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Tag: Afe Babalola

  • Here comes ABUAD’s jewel

    Here comes ABUAD’s jewel

    Legal luminary Chief Afe Babalola is one proud man today. And Adesola Akomolafe, the pioneer valedictorian of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) is one of the reasons he holds his head high.

    On Monday, the 20-year-old led the honours roll of 103 pioneer students who graduated after three and a half years of hard work at ABUAD with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.89 in Accounting.

    For her feat, she won three academic prizes: The Overall Best Graduating Student; Overall Best Graduating Student in the College of Social Sciences and Management, the Prof Sidi Osho Prize for the Best Graduating Student, and a car – courtesy of the Executive Director, Vital Medix Incorporation, Mr Bimbo Owolabi.

    Adesola also got a handshake from President Goodluck Jonathan, who was at the institution to inaugurate the new College of Engineering building.

    He was told of her exploits as she presented him with the pair of gold scissors he used to cut the tape.

    “I’ve just been told that the young lady who handed me this scissors is the best graduating student of this university. I consider this an honour; it gladdens my heart and it is a testimony that there is always a reward for hard work. Congratulations lady,” he said.

    Aare Babalola also celebrated Adesola, who hails from Ijede-Ekiti, for her hard work, a treasured virtue in ABUAD.

    He described her as a ‘pride’ and an ‘asset’, adding that she has also enjoyed the university’s scholarship scheme for outstanding students.

    “Adesola has made me and this university proud. She has also demonstrated that hard work pays. All through her undergraduate days, she demonstrated passion for work and she is also well cultured. For this, I congratulate her and her parents,” he said.

    Her parents were, indeed, proud of her. “This is good news for us,” said her father, Mr Obafemi Akomolafe, an engineer.

    He added: “Everybody dreams to, one day, have a close contact or a handshake with the President of his country as a thing of pride. Today, our daughter not only met President Jonathan one-on-one but also shook hands with him, something we her parents have always dreamed of. What greater thing should we ask from God, again?”

    Growing up, Adesola had always been brilliant. She earned a double promotion from Primary Four to Six at the Gloryland Nursery and Primary School in Ejigbo, Lagos. She also excelled in her Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), earning distinction in science subjects. In fact, her mother, Mrs Olayinka Akomolafe, said she chose when to start school.

    “Aside her brilliance, one thing I noticed from her childhood is that she always does things beyond her age. For instance, she indicated her interest to start school herself. As my youngest daughter, she used to follow her two older brothers to school with their nanny.

    “One day, she went with them and refused to return home. I had to personally go to school to find out from the headmistress what the problem was. It was then the headmistress told me my daughter wanted to start school. Right there, we had to get her passports, and buy her uniform and books. That was how she started school,” Mrs Akomolafe said.

    Adesola’s fate may have turned in another direction, had she yielded to her parents’ – particularly her mother’s desire for her to study Medicine. Mrs Akomolafe said her daughter loved to read her nursing books and even share the knowledge with her friends in school. Adesola also helped her manage her chemist.

    While practising as a nurse in the United Kingdom, Mrs Akomolafe used to send medical-related literatures to stimulate Adesola’s interest with the hope that she would study medicine.

    She said: “I used to run a chemist shop then. Sola understudied me and before I knew it, she knew the prices of all the drugs. She would sell to customers whenever I was not around. She even began to prescribe drugs to customers that complained of one thing or the other. Initially, some of them considered her too young and risky to yield to her prescriptions but when they later realised it’s the same thing I always recommended for them, then they believed in her even when I was not around. It was at that point I thought my daughter should study Medicine,” she said.

    But the precocious girl had a mind of her own. She chose to study Accounting and applied for it in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) form in 2009.

    From the start, Adesola said she was determined to succeed. When she set foot on ABUAD in company of her father and her octogenarian grandmother, Mrs Rachael Faromika on January 4, 2010, Adesola said she already set her priorities right.

    “I had already determined my attitude to my studies, and the company to keep. All I wanted was to do the right course and make my parents proud. I chose Accounting because I want to be globally relevant. Like Medicine which is for humans, Accounting is for corporate bodies. In the administration of corporate bodies, you need an accountant; and even when companies are winding down, you still need them,” she said.

    But Adesola had no Accounting background as a science student in secondary school; hence, she was afraid of calculations. However, that was not enough to stop her.

