Legal icon Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) in Ekiti State, has condemned the Federal Government’s palliative distribution, describing it as a tactic to make Nigerians dependent on handouts.
Speaking during a thank-you tour by the Prestige Sisters League at his university, Babalola argued that the government’s approach, which includes distributing items like garri, beans, and rice, only exacerbates poverty and undermines self-reliance.
Babalola emphasized that the government’s failure to ensure security and support agriculture has led to widespread hunger.
He urged the government to focus on creating an environment that enables people to work and sustain themselves.
“Those who are complaining about hunger are doing so sincerely. They are hungry. A hungry man can go to any length to show his anger.
“ We do not need anybody to tell us about hunger in the country. The protest was genuine and the government should listen to them,” he said on Thursday.
“The duty of government is the welfare of the people.
“The problem we have now is that people cannot move freely. They have abandoned the farms. People are being killed in their farms and everybody wants to stay where they are safe.
“ It is because the government has failed in this regard that we have hunger.
“It is wrong for the government to be sharing garri, beans and rice as palliatives. They are turning the people into beggars. The government that is giving the people rice and beans is leading us to poverty. The government is discouraging people from working, whereas, the government must provide the people enabling environment for people to work and feed themselves.”
In addition, Babalola supported calls for constitutional reform, specifically advocating for the re-enactment of the 1963 Constitution.
He argued that such a move could be implemented directly by the National Assembly, without the need for a new constitutional conference, drawing parallels to recent legislative changes like the reinstatement of the old National Anthem.
“I read the publication of the Patriots visiting President Tinubu and I am in full agreement with them. We need a new constitution. But I do not agree that we should go through any constitutional conference,” he said.
“Recently, you are aware that President Bola Tinubu asked us to go back to the old National Anthem; there was no conference for it before it was passed by the National Assembly and assented by the President.
“The 1963 constitution was the one made by all of us. By the same token, the parliament should bring back the 1963 and reenact it.” He added.
