Parents of ABUAD students appeal for mercy

Emotions ran high in Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), over the weekend when the parents of the students accused of participating in last week’s massive destruction of the university’s property all went on their knees, weeping profusely and pleading with the school authority to temper justice with mercy.

To mitigate the embarrassment the Sunday night disturbances have visited on the Founder, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), the parents gave undertaking to collectively write a letter of apology to the Police and the Ministry of Justice and the Court while they are ready to render financial and other forms of assistance in respect of the damaged facilities.

Speaking on behalf of the affected parents, Niyi Ogungbuji, who commended the superlative works being done by the legal luminary to pioneer excellence and innovation in education in Nigeria, said the parents were in the university to condemn what the students had done and to plead with the management to temper justice with mercy.

Speaking in the same vein, the Vice Chairman of the Parents/Teachers Consultative Forum (PTCF), Mr Olusegun Oladimeji blamed the massive destruction the students visited upon the university on the failure of parents to inculcate good morals, character and civility in their children/ ward.

Responding, Babalola who was visibly moved by the outpouring of emotions by the parents said: “My dear parents, I sympathise with you. I feel for you. Certainly today is a sad day. This is something that should not have happened. I set up this university to improve the lives of your children and make them better than I am. We will try to see what we can do to make all parties happy”.

He added, “Many of you here know that my classroom education stopped in Primary school, but I worked hard, made money and invested it here in changing the face of education. Look at what I am getting in return. I could have used my money in some other ways.
Babalola, however, made it abundantly clear that the cases of brazen arson, burglary and stealing were entirely criminal.