The proverbial golden fish that has no hiding place
appears to have taken its deep meaning on Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN,
the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Osun State University
who has been selected to receive the prestigious 2018 Peace
Humanitarian Award today, 28th April, 2018 by the Center for
African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR) at the California
State University, Sacramento, United States of
America.
According to the Center, the award is in recognition of Yusuf
Ali’s ”distinguished contribution of his talent, time and treasure
in promoting peaceable communities, institutions and organisations
as well as numerous charitable works in various parts of Nigeria”.
It added that his ”outstanding legal practice, service in Track 11
diplomacy and various philanthropic works are exemplary and worthy
of precognition.’’
Some of the past recipients of the Peace Award include –
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Honourable Barbara Lee, US Congresswoman,
Judge Barry Loncke of the Superior Court of California, and the
first female and immediate past Chief Justice of Ghana, the
Honourable Justice Georgina Theodora Wood among others over the
past 27 years.
Yusuf Ali is a gem, a welfarist and a rare Nigerian who is very
selfless and absolutely committed to fairness, justice and equity.
He has contributed immensely to the well-being and improved
standard of living of many rural communities particularly in the
Kwara State of Nigeria.
He started his early life at a Quranic school, in Ifetedo, Osun
State from where he went for his primary education in 1960. After
this, he attended the then Modern School for three years and worked
briefly thereafter before he gained admission to the Ibadan Boys
High School for his secondary school education. He was the Labour
Prefect during his time and passed his school certificate
examination in Grade 1 division. He later worked as a clerical
officer in the old Oyo State Ministry of Finance and as a Tax
Officer at Igbo-Ora, in Oyo State.
He gained admission into the University of Ife (Now Obafemi
Awolowo University Ife –Ife) in 1978 and graduated with a Second
Class Upper Division in the Bachelor of Laws degree in 1982. He was
a winner of the prestigious Federal Merit Award and a university
scholar during his undergraduate days at Ife. He attended the
Nigerian Law School, where he also passed with a Second Class Upper
Division in 1983.
Few years after a very aggressive legal practice at the Law firm
of Adegboyega Awomolo which he joined in 1983 and rising through
the ranks to become a partner before he founded his own law firm in
June 1994, Yusuf Ali went back to his alma matter for his LL.M
which he completed with flying colours. He was appointed as a
Notary Public in 1989 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
In 1997, Yusuf Ali bagged the prestigious honour of the Senior
Advocate of Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Arbitrators (FCIArb) UK, Fellow Dispute Resolution Institute
(F.DRI)., Fellow Society for Peace Studies and Practice (FSPSP) and
many others. He is a Life Member, Body of Benchers. He once served
as the Chairman Kwara State. Law Reform Committee, Sole Judge of
the Kwara State Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal in 1997
and Chairman, Council of Public Defenders, Kwara State.
He is a member of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee
of the Body of Benchers, Chairman Judiciary Committee of the
Nigerian Bar Association and also the current Chairman of the
International Bar Association Committee on Damages and Negligence.
He is a Patron and Legal Adviser to many professional and
socio-cultural groups all over Nigeria.
Yusuf Ali has delivered more than 200 papers on different and
diverse topics both in Nigeria and at International fora including
the International Bar Association conferences, Commonwealth Law
Association conferences, Annual conferences of the Nigeria Bar
Association while he has also contributed many chapters to various
legal books with more than 40 articles in learned journals in the
field of litigation, Commercial Law, Jurisprudence and
Constitutional Law.
He has been awarded more than 200 honours from within and
outside Nigeria and listed in the American Biographical Institute’s
Who is Who. He also bagged the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award by the
Governing Board of Editors of the American Biographical Institute,
Kwameh Nkrumah leadership Award 2010 Africa Legal Icon by All
Africa Students’ Union and the Award for Selfless Service and
Immense contribution to the Promotion of Peace and Stability in
West Africa, by the West African Network for Peace Building,
Ghana.
Mallam Yusuf Ali, like Anne Frank, believes that ”No one has
ever become poor by giving”. He has thus over the years been very
passionate about charity, intervening in many trauma cases, public
institutions and creating hope and future for many indigent
students.
