From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo
Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has
described legal luminary, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), as “a prodigiously hard worker, tireless creative genius, worthy apostle of truth, justice and fair play, as well as an uncompromising defender of the down-trodden’’.
The paramount ruler stated this in his tribute to the legal icon who is being inducted into the African Hall of Fame by the Advisory Board of the African Leadership Development Foundation, Incorporated United States of America, and the African Leadership Limited of the United Kingdom.
The induction was in appreciation of Afe’s pioneering excellence and innovation in tertiary education in Africa.
Babalola is the Aare Bamofin of Yorubaland.
According to Oba Adeyemi, “ from whatever perspective one looks at Aare Afe Babalola, whether in Law where he had excelled to the level of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a maker of many SANs, many Attorneys-General of the federation; a philanthropist of no mean order, or in education, where he had single-handed built a university which had also excelled as one of the best private universities, not
only in Nigeria but, in the Africa-continent.
“Let me throws a gauntlet here, no Nigerian lawyer,
living or dead, has produced under his chamber over three hundred distinguished lawyers, all of them, in their own rights masters of forensic advocacy in Courts of Law”.
Oba Adeyemi further asserted that while the induction of Aare Babalola is not surprising against the backdrop of attestations listed above, besides the area of Law and Education, he is a grassroots man to the core in politics and in the area of community development.
“Aare Afe Babalola has not only spent his money to bring smiles to the faces of many people without limiting it to his hometown, Ado-Ekiti, and without making any noise about it. He is also a respecter of tradition and customs of his people and a detribalised Nigerian, just as he is a deeply committed member of the Anglican Communion”.
Oba Adeyemi, therefore, prayed on behalf himself, the Oyo Traditional Council (Oyo Mesi) and the generality of the citizenry of Oyo Empire to God to grant Aare Afe Babalola long life and good health in order to reap the fruits of his earthly labours.
