This is first founder’s day without my father’s presence – Segun Bola Ajibola

*Celebrates Prof Kassim-Momodu, others for putting Crescent University on world map in Paris

*As Olowu, Akinale monarch, others witness celebration of Bola Ajibola’s glorious exit, awards

*Ajibola founded primary, secondary and university as gifts to humanity – Kamal Akintunde

*Faces of the awardees in pictures

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Like the dew of the dawn, a brief moment of silence breathed into the atmosphere of Bola Ajibola Auditorium of Crescent University Abeokuta, Nigeria on Friday when the Proprietor and Chairman Board of Trustees of the institution, Prince Muhammed Mahruf Adesegun Ajibola (SAN), pushed everyone into deep but momentary sobriety as he publicly missed his late father at an event that could have marked his 90th birthday but had to take place – for the first time – without his presence.

It was a touching moment of refreshed mourning for the few biological and many non-biological children that the father, Judge Bola Ajibola, had produced through his exceptionally good character and generosity as the proprietor said on the occasion of 18th Founder’s Day Celebrations with a particular tone of note that, “This occasion is important for two main reasons as you all know. First of all, this is an annual ritual in terms of the founder’s day lecture. This one is special because it is the first of the occasion since the university was founded that the lecture is being held in the absence of the founder, my father.

“And it resonates so loudly to us as family that, if he were around today, this would have been his 90th birthday. But it has pleased Almighty Allah sub’anawatahala to ensure that he would celebrate that 90th birthday on other side (great beyond). May Allah grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus,” he said.

 

The DEFENDER reports that Prince Adesegun Ajibola, who has since succeeded his father and founder, led the way into the 18th Founder’s Day Celebrations and Bola Ajibola Community Service Awards held on Friday 22nd March 2024 as the proprietor and chairman board of trustees of the Citadel of Moral and Academic Excellence that is now a sparkling star in the education sector not only in Nigeria but also across the African continent.

Evidently, the new proprietor has taken on well from where his father stopped and is bringing tremendous improvements to the achievements of the late international judiciary juggernaut, who for several years was published as “One of 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World” by a Jordan publication.

At the 18th founder’s day, on Friday, he was joined by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, members of the governing council and management of the university in hosting the event also attended by dignitaries including the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC),  Dr. Chris Jibreel Maiyaki, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Professor Saka Matemilola; the Towulade of Akinale, Dr. Olufemi Akinwumi Ogunleye, who is regarded as the oldest student to pass through Crescent University joining the Bola Ajibola College of Law (BACOLAW) at the age of 70 and is now a qualified Nigerian lawyer.

Others at the event were widow of the departed founder, Alhaja Amatullah Ajibola; the proprietor’s siblings – Mr. Zakariyau Ademola Ajibola, who carried on well in the lifetime of his father as Registrar of the prestigious Crescent University and has continued to do even better with his elder brother on the highest seat of the institution; Mr. Akinmade Ajibola; Mrs ‘Toyin Awosika; Mr. Islam Ajibola; and officers on the top echelon of university – Deputy Registrar, Alhaji Mutiu Lawal; Bursar, Alhaji Jimoh Bankole; Head of Department of Mass Communication, Dr. Kola Adesina; Dean of Bola Ajibola College of Law, Crescent University, Professor Momodu Kassim-Momodu; Senior Assistant Registrar (Public Relations), Mr. Idrus Katib – and Secretary Bola Ajibola Gallery, Alhaji Saheed Aweda; among others.

With a speech full of comic relief like his father would always apply to uplift heavy mood of audience, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria also showed capacity for making the audience laugh out their pains of missing his father, whose 90th birthday could not hold here because he was no more. His father, late Prince Bola Ajibola – on a day like yesterday – would first mark his birthday without significantly throwing party or celebration of same but would only hold prayers led by Islamic clerics at his Olusegun Obasanjo Hilltop GRA home earlier in the morning. He would then move from there to Ayetoro Road, where his Crescent University is located for the Founder’s Day celebrations featuring mainly a lecture. The lecture was then followed up with an appreciation of contributions – by distinguished persons – to community peace, security and development, which he established the Bola Ajibola Community Service Awards programme to cater for.

Speaking at the Friday’s event, Prince Adesegun Ajibola said, “They described me as the proprietor of this establishment. Well, I don’t really know what that means sometimes because I am seeing myself as servant and I don’t understand how a servant can be bigger than his master, because the master, as far as I am concerned, are the students.

“The reason why I have been put to this position is to ensure that I make a difference. Insha Allah we would continue to strive undauntedly to make a difference with your lives in special way. The little you have seen so far is just the beginning, nothing to write home about yet. We have just started. So, bear with us, pray for us, support us, help us, guide us and direct us in anyway you can, to ensure that our partnership will yield the success that we are all here to achieve. Insha Allah we would make it. And this institution is one of the best in the annals of education in this country,” he said.

Ajibola informed the gathering about an unputdownable achievement, whereby students of the Crescent University’s Bola Ajibola College of Law otherwise called the BACOLAW, who went to attend an academic competition in Paris, France as the only Africans that made it to the European country for the purpose and returned making not only university but the entire nation proud.

