Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the former president of Nigeria Bar Association, has expressed worry over the federal government’s rudderlessness improper governance and undue distance of the President, Muhammadu Buhari.
The legal practitioner said this while speaking with journalists after the inauguration of a multi-million naira Vice Chancellor’s lodge he built and donated to the management of Ajayi Crowther University Oyo State.
Some of the dignitaries in attendance included Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the Alafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, the Bishop of Lagos Most Reverend Dr. Adebola Ademowo, Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, the ACU Vice Chancellor Professor Dapo Asaju and many others.
Olanipekun complained about the interest of the government in selling the nation’s assets. He described the idea as uncalled for and urged those proposing to buy the assets to loan the federal government money to turn the assets around.
He lamented about President Muhammadu Buhari distancing himself from Nigeria. According to him, there is a wide gap between the president and his people.
His words “We need to plead with Mr President that he needs to engage the Nigerians more. I personally don’t want to be hearing what the president says through his aides every time. I want to hear the president speak and we all want to hear what he has to say to us directly. ”
“I grew up listening to the likes of Awolowo speak; I heard Akintola and others, not the tales of Femi Adesina or Shehu Garba. The President must engage and feel the pulse of the people. ”
“There is too much gap between the government of this administration and the people governed. I am not interested in any political position, neither am I begging but I insist that Nigerians be governed properly. There is rudderlessness on the part of the government both at the federal ,state and local levels. .”
“This government is leaving things that should be done undone, the other day I heard Mr President saying he would support the National Assembly to make the local governments independent of the state government. ”
“There are so many questions to ask the federal government as we are not running a smooth legal system. What we are running is hydra-headed Unitarism. “
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