Ilorin Youths honour Ambali with prayer session
By Abubakar Imam
In appreciation of his tremendous contributions to youth development across the Ilorin Emirate and beyond, the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association (IEYDA) has organised a special 5th day prayer session for the further repose of the soul of the 9th Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, OON.
The prayer session, held last Wednesday (June 10, 2026) and which witnessed recitation of the Holy Quran, took place at the Oloje Housing Estate residence of the late former Vice Chancellor.
Speaking at the event, the President of the IEYDA, Mr Uthman Muhammad Jagunma, said that the late former Vice Chancellor satisfactorily discharged his duties as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Association since its formation about two decades ago.
Mr Jagunma recalled that the late former Vice Chancellor worked extremely hard with several other Ilorin patriots to ensure that the Association was not only accepted by the wide spectrum of the community but also became firmly rooted.
According to Mr Jagunma, the late Prof. Ambali deserved the honour done to his memory because of the role he played in community development.
He explained that the late Prof. Ambali was one of those who contributed greatly to the emancipation of the young men and women across the Ilorin Emirate.
He added that the deceased had touched the lives of Ilorin youths right from his days as a lecturer at the University of Maiduguri and that he only continued with the dispositions throughout and even after his tenure at the better by far University.
Mr Jagunma said that Ilorin youths and the generality of the people of the Emirate would continue to celebrate the late former Vice Chancellor for the opportunities he afforded them to acquire higher education and even facilitating employment for several of them over the years.
Mr Jagunmo noted that Prof. Ambali served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of IEYDA with remarkable distinction, providing visionary leadership, invaluable counsel, and steadfast guidance that contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Association. He added that the deceased’s legacy of integrity, intellectual excellence, and selfless service would continue to inspire generations.
He further remarked that the demise of the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin represents a monumental loss not only to IEYDA but also to the educational sector, the Ilorin Emirate, Kwara State, and the nation at large. He prayed Almighty Allah to overlook his shortcomings, accept his good deeds as acts of worship, illuminate his grave, and admit him into Al-Jannah Firdaus.
Delivering the Fidau sermon, the National Missioner of IEYDA, Alhaji Murtala Ottan, admonished the faithful to reflect on the transient nature of worldly existence and the certainty of death. He urged Muslims to remain steadfast in their devotion to Allah, uphold righteous conduct, and continually engage in acts of charity and service to humanity.
The cleric extolled the sterling virtues of the late Prof. Ambali, describing him as a man whose life exemplified scholarship, humility, discipline, and dedication to the service of society. He encouraged the congregation to emulate the noble qualities of the deceased and strive to leave behind legacies worthy of remembrance.
Responding on behalf of the family, Dr Ibrahim Ambali thanked the IEYDA for honouring their late father with the prayer session.
He added that the family was happy with the testimonies rendered on the services of their late father to the Ilorin Emirate community.
Dr Ambali assured the Association that he and others who survived the late former Vice Chancellor are determined to keep his memory alive by emulating his sterling qualities.
The event was attended by the family members of the late former Vice Chancellor and the Ag. National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji AbdulRauf Babatunde Issa; a former Director of the Academic Planning Unit, University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Alege Kuranga; a former Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Ilorin, Prof. Aishatu Ahmed Gobir and a retired Permanent Secretary in Kwara State, Hajiya Habeebat Saidu, among several others.
