Founder and President of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti,
(ABUAD), Ekiti State, Aare Afe Babalola, has described former President,
Olusegun Obasanjo as best President Nigeria ever had.
Babalola said Obasanjo, who had a rare opportunity to lead
the nation for three times, as Military
Head of State in the late 70s and elected
President from 2009 to 2007, was known to him to be: ” a very energetic,
strong-willed, and stubborn person”, adding: “He is difficult to persuade but
he is a progressive man. He never became a Professor but he knows better than
most professors. He is a highly talented man and is the the best President
Nigeria ever had.”
The Senior lawyer further said it was Obasanjo’s efforts in
support of UNESCO during his tenure that helped in repositioning education
properly in the country.
Aare Babalola made the remarks while receiving members of
the Yoruba Patriots Group, who nominated him to be their patron.
Speaking about the objectives of the group, its Publicity
Secretary, Segun Adewale, who harped on restructuring of Nigeria, said: “The
Yoruba Patriots Group was formed in 2005 by progressive Yoruba people who
desires progress and unity for the nation.
” We felt that the way the Yoruba nation is being relegated
to the background within the commonwealth of Nigeria is not acceptable.
” What we intend to do is a legacy that would survive us.
And to do this we are consulting with established Yoruba men who love the
nation and who have the knowledge and have made serious sacrifices to make
Yoruba number one in the world. Aare Afe Babalola is one of them. This is why
we consult with him to get a template that would make Yoruba the most
economically developed nation in Africa. We are working together with all other
stakeholders, the South-West governors, other pan-Yoruba groups such as
Afenifere and others to achieve this. It is when we work together that we can
achieve a rapid, systematic and sustainable development.
” The meeting with Aare Babalola has been very successful
and he has accepted to be our grand patron. Our group is an umbrella for all
socio-cultural groups in Yoruba race.
Speaking on the agenda of the group, Aare Babalola said: “I
support the agenda of the Yoruba Patriots that we want to have our rightful
place in the comity of nation’s in the country The kind of restructuring that
is needed in Nigeria is one that would give autonomy for each ethnic
nationalities to manage itself in all areas of economy, education, power and
others with the exception of geographical expression.
Aare Babalola also commented on the choice of two lawyers
from his chamber as SAN recently: ” I am very happy that two out of 29 new
Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) are from my chamber. That makes 19 of the
SANS in my chamber and it is a record that would be very difficult to match
anyhwere It shows that if juniors understudy their seniors and are not in an
hurry, they can make it. My advice is don’t be in an hurry to go and start a
kingdom.”
He went down memory lane to explain his long years of
rapport with former President Obasanjo: “The path of myself and Obasanjo
crossed when he introduced zero party representation system as military Head of
State. My people then chose me to represent them. And I agreed to represent
them even though I wasn’t a politician. . But some politician who felt that if
I went to represent my people, it would affect their chance, went to court to
say that I should be disqualified because I haven’t paid my tax.
”And I had an obsession at that time of over paying my tax
in advance, so that if at the end of auditing, I had overpaid, I had some money
repaid to me.
”I challenged them at the court because that was an attack
on my integrity. So, I eventually won the case and my name was sent to Obasanjo
as the qualified person to represent my people. Obasanjo in spite of that chose
the politician and I went back to my practice as a lawyer. That incident
prevented me from dabbling into the murky waters of Nigerian politics.
”Obasanjo left office and years after, there was an
allegation by Senator Olusola Saraki that about N2.8 billions pounds and put it
in his own bank then. The students then we’re angry and protested in Lagos. So,
a panel of inquiry was set up to investigate the allegation. I was asked to
defend the Federal Government at the court and Obasanjo was invited to give
evidence as a former Head of State. And we met at the court where I
cross-examined him. That was when he met me physically and recognised that I
was the same man whose name was sent to him at the time.
” Later, Obasanjo was sued for writing a book called :” is
not my will’. He called me to defend him and that was how our age long rapport
began. We got closer and closer until 2009 when he was to be President and was
sued again by several others, Olu Falae, Buhari and others and he invited me
and I won the cases for him.
”He later attempted to make me Athorney General of the
nation but I turned the offer down. But when he invited me to come clea up the
rot in education system at the University of Lagos as Pro-chancellor I accepted
but with a condition not to get all the emoluments. I served selflessly and was
awarded best Pro-chancellor for two terms that I served there.
The quality of education we offer is akin to that given in
London, U.S and other Canada among others. Where we charge N1 million, these
countries charge N17 million and N5 million. That is why our university is the
best alternative to overseas schooling, ” he said.
By Emmanuel Ani