The Osun State University Community is proud of Yusuf Ali’s
achievements and associates with him on this memorable occasion. In
his goodwill message, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Labo Popoola
said “I have always known Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN from a distance
because of the quality of human being he is until I gave a lecture
at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where he was also
present. Yusuf Ali is a very decent, cultured and selfless
personality and I say this decisively.
He goes for any cause he believes. One other thing that strikes
me about him is his attitude to wealth. Within the context of our
society he is not poor but he neither flaunts his wealth nor
creates barrier between him and others. He mixes freely to the
extent that you cannot easily identify him as a star. He eats what
others eat openly and cracks a lot of jokes. For him to be
identified and given the prestigious 2018 Humanitarian Peace Award
by the Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR) at
the California State University, United States of America is most
appropriate and well deserved honour. I can only pray God to
preserve his life and increase his wealth and wisdom.”
The Registrar, Mr. Gafar Adebayo Shittu also said “His
appearance, life style and attitude make him a distinct elite who
accommodates the masses. On his swearing in as the Chairman of
Governing Council of Osun State University, the statement made in
his remarks not to receive any allowances from the University
through the period of his service is a demonstration of his
ideology for selfless service. It is a rare quality amongst
Nigerians. One is never disappointed because Mallam Yusuf Olaolu
Ali, SAN merges his utterances with actions.
He is a lover of peace who believes in mediation and amicable
settlement. He proved this quality in the University when he
constituted Mediation and Conciliation Committee of Council that
resolved the protracted legal issue between the former Management
and the University on out of Court terms which was recorded as a
positive development for the University. The Chairman of the
Governing Council, Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN believes in transparency,
justice and fair play. For the first time in the history of
Appointment of Principal Officers for the University, he introduced
openness to the processes and procedures by inviting all the Unions
representatives in the University and Students’ Representatives to
the Selection Interview of Principal Officers.
He did this when the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor Labo
Popoola was being interviewed in November, 2016 and during the
interview of the newly appointed Registrar and Bursar in February,
2018. He does not believe in religious bigotry. He understands
perfectly what the Qur’an and Hadith say about good
neighbourliness, good relationship with fellow- beings and rights
of individuals according to their beliefs, which are always being
upheld by this fine gentleman.
Our chairman is a leader and a philanthropist to the core. He
donated a hostel to the College of Law, Ifetedo Campus of the
University in year 2011, when he had not even been appointed as
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University. It was
also noted that Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN donated a hostel to Fountain
University, Osogbo in 2017 and an ICT building with all facilities
to the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin in December, 2016 as part of
his contributions to education development in Nigeria. May you live
long in your service to Humanity and Almighty God.”
While the Bursar, Mr. Bola Feruke believes the Chairman of
Council, Osun State University is bound to bag more laurels
“Honestly, I was never opportune to meet the Pro-Chancellor and
Chairman of Council until now.
Although I have always been reading about him on the pages of
the newspapers as a shining star in legal profession. He believes
absolutely in equity and justice. For instance, I did not know
anybody before attending the interviews for the post of the Bursar
of the University. But he conducted the interview with utmost
fairness and justice. He believes in merit and such people are rare
in our society. He is very sociable and his coming on board of the
university is a blessing. He is bound to have more laurels. I wish
him the best in this future endeavours.”
And Mr. Maxwell Oyinloye, the University’s Librarian says
“Congratulations Sir, for winning such a prestigious award. Truly,
the commendation is not surprising knowing the unique grain and
mettle of your essence. Your dedication, enthusiasm and insight are
really inspiring. The honour is not only for you but rather for us
all because it is a worthy laurel coming at the right time to our
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council . You are our shining star.
May Almighty Allah endow you with long life, good health, wisdom
and understanding as you selflessly serve humanity. I wish you many
years of great achievements.”
*Professor Anthony Kola-Olusanya is a staff of Osun
State University, Osogbo
The proverbial golden fish that has no hiding place
appears to have taken its deep meaning on Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN,
the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Osun State University
who has been selected to receive the prestigious 2018 Peace
Humanitarian Award today, 28th April, 2018 by the Center for
African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR) at the California
State University, Sacramento, United States of
America.
According to the Center, the award is in recognition of Yusuf
Ali’s ”distinguished contribution of his talent, time and treasure
in promoting peaceable communities, institutions and organisations
as well as numerous charitable works in various parts of Nigeria”.
