* As group fetes 300 widows to celebrate honour for elder statesman
By John Odunayo
The Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola SAN, has won the 2024 Best Nigerian Patriot’s Award.
A group, the Association of United Nations Ambassadors for Peace, disclosed this in a letter dated December 11 addressed to the ABUAD founder and made available in Ado Ekiti.
The group stated that Babalola won the maiden edition of the award for positively “impacting the lives of humanity while improving the society in different sectors of the economy”.
The award is coming on the heels of the alleged defamation of the elder statesman by an activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, in his book titled, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.
In the letter signed by the its Secretary-General, Amb. Prof. Barika Saro-Laka; Global Director of Administration, Amb. Prof. Inah Okon; Chairman, Selection Committee, Amb. Prof. Joseph Mfon; and Deputy Chair, Selection Committee, Amb. Prof. Lami Amodu, the group urged Babalola “to choose any day in December 2024 for the conferment while the venue is Labour House, Abuja by 11.00am”.
They stated, “As a mark of celebrating your (Babalola) perpetual honour and spreading the impact of your iconic figure, we shall fete 300 widows verified and registered under the National Association of Nigerian Widow’s (NANIWO) with Christmas raw food packs/ingredients and a token cash for transport”.
The group listed grounds for nominating Babalola for the honour to include being a “detribalised nationalist whose impact of selfless activities is novel and thus cherished by leaders within Africa and beyond.
“Being an alternative dispute resolution specialist who has used his honed skills in promoting peace, tolerance and unity among families, organisations and establishments involved in litigations and being a top-ranking provider of employment without discrimination to over 1,600 people cut across different tribes and cultures”.
The group hailed Afe Babalola for being “reputed as a high-impact philanthropist, whose services and resources have been deployed to lift hundreds of vulnerable citizens from the shackles of poverty, sickness, and despondency” and for having founded Afe Babalola and Company (Emmanuel Chambers), a Legal Firm, reputed for grooming sound and seasoned lawyers across Nigeria”.
It added that Babalola is “cherished for producing the highest number of lawyers in Africa (over 2,500, through consistent mentorship and facilitation services) and credited with producing over 100 senior lawyers known as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN)”.
The group also lauded Babalola for having “founded ABUAD in Ekiti State in 2009, thus helping to reduce illiteracy, crimes and ignorance while boosting the status of qualitative tertiary education and certified knowledge and creating employment opportunities”.