    She said: “I wasn’t so grounded in Maths, but I was determined to start picking interest in calculation,” she said, adding, “I studied harder, concentrated more in class. Most times, I got to class earlier than my colleagues and lecturers. I always wanted to be more relaxed before lecture starts. I was determined not to be bullied by anybody or yield to sidetalks. All I want is to be a good accountant.

    “My lecturers were also cooperative and encouraging. They advised me to sit for ATS (Accounting Technician Scheme). This helped me a lot because while studying for my ATS, I learned some of those things in Accounting that were skipped in class. Besides, Accounting has taught me a lot about speed, integrity and accuracy.”

    Adesola credits her grandmother, Mrs Faromika with her success. She described the retired head teacher as her greatest inspiration.

    “She was taking care of us while Mum was in the UK. My grandmother is a strict disciplinarian. She encourages me to be patient even when things are bad. She is the one who inspired me to be a lecturer because I want to change the face of education. She always makes us understand that teachers are leaders. In fact, everything she demonstrates convinces me that teachers of old are better than teachers of today,” Adesola said.

    For the octogenarian grandmother, Monday was a day for smiles as she shared many shots with her granddaughter. “Thank you! Thank You! God bless you all,” was all she could manage as she posed triumphantly beside her granddaughter when she sat in the driver’s seat of the new car amid cheers from an excited crowd.

    Adesola is preparing for the final ICAN Professional Examination (PE 1), in November. After her mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), her Masters and Ph.D come next, she told this reporter.

    “But if you were offered a teaching job in ABUAD, would you accept?” she was asked.

    “I will gladly accept it,” she responded. “This is a university where lecturers develop a synergy with students and may even go out of their way to offer assistance when need be. In some schools, most lecturers don’t care about teaching methodology or attitude to work. They just teach because of salary. I want to teach people and dedicate my time to transforming them as better individuals. My grandmother tells us always that teachers are leaders, so, I want to lead.”

     

  • Afe Babalola and Figure 21

    Afe Babalola and Figure 21

    People often ask these nebulous questions as to what is in a name and what is in a number. My answer to the first question came sometimes in April, this year, when I read the story of a family blessed with a set of triplets after waiting for 10 years.

    Through the sheer length and meaning of the names given to each of the triplets, with the longest one having 26 letters followed by 25 and the shortest, 19: TanitoOlorunobatoseyitan,MosinmileileriOluwatikiiye, Oluwaseohunarafunmi, this family has shown its immeasurable joy and gratitude to God.

    Surely, there is so much to and in a name. So, we can say it with names.

    As for numbers, we are told, in number theory,  that a lucky number is a natural number in a set which is generated by a “sieve” similar to the Sieve of Eratosthenes that generates the primes, with number 21 (under reference) being a member of the surviving sequence.

    The term, introduced in 1956 in a paper by Gardiner, Lazarus, Metropolis and Ulam, also suggests calling its defining sieve, “the sieve of Josephus Flavius” because of its similarity with the counting-out game in the Josephus problem.

    Lucky numbers, we are equally made to understand, share some properties with primes, such as asymptotic behaviour according to the prime number theorem.  Needless to say, there are infinitely many lucky numbers.

    Juxtaposing the lucky number theorem with Aare Afe Babalola, SAN,  and his new baby, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, one is tempted to remember Juju music maestro, King Sunny Ade, who sang in one of his records in the 80’s that “Ori to mi a d’ade, o pe o ya, o ni lati d’ade”, meaning no matter how long it may take, a man destined to be king and lead his people, will surely be crowned a king sooner or later.

    Sunny Ade sang this song in commemoration of the ascension to the throne of Oyo by the incumbent Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, Bablola’s intimidate friend and client. If Sunny Ade’s song was apposite to Oba Adeyemi then, it is no less apposite to Babalola, the Founder and Chancellor of the wave-making ABUAD, even when Babalola’s formal education ended at the elementary school level.

    Many things stand out the less than four years old university, which is graduating its first set of 120 students in the College of Sciences and College of Social and Management Sciences on October 21 after only three and half years of intensive, strike-free academic works, an uncommon accomplishment in a country where their colleagues are still battling and sweating to complete first or second sessions in other universities where four year courses take between six and eight years. No thanks to all manners of strike actions by all manners of unions in the universities.