Crescent University on world map

“And the students, who went to Paris recently, they’ve become the icon of the university now. What they went to Paris to do was extraordinary. I must thank Professor Momodu in particular for bringing them up in that way and for guiding them. Students of Crescent University Abeokuta were the only Africans at the event in Paris,” he enthused.

Recently, three first class undergraduates of Bola Ajibola College of Law, Crescent University Abeokuta Nigeria had made the country and Africa proud at the 31st Vis-Moot Court Arbitration Competition in the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, France.

Crescent University was the only African university that participated in the event where the trio of Fatihat Omotolani Gafar, Zaynab Precious Ambali and Habeeb Feranmi Ganiyu, all law students, showed class in advocacy and arbitration.

The event, which was held between 12th and 14th March 2024 in Paris, hosted universities around the world.

Team Crescent emerged favourite with special commendations to Habeeb Feranmi Ganiyu, a 400-level student, for his power of advocacy as Fatihat Omotolani Gafar and Zaynab Precious Ambali, final-year students, were praised for subject knowledge and communication skills.

Receiving the news, the Proprietor of the Crescent University, Prince Mahruf Adesegun Ajibola (SAN) lauded the sterling efforts of the Dean of the BACOLAW, Professor Momodu Kassim-Momodu, Coach Damilola Adesanya and other faculty members under the leadership off the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, for putting Crescent University’s law and arbitration on the world map.

To further show that he valued the feat, the proprietor seized Friday’s occasion of 18th Founder’s Day and Bola Ajibola Community Service Awards Ceremonies to publicly recognise the Team Crescent for making the university proud on the world arena and then presented to the individuals concerned, what he called a token from the university’s management in appreciation of their brilliant performance in Paris.

Celebrating glorious exit of Bola Ajibola

Understandably, tagging the 18th Founder’s Day as ‘Celebrating a glorious exit’ of Judge Bola Ajibola – even one year after his demise – was better explained in a short word used by the now head of the dynasty, Adesegun Ajibola, when he said, “it is the first of the occasion since the university was founded that the lecture is being held in the absence of the founder, my father.”

Among tributes published in the commemorative brochure to the effect of the celebration of his glorious exit were those written by Senior Assistant Registrar (Public Relations) of Crescent University Abeokuta, Mr. Idris Katib; Secretary General, Ogun State Muslim Council (OMC), Alhaji Kamal Akintunde Esq; Foundation staff member, Dr. Mikail Alani Akindoyin of the Department of General Studies, Crescent University Abeokuta; Mr. Akanji Olaniyi; and Secretary Bola Ajibola Gallery, Alhaji Saheed Aweda.

Idris Katib

A short extract from Katib’s tributes titled, “Bola Ajibola: Glorious exit, Birth of a New Dawn”, noted as the public relations expert recalled that, “Judge Ajibola insists that four things are important in the life of a person. First is health. Second is health. Third is health. And then, others. Those close to him can attest to this philosophy. He does not joke with his health and that of people around him.”

The DEFENDER, having worked closer with the late enigma that has continued to be painfully missed, corroborates the Katib’s submission with evidence of his establishment of IMA Hospital, which he founded and made sustainably functional for the good health of his people and which was cited beside the Masjid Al-Jabbar in the heart of expansive Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA). As it happened, he chose his resting place in his life time and it was space between mosque and the hospital where he finally rested following his demise on 9th April, 2023 (18 Ramadan 1444AH)

This multi-lingual online newspaper also recalled a unique event that occurred on the day Prince Bola Ajibola died. The annual Ramadan lecture of the Adhkar group he founded for Muslims’ moral cleansing and spiritual upliftment was scheduled to hold on that 18th day of Ramadan 1444AH that is 9th day of April 2023 and his name was printed on the programme participate actively in his usual practice at the event. Alas! his sun set in the midnight. Faithful many of who were not aware that he was gone thronged the IMA venue of the lecture only to see Baba attend the Ramadan lecture but in other form. His remains were brought out amidst scream of Allaaaaaaaaaaahu Akbar! Funeral performed attended by great Nigerians including President Olusegun Obasanjo, sitting Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, former of defunct Western State, Brigadier General Christopher Oluwole Rotimi (Rtd), high powered delegation of  Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; serving senators among several others.

Kamal Akintunde

From among the other tributes published in the commemorative brochure distributed at the event on Friday titled, “Bola Ajibola Lives On”, Alhaji Kamal Akintunde, among other things he wrote, said: “Remarkably, the quintessential legal practitioner was passionate about educational scholarship. He invested considerable resources in thue promotion of education, ideas and knowledge acquisition. He established Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA) primary and secondary schools (co-Educational). He was “Promoter” of the IMA, founded Crescent University Abeokuta (CUAB), an institution he committed his resources to by selling his property, home and abroad to ensure the university survived. Uniquely, Ajibola founded primary, secondary and university education as gifts to humanity.

