June 12/State of the Nation: Ajulo Lauds Buhari, Says President Needs To Do More

Constitutional lawyer and former National Secretary of Labour Party, LP, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari over  his “infrastructural drive”.

Specifically, Ajulo, a dyed-in-the wool Buhari enthusiast, fingered transportation and other critical sectors of the economy, and gave the President thumb-up, saying “he has done a lot.”

The lawyer-cum-rights activist also applauded the President’s Democracy Day  speech, saying it was such a delight watching the President speak to Nigerians on the anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by billionaire businessman, Basorun M.K.O. Abiola.

“President Buhari needs to talk more to Nigerians because he has a lot to showcase,” Ajulo continued. “He needs to blow his trumpet. If you don’t blow your trumpet, nobody will blow it for you.”

“Let us be sincere,” the Abuja-based lawyer continued, his achievements in the area of infrastructural development can never be wished away. But he has to redouble his efforts in the area of electricity.”

The power situation in the country, Ajulo submitted, “is dismal. Not much has been achieved in this area.”

The lawyer also spoke on the security situation in the country, insisting that Buhari needed to place premium on the problem to curtail the present bloodletting and senseless killings across the country.

“There must be a clear-cut policy on community policing,” he said. “The government must take another look into that policy with a view to bringing a lasting solution to the soaring insecurity challenges rocking the country.”

Ajulo aligned with the President’s stance on the ongoing constitution amendment that only the National Assembly could amend the vital document.

“The President said it as it is,” Ajulo, a Knight of the Anglican Church said. “Only NASS can alter the constitution but the President could use his power as the President, Chief Executive Officer of the Federation whose constituency is the entire country, and the leader of his party, the All Progressives Congress(APC), to lobby the lawmakers in the interest of the country.

“Buhari surely has a role to play in the ongoing exercise as the leader of a party with majority in both chambers of the National Assembly. He can lobby the lawmakers. Anybody can lobby the lawmakers. It is a universally acceptable democratic practice. The President can do more with the enormous power he possesses to change the constitution.”

That’s not all. Ajulo wanted the President to take a critical look at the “embarrassingly high number ” of youth unemployment and make haste in getting that critical mass of the population out of unemployment and poverty.

“President Buhari certainly need  to do more in the area of youth unemployment,” Ajulo said. “The figures being peddled are not cast in stone. A lot of work needs to be done on youth unemployment. The population of youths that depend on him has tripled within the last five years and there is urgent need to arrest the dire unemployment situation in the country. Unemployment is a dangerous fuel for the insecurity fire.”