    Looking at Babalola’s antecedents and rustic background, perhaps Sigmund Freud, the primogenitor of dreams, could not have dreamt that Babalola who suffered grinding poverty and deprivation during his early life, but triumphed to be what he is today, could rise up to establish a university which has been rated by the World Universities Webometric as number 2 Best private university and Number 13 of the totality of 157 Universities in Nigeria in barely three and half years of existence.

    Truly, like Sunny Ade sang, ori to mi a d’ade, o pe, o ya, o ni lati d’ade.

     But what informed the establishment of ABUAD?

    Babalola, who providence saved three times from being consumed by rampaging tigers when he was growing up, is always quick to point to his eight years stint as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, during which time he was able to see, bare-facedly, the rot and decay that characterized public universities in Nigeria and his burning determination to stem the ugly tide by establishing a university that will reform functional education by providing and leading others in quality education, service, industry and character as well as discipline.

    A man given to great dreams and their actualization, Babalola quickly pumped everything he had, time, money, energy and the goodwill he had cultivated in his several decades of legal practice, into this dream project, so much so that the model modern university which was established in 2009 commenced uninterrupted academic works on January 4, 2010.

    The monumental investment in ambulatory and non-ambulatory matters remind one of the mercurial words of Georges Sada, the Iraqi Air Force General, in his book, Saddam’s Secrets wherein he said “if you want to understand what is important to a man, look at where he spends his money”.

    Whereas Saddam, in his warped and twisted ambition to control the Arab world, busied himself spending the wealth of Iraq and its oil money to acquire tanks, missiles, bombs, guns and explosives as well as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), which he consistently denied, Babalola, a self-made man, is deploying billions of Naira and other resources to run a university primed to produce world leaders and achievers who can stand on their own anywhere they find themselves after graduation.

    No wonder an appreciative parent recently described him as a missionary and not a ‘mere’ Founder of Afe Babalola University because this particular parent sees him in the mould of great and selfless Christian Missionaries of old like Henry Venn, who founded CMS Grammar School, Lagos, the first secondary school in Nigeria, on June 6, 1859 and Archdeacon Henry Dallimore who established Christ School, Ado-Ekiti in 1933 to shape destinies and light the lamp on the country’s educational path.

    Having said so much about the university, let’s then address the point in issue: the place and significance of figure 21 to Babalola. Although there is no law saying convocation ceremonies should of necessity be held on particular days, but as far as one’s memory and experience could attest, convocation ceremonies have always been week-long activities, with the grand finale coming up either on Fridays or Saturdays.

    But here we are, ABUAD’s first convocation ceremonies, which will flag off next Thursday, October 17, with a Press Conference will climax on Monday, October 21, perhaps the first of its kind. This got one curious to the extent of asking the multiple chief if he was born on 21 of any particular month.

    A pleasantly unusual man, Babalola said:”my brother, I don’t know when I was born” an assertion further corroborated in  his entrancing book Impossibility made possible where he wrote inter alia “…My parents could not tell me the exact date when I was born. This was because both parents could neither read nor write. It was not a disgrace or strange that they could not. Indeed nobody in the family or that quarter of the town could read or write (then)”.

    If he was not born on 21, the question still arises as to whether figure 21 has any significance in his life, bearing in mind that his first car, from Stuttgart, Germany, was registered WP 2121 while yet another one in subsequent years (a white Mercedes Benz 200) was registered OD 2121 E and now the grand finale of ABUAD’s first convocation ceremonies is on October 21, 2013.

    Babalola did not give a direct answer, but he quipped: “Figure 21 could really be my lucky number. I recall in those days, if I had a judgment fixed for 21st day of any month, I was almost sure to win such a case. Besides, I have since discovered that anything I do on 21 always come out to be very successful and I believe this first convocation of our university will not be an exception. It will follow the same pattern. It will be successful”.

    But in the same book, Impossibility made possible, Babalola revealed more about figure 21 when he said: “Almost all my children were born on the 21st of the month…So those who say there is nothing in a number are mistaken”.

    There may be a universal dimension to the phenomenon of lucky number after all. For example, Americans attach importance to particular numbers, the more reason number 13 is omitted in most elevators in America because 13 is seen as unlucky number.

    It is on record that the 13th Rocket that fired Astronauts into space caught fire, killing all the Astronauts, which was explained off with the belief that 13 is not only an unlucky number, but an ‘evil’ one at that. But that is neither here nor there.

