ENDOWMENT: Crescent University honours Chief Femi Okunnu with standing ovation
By IDRIS KATIB, Abeokuta
The event reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to honouring excellence, integrity and service, while inspiring students to uphold the highest ideals of the legal profession.
The Bola Ajibola College of Law (BACOLAW), Crescent University, Abeokuta, has paid glowing tribute to renowned legal luminary and philanthropist, Chief (Dr) Lateef Olufemi Okunnu, SAN, CON, with a standing ovation in recognition of his enduring contributions to legal education and national development.
Chief Okunnu was honoured in absentia during a recent academic programme of the College for his endowment of the Femi Okunnu Library, donated in October 2012. Speaking at the event, the Dean of BACOLAW, Dr Saliu Jimoh, described the honour as a mark of appreciation for Chief Okunnu’s unwavering commitment to the advancement of legal scholarship at Crescent University.
The tribute formed a major highlight of the Momodu Kassim-Momodu Monthly Seminar Series, organised by the College with the theme “Examination Malpractice as a Threat to Educational Integrity and National Development.”
Chief Okunnu’s citation was eloquently rendered by a final-year law student, Mujeebat Idris, who portrayed him as a frontline lawyer, distinguished philanthropist, prolific author and former editor of the Nigerian Bar Journal. She also highlighted his extensive intellectual contributions through several notable publications, including Engaging with History (2003), Contemporary State Land Matters in Nigeria: The Case of Lagos State (2003), In the Service of the Nation – An Autobiography (2010), and The World of Islam in Turmoil (2016), among others.
Beyond his endowment of the College library, Chief Okunnu is a celebrated alumnus of Crescent University. In October 2012, the institution conferred on him the prestigious Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his outstanding service to the nation and the legal profession.
On behalf of the university management, the Registrar, Barr. Zakariyya Ademola Ajibola, expressed profound gratitude to Chief Okunnu and other benefactors whose generosity continues to support the growth and development of Crescent University.
The event reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to honouring excellence, integrity and service, while inspiring students to uphold the highest ideals of the legal profession.