Mikail Akindoyin

In Dr Akindoyin’s tributes titled “Prince Bola Ajibola: Glorious Exit of an Icon”, he wrote: “Prince Bola Ajibola was very religious. He was a devout Muslim. Apart from establishing Islamic institutions, he personally devoted himself to the worship of Allah. Upon retirement from the World Court at the Hague, he went to Makkah for the Umrah (lesser Hajj) to thank Allah and to pledge to Him that he would spend the rest of his life to serve Allah. This signalled the birth (of) Adhkar group of the Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA).”

Akanji Olaniyi

Olaniyi’s tribute, titled “Cekebrating A Man of Immense Legacies”, stated that, “Men of substance leave lasting lefacies; Prince Judge Abdul-Jabaar Bolasodun Ajibola, CBE, SAN, CFR, is a man whose legacies transcend yesterday, today and takes on tomorrow. May Allah continue to illuminate his grave.”

Saheed Aweda

In Aweda’s tribute he said, “Judge Ajibola is a fellow of the Aal Aal Bayt Institute of Thought in Amman, Jordan and has remained for more than a decade, a regular biography of that Institute’s prestigious publication, “The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World”. At the humanitarian level, Judge Bola founded the African Concern in 1994. This was intended as an African response to the Rwanda genocide and many other wars and civil strife which then bestraddled the entire African continent in one form or the other.”

Recipients of Awards

Other highlight of the occasion was the pr3sebtation of Bola Ajibola Community Service Awards to recipients of this year’s edition, who included Mrs Stella Willoughby, who got a meritorious award for Promotion of Orphan Welfare and Child Care Ethics; Chief Abiodun Oladimej Lasile, awarded for Promotion of Reading Culture and Education Advocy; Mr. Babatunde Denton, who received meritorious award for Enterpreneurship and Leadership Mentoring; Mr. Hakeem Salami Adeola, awarded for Enterpreneurship and Leadership Mentoring; and Mr. Adeola Adelanwa, also awarded for Enterpreneurship and Leadership Mentoring.

The late enigma: Bola Ajibola

Prince Ambassador Judge Dr. Alhaji Abdul-Jabbar Bolasodun Adesumbo Ajibola popularly called Bola Ajibola, SAN, KBE, CFR, lived for 89 having been born on 22nd March 1934 and passed away on Sunday 9th April 2023 in the holy month precisely Yaom al-Ahad 18th Ramadan 1444AH.

The late Olori Omo Oba Owu Kingdom was son of a former Paramount Ruler and Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Abdul-Salam Ajibola Gbadela II, the former Inspector of colonial era police recognised by the Queen of England, who ruled between 1949 and 1972.

The Nigerian jurist, whose memory has continued be uneasy to be wished away in a hurry even after one year of his demise, was the Attorney General of the Federal and Minister of Justice of Nigeria from 13 September 1985 – 4 December 1991 position he was occupying when the call to serve at the world level came and he was elected a Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, Netherlands from 1991 to 1994.

The DEFENDER reports that Prince Bola Ajibola succeeded Chike Ofodile as Minister of Justice and was succeeded by Clement Akpamgbo while, also he succeeded Taslim Elias from Nigerian end as Judge of the International Court of Justice and was succeeded by Abdul Koroma.

He was pioneer President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) from 1984 to 1985. He was also one of five commissioners on the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, organised through the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

In 1979, late Ajibola founded The Nigeria Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICArb) as the premier arbitration institute in Nigeria, which was duly incorporated in 1988 under the Companies Act as a legal entity Limited by Guarantee.

Between 1999 and 2002, he served as the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom

Bola Ajibola attended both Owu Baptist Day School and Baptist Boys’ High School in Abeokuta between 1942 and 1955. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Law (LL.B.) at the Holborn College of Law, University of London between 1959 and 1962 and was called to the English Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1962. He returned to Nigeria to practice law, specialising in commercial law and international arbitration.

Prince Bola Ajibola was Chairman of the Panel set up by the Plateau State government to probe the 2008 Jos riots. He established an Islamic and co-educational institution, Crescent University located in Abeokuta, Nigeria in 2005 and served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) until his last breath on mother earth.

He was more including a fellow of the Aal Aal Bayt Institute of Thought in Amman, Jordan and had remained, for more than a decade, a regular biography of that Institute’s prestigious publication, “The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World”. At the humanitarian level, Judge Bola founded the African Concern in 1994 as an African response to the Rwanda genocide and many other wars and civil strife which then bestraddled the entire African continent in one form or the other.

Faces of the awardees in pictures

Other highlight of the occasion was the presentation of Bola Ajibola Community Service Awards to recipients of this year’s edition, who included Mrs Stella Willoughby, who got a meritorious award for ‘Promotion of Orphan Welfare and Child Care Ethics’; Chief Abiodun Oladimej Lasile, awarded for ‘Promotion of Reading Culture and Education Advocacy’; Mr. Babatunde Denton, who received meritorious award for ‘Enterpreneurship and Leadership Mentoring’; Mr. Hakeem Salami Adeola, awarded for ‘Enterpreneurship and Leadership Mentoring’; and Mr. Adeola Adelanwa, also awarded for ‘Enterpreneurship and Leadership Mentoring’