    Whatever might be the nexus between Babalola and figure 21, the fact remains that he associates a high dosage of success to the number.  It has worked for him before. May it continue to work for him now and in the future.

    •Olofintila writes from Ado-Ekiti.

  • Afe Babalola hails Jonathan on national conference panel

    Founder of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) has hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for setting up a committee on the proposed National Conference.

    In a statement by his media aide, Tunde Olofintila, Babalola said he hoped the 13-member panel, headed by Dr. Femi Okurounmu, would proffer solutions to the country’s challenges.

    Babalola said the president’s decision tallies with his (Babalola’s) many years of advocacy that the ‘conditions for the country’s continued co-existence need to be properly and conclusively discussed’, adding that he had previously submitted some well-thought out papers to the Office of Mr. President and that of Justice Alfa Belgore, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

    The lawyer said: “It is apposite to state that Nigeria, a huge country with multitude of tribes and scores of ethnic groupings, speaking over 250 languages and dialects, with multiplicity of religious beliefs, varied cultural backgrounds, social exposures and political antecedents among others, has problems.

    “These problems were acknowledged by the country’s founding fathers, who sought the regional system of governance, which emphasises that each region should develop at its own pace with a relatively weak centre as practised in the First Republic.

    “It, therefore, goes without saying that a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) will afford Nigerians the opportunity to frankly marshal their differences, fears and commonalities and address such sundry issues as insecurity, corruption and intolerance among others.

    “Nigeria must be pulled back from the brink and from the precipice with a constitution made democratically through a conference and affirmed in a referendum by Nigerians, not subject to anybody’s approval.

    “There is a nostalgic feeling in the land for the kind of federalism practiced in the First Republic as against the warped and undemocratic federalism foisted on the country by the military and which the successive civilian governments have retained.

    “The SNC will have to discuss whether institutions such as the National Assembly should be full time or part time; whether it should be bi-cameral or uni-cameral because the National Assembly, as it is presently constituted, is too expensive for Nigeria. It needs streamlining to reflect the country’s realities and the worth of its contributions to governance.”

    With the president’s step, Babalola said a new epoch was being opened in Nigeria’s history, for which the present and future generations would be grateful to Jonathan.

  • Afe Babalola Call-to-Bar 50th anniversary

    Afe Babalola Call-to-Bar 50th anniversary

  • Untitled post 113673

    IT was jubilation and celebration galore at Afe Babalola University, Ado- Ekiti (ABUAD) over the weekend when the National Universities Commission (NUC) gave its nod for all the 14 programmes the less than four-year old institution presented for accreditation. The unprecedented feat in the history of NUC granting accreditation to universities becomes the more significant bearing in mind that the university commenced academic activities on January 4, 2010. Celebrating the cheering news in Ado-Ekiti over the weekend, the elated Founder and Chancellor of the university, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, said: “today, many universities around run most of their programmes with interim accreditation. For us to have full accreditation for 12 (85%) out of the 14 programmes presented for accreditation, with two with interim accreditation, speaks volumes of the efforts of the university at truly reforming education”. He expressed joy at the rare accomplishment, noting that when accreditation is denied in some universities, their students usually take to the streets, rioting. In the letter, dated June 17, 2013, to Babalola, the NUC conveyed full accreditation as follows: Administration: •Accounting •Banking and Finance •Business Administration Basic Medical Sciences •Anatomy •Physiology Law Sciences •Biochemistry •Human Biology •Microbiology Social Sciences •Economics •Media and Communication Studies •Tourism and Events Management Interim Accreditation •Nutrition and Dietetics •Computer Science Undoubtedly, this encouraging news of 100% accreditation will surely buoy and fast-track Babalola’s dream and vision to reform functional education in this clime by providing and leading others in quality education, service, industry and character, as well as discipline. Equally, his vision of establishing “a world class education centre of excellence in academics, characters, sport and vocational development in order to produce sound and agile professionals and produce leaders and achievers who would be self-reliant, kind, generous, considerate and sportsman-like” has crystallized into reality, particularly with the university graduating its first set of students later this month (June)

  • Afe Babalola praises Provost

    Afe Babalola praises Provost

    The founder, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado-Ekiti, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has praised the ACE Provost, Prof Adeyemi Idowu, for the warm reception accorded him, his wife and ABUAD workers who accompanied him to the 32nd convocation of the college.

    In a letter, he praised the hospitability of the provost who ensured that he was comfortable throughout his stay at the college.

