In appreciation of his immense contributions in the realm of education, a Member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Prof. Israel Olatunji Orubuloye, has bagged the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of Niger (OON).

He was decorated together with other Awardees by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, at a colourful ceremony witnessed crème-de-la-crème of the society including members of the Diplomatic community, political juggernauts, clerics, members of the royalty and captains of industry as well as the judiciary.

Reacting to Orubuloye’s Award, the Founder and Chancellor of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, who himself is a proud winner of the Honour of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and Commander of the Order of Niger (CON), congratulated him most heartily for being counted worthy and recognized for his immeasurable contributions in Academia and rewarded with the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger, (OON).

Babalola said Orubuloye’s well merited honour, which he said was long overdue, dids not come to him as a surprise. Rather, he saw and acknowledged it as an eloquent testimony to the sterling and superlative qualities inherent in the Professor of Sociology.

In his view, “it is an understatement that his immense and incalculable contributions in the field of education ought to have been noticed and rewarded before now”.

He added: “By all standards, he is entitled to the honour judging by his tireless and selfless contributions to ABUAD since his Membership of the Committee which I set up in the beginning to navigate the path of this model and 21st Century University. It remains indelible in the record books that he successfully led the team that navigated the thick vegetation that gave way to the present beautiful campus, piloting and directing affairs from his make-shift office made of Bamboo and palm fronds. That was in the beginning!

“Today, ABUAD is inundated with national and international encomiums and recognitions, including the ones from UNESCO. We collectively owe all of the encomiums to his diligence, commitment and selfless services and contributions to the development of the University which, in the pace of five years, has become one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.

“I personally want to commend and thank him immensely. For me, I believe this is just the beginning, better days are ahead and posterity will etch his name in letters of Gold. I appreciate him and the totality of ABUAD family appreciates him too”.

The frontline legal icon said Orubuloye’s National Honour was particularly heart-warming when juxtaposed with the fact that this is a country where National Honours are undeservedly given to those who are close to the Government, not minding whether they merit such honours  or not.

He then counseled that National Awards should be accorded those who have made significant contributions towards the development of the society like it done in other climes.

On behalf of his family, the Board of Trustees (BOT), the Council, Senate and the entire Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) family, he rejoiced with and congratulated him and his family for this milestone achievement.

Orubuloye, a former Vice Chancellor of University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD), studied at the University of Ibadan from 1969-1974 and the Australian National University from 1975-1978 where he obtained his B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. respectively.

He has taught Sociology and Demography for nearly 40 years in Nigeria and overseas Universities and visited 29 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South America and Latin America on study leave, study tours, conferences and workshops as well as seminars.

A Sociologist of international repute, he has consulted for many national and international organizations on population and health related issues including United Nations (Population Division), the World Bank (Population Division), the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), Battelle Memorial Institute, Washington, D.C., International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), the Swedish International Development Agency, David and Lucile Packard Foundation in the USA, the International Research Centre for Women, Washington D.C. USA.

He has received and managed research grants running to several thousands of dollars from some of these organizations. He was a lead Consultant to the Federal Ministry of Health on Behavioral Context of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. He is a Fellow of Population Council in New York.

He pioneered research on the Behavioral Context of HIV/AIDS in Africa. His publications, numbering well over 90 articles and books, have been cited in more than 200 places on the World Wide Web. He is computer literate in word processing and data management.

He has a wide administrative experience in the University system spanning a period of three decades as Dean, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Acting Vice-Chancellor and finally Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ado-Ekiti (now Ekiti State University) where he retired in 2008.

We of ABUAD NEWSWEEK join Orubuloye’s numerous well-wishers in congratulating him for this landmark achievement.