Legal luminary, Afe Babalola,SAN, has called for the immediate cancellation of the school feeding programme of the Federal Government and channel the funds to support public institutions in the fight against COVID-19.
The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti,ABUAD in a congratulatory letter to the new Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, urged him to recommend to President Buhari measures to put in place to facilitate local production of vaccines for coronavirus.
“An immediate cancellation of the feeding of school children, when schools are closed and the school children are with their parents and especially when their addresses will be impossible to trace.
“On the contrary, the money that has been earmarked for the feeding should be used to support public institutions to purchase testing machines, such as Polymerase Chain Reaction, PCR, machine, face masks, sanitisers and serological test machines.
“These safety measures will enable the higher institutions to re-open because the hygienic status of their campuses would have been enhanced.
“This is the appropriate time for you to recommend to Mr. President to immediately put in place measures that will address the aftermath of COVID-19.
“This is also the appropriate time to recommend to Mr. President to put in place policies and measures that will encourage the production of home-grown vaccines and drugs to combat the deadly coronavirus.
“Under you as the Chief ,of Staff, those who have useful advice for Mr. President should be allowed easy access to the President” Babalola said.
On the 1999 Constitution, “I have said it repeatedly in the past that the real and main problem Nigeria has today is the Military Constitution, which was christened 1999 Constitution and foisted on us by the Military. Unless the 1999 Constitution is properly addressed, jettisoned and replaced with a truly people’s constitution, we shall continue to groan in pain as a nation.
“The 1999 Constitution, which encourages indolence, lack of creativity, greed and avarice, wanton struggle for positions in the central government and the untoward attitude of begging for monthly allocation from the Federal Government should be jettisoned for a truly people’s constitution.
“Therefore, there should be no election before the outcome of the proposed Sovereign National Conference.
“The 2023 general elections should be conducted using the new constitution, which will be the outcome, indeed the product, of a Sovereign National Conference” he said.
While wishing Gambari well in his role, Babalola urged Gambari to visit the Afe Babalola University in company of President Buhari as soon as he settles down in office.
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