Afe Babalola has tabled a fresh request to President Tinubu’s Government.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, has called on governments at all levels to focus on recognizing patriotic citizens who have made significant contributions to national development, rather than awarding politicians and public officeholders.
This Nigeria news platform understands that Babalola gave the charge on Tuesday in Ado while receiving an award as the Ekiti Summit Person of the Year 2024.
The legal luminary was honoured for his outstanding achievements across various fields, including education, law, health, agriculture, and technology, among others.
ALSO: Tinubu Inherited N87.38 Trillion Debt From Buhari Government – DMO
He said the idea of honouring Nigerian men and women, with no clear-cut records of any positive contributions to society, would only amount to sheer mediocrity, rather than merit.
According to him, a continuous celebration of mediocrity, in place of merit, would always dampen the morale of those with good and genuine intentions for the country, and it’s progressive and developmental emancipation.
The elder statesman emphasized the importance of encouraging others through recognition and celebrating those who excel in their respective fields.
The legal icon commended the Ekiti Summit Magazine for the award, especially its publisher, Femi Alufa, describing him as a patriotic citizen committed to the state’s development.
His words, “I am short of words, I thank you for planning this in secret. I appreciate all of us; I want others to grow up like me and become better than me. I love giving and the only time I am happy is when I give.
“I was not expecting this, it’s a big surprise; I have known Alufa for quite a while, and he shows tremendous interest in whatever he does.
“He is a patriotic citizen, he wants Ekiti to progress, and he always thrives for the development of Ekiti.
“I will take this opportunity to advise you to appreciate what others are doing. When you say well done to people, it’s encouraging them.
“I will use to opportunity to appeal to the state and federal government to appreciate those who are good in the country.
“Don’t give awards to politicians and members of the assembly, look for best market women, best farmer, best producer of cocoa, that’s the way to encourage people to do more”.
Earlier in his remarks, the Publisher of Ekiti Summit Magazine, Femi Alufa, described the award as a merit-based and value-driven honour.
He explained that it was the result of a rigorous screening process aimed at recognizing and celebrating individuals who positively impact lives in Ekiti State.
Alufa stressed that Afe Babalola’s contributions have secured him a place in history, with his name etched in gold among the pantheon of living legends.
“Afe Babalola, SAN was named Ekiti Summit Person of the Year 2024, following the ranking of his university, ABUAD by the highly respected Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as follows:
“No.1 among all the 264 Federal, State, and Private universities in Nigeria for three consecutive years: 2022,2023 and 2024, No1 in the World in SDG 7, No.1 in the World in Outreach with a score of 98%.
“No.1 in the World in Stewardship with a score of 98.2%, No.4 in Africa, and No.142 amongst the 2,152 universities ranked globally in 2024.
“No individual has contributed more to the educational development, philanthropy, and the preservation of Ekiti’s pristine values of excellence, knowledge, and industry than the Aare Afe Babalola”. He added
