Come Saturday, December 20, 2014, the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), will formally decorate Elder Statesman and Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola SAN, with the Award of honourary Doctor of Management as part of the activities marking the university’s 2014 Convocation ceremonies.
The FUTA Award, which is the 11th of such from institutions of higher learning in Nigeria to be carted home by Babalola, is yet another colourful feather to the already well adorned cap of Awards recognitions and Honours of the frontline legal icon, farmer and educationist who has won all manners of Awards both locally and internationally.
The others are: Fellow, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti-1997, Fellow, College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti – (1998), Doctor of Law (LL.D) University of Ado-Ekiti- (2000), Fellow Nigerian Institute of Advance Legal Studies (FNIALS) (2002), Doctor of Letters (hc) (D.Litt) Kogi State University – 2012, Doctor of Law University of Lagos – February 2013, Doctor of Law by University of Jos – March 2013,
A November 17, 2014 letter with Reference Number FUTA/REG/CAD/HDC/71 signed the Registrar and Secretary of Council of the University, Dr. (Mrs.) M.O. Ajayi, predicated the Award on Babalola’s “significant contributions to the growth and development of this university (FUTA) and the nation”.
The history of FUTA can be traced Babalola, a selfless and altruistic man who has built and donated towering edifices to many tertiary institutions in Nigeria. This man who has been bitten by the bug of selflessness and the will to put the smile on the faces of many in the society had to waive a legal fee of a N5 million in 1982 just for a federal institution to be established in his home state of the bigger Ondo State then.
The Alhaji Shehu Shagari-led Federal Government acceded to Babalola’s request by siting A Federal Polytechnic in Akure, but the Federal Polytechnic had to move to Ado-Ekiti, Babalola’s homestead when the Federal Government established FUTA in Akure.
Signed:
Tunde Olofintila
Head, Public Relations