Vanguard and Tribune Newspapers on Wednesdays and Thursdays respectively, I have published many articles on the restructuring of the country. As a member of Constitutional Conferences, I have also argued in favour of true federal structure. The truth is that today, there is a strong wind of restructuring blowing over the country. It is not just strong a wind, it is a hurricane restructure. The loud voice of those who desire a united and strong country, which would deo volenti metamorphose into a nation is that the country should be restructured.”

He thanked the management of the Nigerian Tribune, led by the Managing Director, Mr. Edward Dickson, for coming to congratulate him on his announcement as the winner of the much-treasured Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Prize for 2018.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the chairman of the Selection Committee of the Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Award had announced at the 70th Anniversary of the rebranded Nigerian Tribune on January 29, 2019 that Babalola was voted the winner on account of the inherent qualities of political strategy, education, integrity, caring for the welfare of the masses, consistency policies and courage among several others, which constitute a veritable nexus that binds the first Premier of Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Nigeria’s frontline legal icon, educationist and valiant entrepreneur as well as unsparing philanthropist, Aare Babalola, together.

Anyaoku said Babalola was found worthy of the Prize because of what he described as his “genuine commitment to promoting the cause of humanity, which has marked you out as a philanthropist, whose social consciousness is a source of inspiration to millions of Nigerians”.

Anyaoku added: “Afe Babalola has distinguished himself in the provision of quality education just like the sage, advocacy for the masses through legal intervention and other means to deserve the award”.

The Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Award is for individuals, who have demonstrated the attributes of political strategy, education, integrity, caring for the welfare of the masses, consistency policies and courage among several others for which the late Premier of Western Region was well-known.

Addressing his visitors, Babalola likened the place of the media in any society to what would happen to a blossoming flower in the desert, which will eventually wither away un-noticed and unsung, stressing that for institutions like the Nigerian Tribune and its array of talented editors and reporters, many of the accomplishments of his increasingly famous Afe Babalola University may have gone un-noticed.

He praised the Awolowo Foundation for finding him worthy as the winner of the coveted Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Prize, which he described as invaluable on account of the achievements of his nine-year-old university, where he has been breeding a new generation of Nigerians and leaders.

Delving into the accomplishments of ABUAD in its short history of existence, Babalola said: “Here in ABUAD, we have students from all the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. And that makes us different. That stands us out. We are building a new generation of leaders that will change the world.

Speaking on the departed sage in whose memory the Prize was instituted, Babalola hailed Awolowo for his firmness, kindness and fearlessness as a result of which he was able to make the old Western Region the clear leaders and a toast of other regions in those days.

His words: “Continuity is the essence of government. A good leader must be firm, kind and fearless and we all know that Awo was fearless and we all know what he did as Premier of Western Region. Unfortunately, people conspired to jail him, but he remains a hero for ever.

“If Chief Awolowo can wake up today, I am sure he will confirm what the Afenifere chieftain, Chief Reuben Fasoranti , said about me on November 12, last year, to wit: ‘Since creation, God has made billions of souls, but you, Aare Afe Babalola, must be in the league of the most caring, the most humble, the most contented, and the most selfless of all souls, (thereby) living true to the calling of selfless to humanity.

“If it is possible for any mortal to be perfect, you will be my top nominee. Happy birthday to a wonderful and a quintessential human being. You are one in a kind. Enjoy your day to the hilt my Aare. God bless your heart and continually make you a shining star to mankind.”

Earlier Dickson had congratulated Babalola for emerging the winner of the coveted Prize, thus making him the third African after Nigeria’s Prof. Wole Soyinka and former South Africa’s President, Mr. Thambo Mbeki.

He stressed that the Prize confirmed Babalola in the mould of the late sage, who was well-known for his interest in education, human capital development and caring for the under-privileged members of the society.

The Nigerian Tribune chieftain said Babalola’s winning the Prize for 2018 is the more worthy of celebration bearing in mind that the prize has not been won by anyone in the last four years because the meticulous selection committee for the award did not find anyone worthy in those four years to be so awarded.

In Anyaoku’s words the Prize has not been awarded since Mbeki carted it home in 2014 because “there was no individual in Africa among nominees worthy to be honoured with the award in the last four years because none met the criteria spelt out to justify their candidacy for the honour”.

According to him, the Obafemi Awolowo for Leadership Award is for individuals, who have demonstrated the attributes of political strategy, education, integrity, caring for the welfare of the masses, consistency policies and courage among several others for which the late Premier of Western Region was well-known, stressing that it was only Babalola, who was found worthy as an individual among the current nominees to receive the award.

His words: “Afe Babalola has distinguished himself in the provision of quality education just like the sage, advocacy for the masses through legal intervention and other means to deserve the award.”