Yusuf Ali

The Ilorin based global legal luminary and philanthropist, Prof. Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, has gladly accepted to be the chairman of the forthcoming launching of the biography of Emir of Ilorin’s mother, Hajia Aishat Bolanta Sulu-Gambari titled NMA: AN EPITOME OF ROYALTY.

Prof. Ali disclosed his readiness to chair the occasion when he played host to the Central Planning Committee(CPC) for the launching ceremony led by its Chairperson, Prof. Binta Ajibola Sulyman of the Kwara State University, KWASU, Malete, paid him a courtesy visit at his chambers yesterday.

Earlier, the author of the book, Hon. Abdul-Hameed Oladipupo Alli aka MR.NIGERIA, a former Ilorin West Local Government Chairman and Publisher of Kwara People and NIMMA INT’L Magazines, while introduced members of the committee in attendance, extended his sincere appreciation to the emir of Ilorin, HRH (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR, for finally giving his approprayed for the book project which he embarked on since 8 years ago. He also appreciates the support given by Prince Modibbo Sulu-Gambari, a top aide to the Emir, Dr. Murtala Abdulraheem(PA to the emir) and Alh. Lawal Ismaila Adetunji, Secretary to Ilorin Emirate Council, as well as the DPMs and Treasurers of the 16 Local Government in Kwara state, under the supervision of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Abdullahi Bata, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Modupe Adekeye, as well as the Director, Chieftaincy Affairs, Hajia Fatimat Opobiyi, for their pledge to support the project. The author did not forget to appreciated the unflinching support of the book Reviewer, Prof. Moshood Jimba, deputy vice-chancellor Adminitration of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete and Chairman Kwara State Pilgrims Welfare Board whom God has used to make the project attain its present position as well as the Mutawali of Ilorin, Dr. Alimi Abdulrazaq, who wrote an Introduction to the book.

Also speaking at the event, the National PRO of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alh. Nurudeen Ibrahim, said that he is representing the umbrella organisation of the Ilorin Emirate sons and daughters worldwide in the committe not only as a mark of honour to the mother of our beloved Emir and royal mother of kwara state, but also to MR. NIGERIA the author of the book who has made history of becoming the first ever Local Government Chairman to host the IEDPU passionately and with handsome donation of N1 million even when it was a period of global economic recession. He urged all sons and daughters of Ilorin to emulate the support being rendered by the host Prof. Yusuf Ali, SAN, by not only attending the event but also congratulating the Emir of the launching of his mother’s biography in the brochure of the day’s event.

In his vote of Thanks, another member of the committee, Hon. Taiwo Sulaiman Adebayo aka ENLE FA, appreciated Prof. Ali for his generousity and thanked him for his readiness to facilitate the invitation to some invited dignitaries to add colour to the event.

The committee also disclosed that an invitation has been extended to the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, while the Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, CON, Sardauna Ngeri, is expected to be the Chief Host of the event which comes up at the Banquet Hall, Opposite Government House, Ilorin on Saturday 5 October, 2024 with the Iya Adinni of Ansarul Islam Society Worldwide and first elected female Deputy Governor in Nigeria, Ayanke Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, expected as Mother of the Day.

By Kunle Akogun

The City of Ilorin will be agog this Saturday, June 1, 2024, as several pillars of the legal profession, from the bar and the bench, as well as political leaders from the federal and states, converge on the State of Harmony to honour one of their own, Mallam (Professor) Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, as he rolls out the drums in celebration of the 30th anniversary of his Law Firm, Ghalib Chambers.

Check out the roll call: Vice President Kashim Shettima; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbbdulRazaq; Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola; the Emir of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari; former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN; Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede; and several other men of timbre and calibre from the academia, business, and the professions, as well as religious and political leaders.

A major highlight of the 30th anniversary celebration is a special lecture, titled “Presidential or Parliamentary System of Government: Where is tie Convergence? The lecture will be delivered by the former Governor of Lagos State, Raji Fashola, SAN.

To be sure, the Principal Partner of Ghalib Chambers, Professor Ali, is a man of many parts. A quintessential man of the people, this legal icon relates well and freely with persons of different creeds and tribes, and across social strata. He is at home with both the influential personalities and the downtrodden alike. He is clearly a rare breed both in his social outlook and philosophical worldview, an attribute that makes people of diverse backgrounds to easily warm up to him.

Even though his major turf is the legal profession, his influence and impacts of the legal icon transcend legal advocacy. He is a social advocate, a human rights advocate, a humanitarian advocate, a philanthropy advocate, a green revolution advocate, as well as an advocate of religious piety and moral rectitude! He is also an erudite scholar of not just the theoretical Law pontification genre but also the practical application of the nitty-gritty of legal studies. He is an Associate Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, who recently bagged the professorship of Law Practice at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).

Professor Ali established his law firm, Ghalib Chambers in 1994, after 11 years stint with the firm of Adegboyega Awomolo & Co. His legal practice opened windows of opportunities to fulfill his people-oriented ambition and humanitarian services engagements.

The establishment of his Yusuf Olaolu Ali (YOA) Foundation in 2009 invariably became the linchpin for his philanthropic service to humanity. Dedicated to the development of humanity, the Foundation has, since inception, supported disparate human needs to improve the quality of life of Nigerians. Its interventions in several areas of human needs have contributed to quality lives of beneficiaries, given required infrastructural facelifts to several public institutions of higher learning, saved many lives of poor medical patients and generally touched many lives positively within Nigeria and even outside.

Professor Ali’s passionate love for all-round educational development, even when he was not directly involved with the academia, is second to none, as he had single-handedly initiated and funded several infrastructural masterpieces in several tertiary educational and ancillary institutions across the country.

At the University of Ilorin, for instance, he has several buildings including student hostels, and lecture halls to his name apart from other donations, financial and material, to Faculties, Centres, and Units in the University. He is a major patron of the UNILORIN 89.3 FM with his consistent sponsorship of an annual Ramadan programme on the campus radio station.

In the same vein, the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has also benefitted substantially from his vast generosity. At the federal government-owned tertiary health institution, the legal icon has a very big medical facility, the Advanced Trauma Centre, to his name.

Among his various other philanthropic interventions across the country, are, hostel building at the Osun State University, Osogbo; a well-equipped ICT Centre, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; the College of Law Building at Crescent University, Abeokuta; and a well-equipped ICT Centre at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.

Others include donation of a brand new Kia Rio to the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan; donation of a brand new bus to the Department of Religions, University of Ilorin; award of scholarships to thousands of tertiary institution students within and outside the country; provision of medical financial assistance to hundreds of patients within and outside the country; as well as donation of a well-equipped patrol van and several motorcycles to the Kwara State Police Command to boost crime control.

A passionate advocate of green revolution and food sufficiency, Professor Ali also made his presence conspicuously felt in mechanized agriculture, with his Yalim Farms in the Afon area of Kwara State. The Farm is not only contributing to Nigeria’s food self-sufficiency dream, it also generates employment for scores of Nigerian citizens thereby also contributing to the reduction of the nation’s unemployment rate.

So, why won’t such a juggernaut of many sectors pull a crowd from all corners and all comers?

*Akogun is the Director, Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin

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