    “In particular, I want to appreciate you for going out of your way to accompany my entourage and lead us out of the bustling and crowded town to the outskirt. May God bless you, your wife and your children and continue to guide and protect you in the seemingly impossible task of achieving quality education without proper and adequate funding. I can assure you that I will take positive steps and revert to you on the university project soonest,” Chief Babalola stated.

     

  • Obasanjo’s most inspiring letter to me, by Afe Babalola

    Obasanjo’s most inspiring letter to me, by Afe Babalola

    Though his relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo has spanned decades, the legal icon and proprietor of Afe Babaloloa University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe babalola, has never had his long time friend rain encomiums on him.

    Aare Babalola had invited Chief Obasanjo to his conferment of honorary Doctor of Law by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) during its Golden Jubilee Convocations on Friday last week.

    Aare Babalola, was Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of UNILAG between 2001 and 2008 during which he won the best Pro-Chancellor and Governing Council Chairman award from the National Universities Commission (NUC) twice.

    Obasanjo could not make it to last Friday’s convocation as the day coincided with the launch of his foundation – Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation – in London. However, what shocked Aare Babalola was a letter of acknowledgement sent to him and signed by Obasanjo.

    “Of all my years of relationship and interactions with him (Obasanjo), I have never received such commendation. This letter, I must confess, made me feel highly honoured, and I want the world to see it,” Aare Babalola told this reporter.

    The letter made available to this reporter reads: “It is my great delight that I received the news of the decision of the authorities of the University of Lagos to honour you with the doctorate degree of the university at its Golden Jubilee anniversary celebrations. This is, indeed, very good news and I write to felicitate with you on this worthy recognition. No doubt, it is an honour well deserved.

    “My dear chief, being quite familiar with your abilities and achievements, I have no doubt this nomination is in recognition of your immense contributions and commitment to education and national development. I can testify that this award is well earned, more so by your contributions to the development of the University of Lagos when you placed it on a very high pedestal of administration and academics, to various facets of our country’s life and the role you have played and you continue to play in the legal profession as well as the political development of our great country.

    “I personally thank you for the support you gave me for the success of my administration and for the establishment of the Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), which emerged from your involvement in the University of Lagos.

    “To generations of youths, who have been directly moulded one way or the other, you are a role model; you are an example and symbol of what the young people could achieve with commitment to hard work and the pursuit of excellence. You are a reference point for distinction, diligence and devotion to duty as a great reformer which makes me proud. Your winning the much-coveted Best Pro-Chancellor and Governing Council award for 2005 from the NUC clearly attests to the professional, mature, forward-looking and innovative ways in which you have managed the affairs of the university as the Pro-Chancellor of the institution at that time, to the extent that the university rose from its unenviable state to become one of the shining examples in the African continent.

    “Before now, I was convinced that your place in the Hall of Fame was assured as one of the men who can genuinely be described as benefactors of mankind for your enormous contributions and for making the world a happier place. It is thus not surprising that you have been conferred with so many honours by institutions across Nigeria and Africa, among which is the Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) by the Nigerian government. It is my expectation that this recognition will spur you to greater heights in your service to Ekiti State in particular, and Nigeria in general and beyond

    “On behalf of my family and my own, I wish to congratulate you most heartily as you accept the recognition that is being given to you by the University of Lagos.”

     

  • Group honours Afe Babalola

    The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, has been described as a father, who believes in industry, hard work, determination and excellence.

    He was also described as one who has sustained his brand name and invested his resources to chart a new path of transformation in the university system.

    The Co-ordinator of Children- in- Science and Technology (CIST), Prof Ibiyinka Ogunlade, said this at the investiture of Aare Afe Babalola as an Honorary Fellow of CIST at a three-day international conference which took place at the multi-purpose hall of the university.

    Ogunlana said:“Over the years, Baba Afe (Babalola) has become synonymous with success and philanthropy. He has also demonstrated his passion for education by establishing ABUAD with a dream to nurture it to world standard. CIST members are, therefore glad to have baba as a Fellow believing we can draw from his immense wisdom, love for education and his grass-to-grace success story.”

    Ogunlande thanked Aare Babalola for his philanthropic gesture and solid support for the CIST at all times. Ibiyinka also decorated the founder and his wife, Yeye Modupe, with the CIST insignia and plaque commemorating the award.

