Former Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Ekiti State ,Dele Morakinyo has described the legal icon Aare Afe Babalola as a personality of outstanding achievements of historic proportion.
Morakinyo ,while supporting recent calls for the declaration of Afe Babalola Day in Ekiti argued that the founder Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) deserves the honour even though ” Aare Afe Babalola, SAN has nothing more to add to his solid indestructible personal life achievements to be worthy of honour in his community in perpetuity”
He added that the call for the celebration of Afe Babalola’ exemplary achievements is “not because he(Babalola ) is an angel, but because of his uncommon personality. Both his Ado compatriots and Ekiti state whose creation he was a preeminent fighter need not wait longer in adopting this motion because the subject, at 96 is gone past his prime, even though only God knows when his time with us will be up!
Morakinyo commended notables Ekiti sons and daughters advocating the declaration of Babalola Day adding that “Its long overdue “
“This author calling for the veneration of the old man of muscular national recognition can hardly be accused of hagiography because of his renown, even of notorious for sharing his thoughts in the public space, even when such views are unpopular enough to attract enough flaks to make others recant.
“This is no doubt a thoughtful proposal for a thoroughly worthy cause. A call to celebrate a personality of outstanding achievements of historic proportion. Aare Afe Baba has within a single lifetime, demonstrated what in his unique autobiography he appropriately referred to as ‘impossibility made possible’. The book, in itself a compelling inspirational resourceful literature is an apt gift of inestimable contribution to the literary corpus coming from Ekiti, the fountain of knowledge, and land of honour.
“Thank you for this sensitisation in respect of an individual, whose aspirations, visions and ultimate execution of same will stand him well ahead of any beneficiary of political opportunities, deserving or endowed in the annals of the state and the Nigerian nation. Even without saying so, the timing of this essay will no doubt encourage many people from Ekiti who are presently lamenting a trending scurrilous personal attack on the same Afe Babalola by another prominent Ekiti person.” Morakinyo said