- Gets Soun of Ogbomoso’s Commendation at Radio Nigeria Award for Excellence
Elder statesman and legal icon, Afe Babalola SAN has charged youths of Nigeria to shun all acts, associated with laziness, redundancy and complacency.
The founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti ABUAD, who spoke yesterday at the induction and oath-taking ceremony of newly qualified medical doctors of the University, by the Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria, disclosed that even at his advanced age, he still work 16 hours, and read nearly 11 hours per day.
This is coming just as the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye who was earlier at the institution on a courtesy visit to ABUAD, coinciding with an award of excellence to Babalola and ABUAD Multi-System hospital, by Radio Nigeria, Progress FM, Ado-Ekiti, to which Babalola acknowledged as appropriate believing he always wanted to do something special for mankind.
The leading traditional commended him for establishing a world class university and 400-Bed Afe Babalola Multi-System Hospital, AMSH in the country, and congratulated him for the Radio Nigeria award, given through the General Manager, Dr Adebola Agbaje, saying both institutions are incomparable to any in the country.
The first class ruler said the hospital, for instance, had proven it’s worth by reducing both huge cost, and strenuous process of traveling out of the country for medical attention.
At the induction of the newly qualified medical doctors, Babalola, who is in his 90’s, commended students and products of the university for making the difference, saying no graduate of ABUAD ever graduated without proving his or her mettle, anywhere they found themselves, both within and outside the country.
” You must continue to use all the knowledge, gained from this university by being different at all times. Imbibe spirit of all the things that you have learnt , because many of you do not even know that at my age, i still work for 16 hours a day, and read for about 11 hours per day.
” You must continue to read and work hard. This your first degree must not be the last, continue to read more until you acquire every academic certificates in your career.
” You, being medical practitioners in particular, are very important in this case. You must be accommodating. Don’t count anybody unimportant in your line of service.. Besides, you must be loving. You must be caring, and you must be well dressed at all times.
Above all, you must regard everybody, especially patients, and give them hopes for life,” he said.
Continuing, Babalola said, “You have received the best education from the best institution around. Make sure this is not your very last. You must keep reading and learning. All of these, are part of my hidden secrets to you, you can never buy them in any open market”
Earlier in her welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Smaranda Ayorinde said ABUAD had surged, over and above its peers and those it met on ground, as it is currently ranked 84th in the world, 3rd in Africa, and the number one university in Nigeria, for four consecutive years, from 2022 to 2025, by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
She said since the commencement of medical programme in 2011, ABUAD had maintained uninterrupted academic sessions, while also forging strategic partnerships with world-class institutions, including Johns Hopkins Hospital, USA, Marengo Asia Hospitals, and Cherami Investment Group.