    Responding on behalf of Aare Babalola, ABUAD BOT representative, Prof Olatunji Orubuloye promised the university’s support for the CIST in its efforts at producing future scientists for the nation.

    ABUAD Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sidi Osho expressed gratitude to the organisers for honoring both the founder and his wife, Yeye Modupe. who also celebrated her birthday during the occasion.

    Many schools thrilled the audience with musical dance-steps and playlet at the three-day international workshop which has as its theme: Focusing on the potentials of children in science and technology for sustainable development.

     

  • ‘I wept when a woman asked me for N10,000’

    ‘I wept when a woman asked me for N10,000’

    Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), 83, is a man of many parts. He is a senior frontline lawyer, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), and much more. Yetunde Oladeinde recently met him in his office at Ado- Ekiti

    How and when did the vision for ABUAD start?

    I was Pro-Chancellor, University of Lagos from 2002 to 2008. At that time, the University was polarised due to series of factors including the Korean Outreach, when the Vice Chancellor then established a branch of University of Lagos in Korea. This was awarded without the approval of Senate and the whole University became polarised.

    I took over, conducted enquiries and at the end of the day, we were able to solve the problems. Later, I found that there were many other problems facing the university which included cultism, they strike almost all the time.

    Others were corruption, poor infrastructure including the lack of teaching aids. The laboratories were already in poor condition, the libraries were not good enough and the structures were in bad shape. I called my clients, raised about N3 billion for the university and carried out some repairs. The university under me then was rated as number one.

    However, I found that I could not achieve my objective then, making the university one of the best in the world. When my tenure expired, I left. From my experience, it showed that somebody had to do something about education, someone had to redefine education, somebody had to reform it.

    Hitherto, I had made 22 donations in terms of buildings, hospitals, equipment and scholarships all around the country. So, it occurred to me that, instead of giving the donations, I could establish a university and pursue my goals. That was after I left the university. I said there was an urgent need for someone to establish a modern university which would be a reference point for others. Not only for others, but for government to follow, I saw that the quality of education was going down. People thought that it was too late in my life.

    I am over eighty years and the dream started in 2008, about four years ago. It looked a bit too late in my life and some people told me to forget it. However, I decided to put everything I had into this dream. One of the best ways to do it is to be personally involved in the planning, construction, supervision and execution of establishing my dream university.

    I can proudly say that our university is one where all the 36 states have children. The Yoruba are not up to ten per cent of the population. Ekiti is landlocked; no rail line, which is the best form of transportation in the world today.

    You mentioned in the course of your discussion earlier that determination was a factor in achieving success. Let’s look at you as an example of determination, and are people really determined in our society today?

    I was born into a generation where my parents, though peasants farmers, were determined to lead honest and decent lives. Maybe its hereditary, but to a large extent was made possible by my parents.

    As early as 4.30 am, the first cock crows you wake up as small children ,we followed our parents to the farm as far as five miles, towards the hill, narrow paths and start work almost immediately after the long walk. I learnt that very early. Even though my education was limited to standard six, that determination made it possible for me to overcome all the initial problems of life, reading on my own for Cambridge, GCE Ordinary Level, Advance Level, BSc Econ, LLB by private study. We had that determination, you don’t have that anymore. The only thing they want is to make money without working for it. They would inflate prices, in spite of that, they would do bad jobs and would not keep to time. Something has to happen.

    Linked to this is the corruption at the higher level. How can we overcome this?

    We have endemic corruption. The Nigerian factor now has affected almost all spheres of life. Whether it is in the civil service or the judiciary, all strata of life. My answer is, is it redeemable? Yes we can certainly redeem the situation. One of the ways we can do it is the way we are doing it here. We conducted screening exercise from registry to medical, to colleges, bursary to screen out those who are not likely to be amenable. We have to start from somewhere.

    This university put premium on character. A University certificate given by all universities are for two reasons: academic performance and character, but how many universities in Nigeria can talk about character? A university which has 40,000 students, which has facility for 4,000 and allows 32,000 to live outside?

    How much of character monitoring can that do? Those living outside would now come and pollute those in the school. So there is no character moulding. That is what we are doing here. All students live on campus, all teachers live on campus and there are rules and regulations. When these students leave there would be a new generation of well behaved and well tutored students. They would now be legends of change.What is happening here is already having a ripple effect on other universities.

