The legal luminary, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN), was yesterday conferred with Obafemi Awolowo University’s prestigious Academic and Research Excellence Award for what the organisers said was due to his “professional accomplishment and philanthropy.”

The Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Simeon Bamire, who confirmed Ali’s exceptional character and conduct, described the legal giant and professor of practice as a worthy character that has made the university and its academic staff wonder if he is from another planet.

Speaking at the second edition of OAU’s Academic and Research Excellence Award at the institution’s Oduduwa Hall, the VC, who emphasised the worthy character and humility of the awardee, said that Olaolu Ali’s choice was a unanimous decision without any dissenting voice.

He said: “Your character and humility have kept us thinking that you came from another planet. Your humility makes us happy; you have protected the image of this university.”

Stating that the award was instituted to encourage and appreciate its alumni who have distinguished themselves in their various fields, Bamire said, “The awardee is being celebrated for his integrity, service to humanity, positive contributions to the promotion of scholarship and legal practice, and upliftment of the youths.”

In his remarks, the executive secretary and registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, concurred that the choice of the awardee is the “right choice.”

According to him, the decision of OAU’s management to celebrate the awardee and the 2024 OAU’s university stars (Scholars) was the right principle to promote scholarship and excellence.

“Some of the universities are dead; they are just being called universities because if you don’t celebrate excellence, you are not a university,” Oloyede said.

Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Ayo Adebooye, said FUOYE conferred the awardee with the “Professor of Practice,” having seen him demonstrate proven ability to impact practical knowledge in students,

“missing in many sectors in Nigeria,” he said.

In his keynote address, the pioneer vice chancellor, Osun State University, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, challenged varsity teachers and those who have excelled in various fields of discipline to take up the task of mentoring and moulding tomorrow’s leaders who will also be worthy in character and knowledge.

Meanwhile, the VC announced that the awardee gave a cash gift to 320 students of the institution, in addition to full scholarship awards to two Nursing students of OAU by Ali’s family.

He also agreed to serve as a member of OAU’s research endowment board; to construct a building for the centre of innovation for the university, and to sponsor students under the university’s skills acquisition programs.