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.
>
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