    One other problem that is on the front burner is the issue of insecurity and Boko Haram? Is there a solution in sight?

    I am the President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in Nigeria, a very important organisation where you have chief justices and other personalities including the president of this country. We had our last anniversary about three months ago, and one of the awardees, a Supreme Court justice said that there are different geo political zones and he said if the leaders can be like Afe Babalola there would be no Boko Haram.

    He explained why. That Boko Haram arose because of poverty; all those in Boko Haram are doing that because they are poor. He said poverty is at the root. What exactly do they want? If a person is very educated, you cannot say you don’t want education, after all I was on the farm when my father brought me into education. I didn’t like it but now I know what I have gained. Our political leaders have a lot to do. Those who have access to them must let them know the damage that they are doing, talk to them and make them change. We also need to sympathise with them rather than criticise them. You can only cure a disease if you know what caused it. We must identify the cause and treat it. If it is leprosy, you know what to do, if it is scabies you know what to do. You cannot use the drug for scabies for leprosy and vice versa. There wasn’t Boko Haram 20 or 30 years ago. So why is it now? There is no disease in the world that has no cure.

    Kidnapping is another menace that is affecting the society today. Was it a trend in your days?

    Kidnapping, Boko Haram, robbery of all types only existed in the dictionary when I was growing up. At that time, when they did not exist man was contented.

    Life was sweet, the needs were very small and the name of the father or the mother was more important than wealth. You work hard and get money. But now the song writers are singing and composing something different, the message now is small work, big money. There is the new one which says ‘Awon kon waye wa sise, awon kon waye wa jaiye’ (some came to the world to work, some came for enjoyment).

    The philosophy of life has changed; we must go back to what we inherited from our parents. If we do that we can be sure that peace can come back to this country. Otherwise, a man who rented a room and parlour, campaigns to be a Senator or a member of the House and he becomes a billionaire one year after. Politics has become so lucrative that people think it is the only way to make it in life. That is why I am adjudicating: Let us go back to the old constitution that our forefathers drafted for us and worked for ten years in the Lancaster House in London, appreciating our diversity, religion, culture, tradition and everything and the contribution to the federal government.

    No development that is why people are kidnapping because they are poor. Let me tell you a personal example, four women had been looking for me in my office in Ibadan for about four months. They kept on coming and going because there are so many people. One day, I came late to the office and I saw them downstairs and they rushed towards me. They all knelt down, one had a baby, one was pregnant, the other two were much older they were all looking wretched. I asked the first one for her problem and she said the person who impregnated her had absconded. The other said the father of the child was dead and the other two also had poverty related problems. Then I came back to the first and asked how much she wanted and she said N10, 000 and they all said almost the same thing. The first said she wanted to buy plantain to sell boli, the second wanted to sell maize, third wanted to sell yam. I burst into tears and ran away from them to my toilet. It reminded me of how poor this country was, how a person can ask for N10,000 to trade! What kind of trade? You can see the level of poverty.

    What are the challenges of running the University?

    People do not understand that I do not have all the money. When we wanted to mould blocks we assembled a number of workers and agreed on N25 per block. They agreed to start work and we bought sand, cement and other materials. I left for Ibadan and when I came back I discovered that they had left. They met and said that the money was not good and they were not going to work. I then went to a friend in Lagos and contacted some people in Cotonou and Togo who agreed to charge N22 per block. When they realised that the Togolese were doing it, they came back and said they were very sorry. They were ready to do it for N25 now but I said I did not need them anymore. Again, there are very fetish people around here who were not happy that we were establishing the university here.

    What is your view about the National Honours and what do you think about those who have it and have been convicted for one crime or another?

    If you are given national honour and you are convicted, then you lose that honour automatically. It is given to people who have honour, a convict has no honour. Secondly, I think the number is getting too large. However, something nice which I saw is this last one is that for a long time, national honours were given to politicians who were in the good book of government and a few offices, once you are there you would get it.

    National Honour should be for achievements not just only in politics. This is the only way they know now. That is why I thank President Jonathan for honouring Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga Jnr. because these are businessmen. When I got an award from Oxford, the Queen’s Memorial Commemorative Award by the European Business Assembly based in Oxford, their motto is that we recognize achievement and celebrate it.

    So, Nigerians should celebrate achievements, it encourages those who merit it and inspires others to do well. Of course, such a person deserves National Honour. Not because you are holding political office then you get OFR, GCON.