DOCTOR OF PUBLIC LAW, HONORIS CAUSA: Celebrating a Quintessential Philanthropist, Mentor and Rare Human Gem of Inestimable Value, Chief Bayo Ojo, CON, SAN
God, the creator of heaven and earth, in spite of a rich profusion of His wonderous works and beautiful creations, makes the human society to be sparingly blessed with exceptionally great men of uncommon attributes, whose lives illuminate the world and whose impacts make remarkable differences in shaping their era and significantly elevating humanity.
The occurrences of such phenomenal personages whose lives make the most sublime impacts in human affairs are a rarity; they are usually special breeds and the finest of all God’s creations.
One of such rare and distinctive human gems who possess and are imbued with the noblest virtues and ideals, and one whose sparkling radiance is unparalleled, is Chief Christopher Adebayo Ojo, Commander Order of the Niger (CON), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb), Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliator (FICMC), Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Legal Studies (FNIAL), the globally acclaimed legal luminary, highly revered international commercial law strategist, and one of Africa’s leading lights of Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), ex-President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), ex-Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Legal Aid Council, ex-Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, former Member, International Law Commission, Geneva, Switzerland, and the African Representative at the Board of Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, London, who is endorsed by the London-based Leaders-in-Law, as the exclusively recommended Arbitration expert in Nigeria, out of the over 2000 world leaders profiled in the legal profession across 140 jurisdictions, specialising in 56 different practice areas, among the many other national and international prestigious positions he has held and still holding.
Sir, it is on account of your sub-national, national and international eminence, and outstanding contributions to the development of legal profession, human capital building, national development in general, and your silent but immense humanitarian works which are adorable steeped in true love and godly reverence, and which you have greatly empowered and lifted the downtrodden, given lifelines to countless number of families and households, enriched and enhanced the dignity of many lives in practical terms, that the Nigerian academia is recognising you, and adding, on Saturday February 22, 2025, yet another feather to your many well-adorned caps of honour, the prestigious Doctor of Public Law (Honoris Causa), by the flagship Federal University Oye-Ekiti.
Sir, as my Chief influencer in character nobility that you are, I feel greatly privileged and blessed to be a close disciple of your eminent life and a proud student of your school of ethical leadership, integrity, altruistic service to humanity, commitment to our Okun homeland, and patriotism to the Nigerian nation.
As a philanthropist in the true sense of the word, your countless deeds of borderless and boundless charity are always guided by the noble principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, requisite fundamentals that qualify givings to be unto God’s glory and edifying to the beneficiaries.
You are humility personified, an embodiment of modesty and exemplar of simple orientation to life, gracious good heart, communality, and public-spiritedness. As a quintessential humanitarian, your givings to noble causes and outreaches to the underprivileged members of the society are usually devoid of the common self-serving, ego-tripping and undue media publicity that we see around in the socio-political space.
I proudly aver that your innate character luminance as a torch bearer, has made the most profound singular influence on me in my adult life, as the most cherished mentor, life coach, gracious benefactor, propelling force, invaluable success-enabler, and inspirational figure.
The same goes with countless numbers of members of my generation whom you have mentored in their career progression, given a hand to hold and a shoulder to lean on in their journies of life, and impacted positively.
As the highly esteemed Balogun of Ijumuland and Bashorun of the Okun nation, you are indubitably one of the most revered and remarkable leaders of your generation of this era, and perhaps, in the annals of the history Okunland.
Sir, while celebrating your distinguished life-time achievements on this day of your well-deserved recognition, I am deeply filled, as always, with a sense of pride to be associated with your enviable glorious legacy of honour and the currency of your good name.
Sir, this is wishing you more honour to come and many years of peace, happiness, good health, and great fulfilment as you continue to make contributions towards building good human society, and adding valuing to our nation and mankind.
Ambassador Rufus Aiyenigba (Araba of Ekinrin-Adde), Secretary, Elders Council and Acting Spokesperson, Okun Development Association, ODA
