Afe Babalola deserves GCON award, Ekiti community tells Tinubu

Sets aside October 18 as Afe Babalola’s Day
The people Ado-Ekiti community, the home-town of the founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to consider Afe Babalola (SAN) for the award of the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) because of his contributions to the growth and development of Ekiti State in particular and the country in general.

This was just as the community has set aside October 18 every year as Afe Babalola Day, a day to celebrate the legal icon for his numerous contributions to humanity in the areas of law, and education, among others.

Chairman of the Planning Committee and Special Adviser to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who spoke during a media briefing in Ado-Ekiti, said that nothing of such magnitude had been done by the community to celebrate any of her sons.

Ojudu said that though Babalola had received honours from Nigeria and abroad, those awards and recognitions could not be compared to the honour being bestowed on him by his Ado-Ekiti community.

He said: “We expect the state government and the federal government to follow suit.

“Although Baba Babalola has been previously conferred with the award of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), we urge the President to consider him for a higher honour, such as GCON.

“We want to see him win the Guinness World Record as the only man who started a university at the age of 80 years. He is an authority and encyclopedia of law.”

According to Ojudu, the decision to set a day aside to celebrate Babalola was taken after the paramount ruler, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejuyigbe and his chiefs consulted with all stakeholders in the community.

He, however, said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, some governors, National Assembly members and traditional rulers from all over the country are expected to come and celebrate with the legal luminary.