Egbewole hails Omotosho as the foremost scholar retires

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN has commended the excellent services of Prof. Abdulrafi Oyeyemi Omotosho to the University and humanity at large.

Prof. Egbewole gave this commendation at the Valedictory Lecture held recently at the University’s Main Auditorium in honour of the don who recently retired from the Department of Islamic Law, University of Ilorin.

The Vice Chancellor, who acknowledged the exemplary contributions of Prof. Omotosho towards the progress and development of  the Department and the University at large, encouraged the Department to continue to soar high in its leadership roles at the Faculty and University levels.

Prof. Egbewole explained that the establishment of the Department of Islamic Law by the University has not only given students the opportunity to specialise in the field but also broaden their knowledge to understand every component of legal practise.

While felicitating with the celebrant, Prof. Egbewole said that Prof. Omotosho demonstrated exceptional resilience, determination, and intellectual fortitude throughout his journey at the Better By Far University, and pleaded with him to always turn his gaze at the University whenever his services were required.

In her welcome address, the Head of the Department of Islamic Law, University of Ilorin, Dr Azizat O. Amoloye-Adebayo, urged members of the University community to always organise intellectually-engaging and pace-setting events in honour of  retiring Professors.

Dr Amoloye-Adebayo added that such events would always bring together all Faculties of Law in Nigeria and the Department of Islamic Law where the course is taught as such would help in repositioning the teaching and learning of Islamic Law in Nigeria.

She added that the Department was also considering institutionalising an annual lecture series, which is intended to bring its alumni who are trailblazers at national and international levels to showcase scholarship and serve as inspiring models to the upcoming ones.

The Guest Lecturer at the event, who is also an alumnus of the institution, Dr Umar Oseni, while delivering his lecture, titled “Becoming a Global Islamic Law Professional- Prerequisites, Polemics and Prospects”, advised that there should be a panel of exclusive Islamic Law in a Supreme Court to enable fair judgments in Islamic Law, as many Muslim cases are taken outside Islamic Law.

Dr Oseni suggested that all Islamic court matters should end in the Court of Appeal where there are competent jurists in the field rather than the Supreme Court as presently constituted.

He also advised students to invest in books, adding that studying without the guidance of books equates to law students failing right from start.

Also speaking, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, commended the Guest Lecturer for his notable contributions to the profession of Islamic Law, urging him to continue to stand out like his father, who is also the Chief Imam and Waziri of Auchi Kingdom, Prof. Zakariyah Idrees Oseni, who he described as an outstanding Professor of Arabic and someone whose legacies at the University would continue to be celebrated.

The Chairman of the occasion, who is also the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is’haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, CON, in his contributions, decried the relegation of Islamic Law to the level of Customary Law in many parts of the country.

He explained that the relegation is not only unjust but also unprofessional.

Prof. Oloyede, who is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, also called on the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria(MULAN) and the Islamic Law Department to write a well-detailed paper to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, stating the problems their decisions have caused and possible ways to solve these issues.

In attendance at the event were, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services),  Prof. Suleiman Funsho Ambali; the Registrar, Mr Mansur A. Alfanla, and the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Nimah Modupe AbdulRaheem, among several others.