Towards academic excellence

   By Bayo Ogunmupe

>      Crescent University,

> Abeokuta, celebrated her 11th founder's day anniversary on

> 22 March 2017 the day its proprietor clocked 83 years. Thus,

> the fiesta incorporated the anniversary of its founder,

> Prince Bola Ajibola, a former judge at the International

> Court of justice at The Hague, Netherlands. Another legacy

> of the jurist, the Bola Ajibola College of Law was opened on

> the same day.

>      When interviewed on the

> vexed issue of secession, his reply was instructive: "Just

> insert the referendum clause in the Constitution through

> amendment and the problems will be solved as Britain did

> over Brexit and Mauritania did to abolish her senate." The

> world renowned jurist had invited us to advertise his ultra

> modern facility and events centre at Crescent University.

>      It is natural for a

> great man to bequeath a worthy legacy to humanity as a

> symbol of his earthly mission. By so doing such a titan

> leaves his milestone on the sands of time. This is the case

> of the legal luminary Prince Ajibola international jurist

> and educator. He started out as a graduate of Holborn

> College of Law, University of London; barrister at law of

> Lincoln's Inn, London and was called to the English bar as

> an utter barrister in November 1962.

>      Thereafter, he returned

> to Nigeria to practise law. As a private legal practitioner,

> he was elected president of the Association of Arbitrators

> of Nigeria between 1974 and 1999 and elected president of

> the Nigerian Bar Association in 1984. Appointed Federal

> Attorney General and Minister of Justice 1985-1991, and was

> given the silk as Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1986. He was

> the vice chairman Body of Benchers 1989-1990 and chairman

> 1990 and has been life bencher since 1991. He was appointed

> a judge of the International Court of Justice at the Hague,

> Netherlands from 1991 to 1994.

>      Also, Ajibola served as

> Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1999 to

> 2002. In addition he was a judge of the Constitutional Court

> of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 1994-2001 and

> member, the permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague. At 71

> in 2005 he established the Crescent University at Abeokuta.

> His vision for the university is a commitment to academic

> and moral excellence.

>      "The most reliable

> criteria for university ranking especially for parents and

> sponsors should be the quality, character and performance of

> graduates in further studies and employment," he once said.

> Ajibola believes that morality and sound education are the

> prerequisites for proper youth development. Now four score

> and three, still counting, Ajibola has become a community

> leader, and a moral compass. That isn't all, he has joined

> the league of elder statesmen, mediating in both local and

> international conflicts and judicial matters for world

> peace.

>      For his service to world

> peace through law, he has received a plethora of honorary

> doctorate degrees from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto;

> Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and an LL.D from

> the University of Buckingham. U.K. He is the publisher of

> African Concern,  a monthly journal of socio-economic

> and cultural affairs to galvanize Africans and unite to

> solve African problems. In terms of legacy, his

> establishment of Crescent University was the icing on the

> cake.

>      As an octogenarian, one

> would only wish the man whose offsprings  are

> established professionals and are doing well, longer life,

> good health and that his labour yields better fruits during

> his life time. On human existence, the two theories at

> loggerheads are Evolution and Creation. Evolution proves

> that things happen by accident, while Creation as espoused

> by both the Bible and Quran, posits that everything happens

> by God's design. Judge Bola Ajibola, the Olori Omo Oba of

> Owu Kingdom and Oluomo od Egbaland believes in the creation

> of the world by the Almighty God. This spiritual faith,

> industry and perseverance has manifested in his life. the

> lives of his children and his legacy.

>