A renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Barrister Abiodun Owonikoko says about 63 percent of Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor at different levels.
Barrister Owonikoko however attributed the poverty crises in Nigeria to unstable past policies and programmes of governments at all levels
The legal icon made this known while delivering a lecture organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Ibadan chapel, held at the Studio one, broadcasting house, Dugbe, Ibadan.
Speaking on the lecture entitled “Government and it’s policies: Effects on the masses” Barrister Owonikoko lamented the prevailing poverty among the masses in Nigeria describing the menace as a result of past bad leadership.
He said Nigeria’s economy, infrastructure and institutions competed favourably with it’s counterparts in other developed countries of the world many years ago, hence the need to revisit the nation’s constitution.
“In 70s, there was pipe born water everywhere, not even borehole. You have public tap, you can fetch water from your house. The roads were motorable and safe while universities competed favourably with those in overseas, if not better”.
“I’m sure about this, when we were going to the university in the early 70s, 80s, 90s, it is only those who could not make through the rigourou way of doing things in Nigeria university that travel abroad. We have foreigners schooling with us”.
“On the policy side they getting it right, it is at the implementation they are getting it wrong”
While charging the NUJ members to perform it’s watchdog roles by holding government accountable to it’s responsibilities, the legal luminary said media professionals in the country should bring the 17 sustainable development goals of the united nattions to the front burner of government for implementation.
“The 17th goal talked about partnership for the goals. Partnership means that government it is not government alone. Part of your responsibilities as the fourth estate of the realm, you are to educate the people.”
Barrister Owonikoko who said hopes for the nation’s socio economic and political restoration was not lost emphasized the need for political appointees of president Bola Tinubu to live up to the president’s expectation through effective service delivery.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman, FRCN Ibadan chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Oluwakayode Banjo noted that the lecture title was apt as it would broaden the knowledge horizon of Nigerians on the position of government and impact of it’s policies on the people.
“the topic of the lecture: “Government and it’s policies: Effects on the masses, we are the masses and successive government come and go they make different policies and projections and the effect is always on the common man, the masses. We want to know how these policies affect us as masses and what should the government look at before making these policies.”
Speaking in the same vein, the NUJ chairman in Oyo state Mr Ademola Babalola said Nigerian masses are suffering saying government must consider their plight and be mindful of needless spending on overseas travels.