It added that his ”outstanding legal practice, service in Track 11
diplomacy and various philanthropic works are exemplary and worthy
of precognition.’’
Some of the past recipients of the Peace Award include –
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Honourable Barbara Lee, US Congresswoman,
Judge Barry Loncke of the Superior Court of California, and the
first female and immediate past Chief Justice of Ghana, the
Honourable Justice Georgina Theodora Wood among others over the
past 27 years.
Yusuf Ali is a gem, a welfarist and a rare Nigerian who is very
selfless and absolutely committed to fairness, justice and equity.
He has contributed immensely to the well-being and improved
standard of living of many rural communities particularly in the
Kwara State of Nigeria.
He started his early life at a Quranic school, in Ifetedo, Osun
State from where he went for his primary education in 1960. After
this, he attended the then Modern School for three years and worked
briefly thereafter before he gained admission to the Ibadan Boys
High School for his secondary school education. He was the Labour
Prefect during his time and passed his school certificate
examination in Grade 1 division. He later worked as a clerical
officer in the old Oyo State Ministry of Finance and as a Tax
Officer at Igbo-Ora, in Oyo State.
He gained admission into the University of Ife (Now Obafemi
Awolowo University Ife –Ife) in 1978 and graduated with a Second
Class Upper Division in the Bachelor of Laws degree in 1982. He was
a winner of the prestigious Federal Merit Award and a university
scholar during his undergraduate days at Ife. He attended the
Nigerian Law School, where he also passed with a Second Class Upper
Division in 1983.
Few years after a very aggressive legal practice at the Law firm
of Adegboyega Awomolo which he joined in 1983 and rising through
the ranks to become a partner before he founded his own law firm in
June 1994, Yusuf Ali went back to his alma matter for his LL.M
which he completed with flying colours. He was appointed as a
Notary Public in 1989 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
In 1997, Yusuf Ali bagged the prestigious honour of the Senior
Advocate of Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Arbitrators (FCIArb) UK, Fellow Dispute Resolution Institute
(F.DRI)., Fellow Society for Peace Studies and Practice (FSPSP) and
many others. He is a Life Member, Body of Benchers. He once served
as the Chairman Kwara State. Law Reform Committee, Sole Judge of
the Kwara State Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal in 1997
and Chairman, Council of Public Defenders, Kwara State.
He is a member of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee
of the Body of Benchers, Chairman Judiciary Committee of the
Nigerian Bar Association and also the current Chairman of the
International Bar Association Committee on Damages and Negligence.
He is a Patron and Legal Adviser to many professional and
socio-cultural groups all over Nigeria.
Yusuf Ali has delivered more than 200 papers on different and
diverse topics both in Nigeria and at International fora including
the International Bar Association conferences, Commonwealth Law
Association conferences, Annual conferences of the Nigeria Bar
Association while he has also contributed many chapters to various
legal books with more than 40 articles in learned journals in the
field of litigation, Commercial Law, Jurisprudence and
Constitutional Law.
He has been awarded more than 200 honours from within and
outside Nigeria and listed in the American Biographical Institute’s
Who is Who. He also bagged the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award by the
Governing Board of Editors of the American Biographical Institute,
Kwameh Nkrumah leadership Award 2010 Africa Legal Icon by All
Africa Students’ Union and the Award for Selfless Service and
Immense contribution to the Promotion of Peace and Stability in
West Africa, by the West African Network for Peace Building,
Ghana.
Mallam Yusuf Ali, like Anne Frank, believes that ”No one has
ever become poor by giving”. He has thus over the years been very
passionate about charity, intervening in many trauma cases, public
institutions and creating hope and future for many indigent
students.
The Osun State University Community is proud of Yusuf Ali’s
achievements and associates with him on this memorable occasion. In
his goodwill message, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Labo Popoola
said “I have always known Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN from a distance
because of the quality of human being he is until I gave a lecture
at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where he was also
present. Yusuf Ali is a very decent, cultured and selfless
personality and I say this decisively.
He goes for any cause he believes. One other thing that strikes
me about him is his attitude to wealth. Within the context of our
society he is not poor but he neither flaunts his wealth nor
creates barrier between him and others. He mixes freely to the
extent that you cannot easily identify him as a star. He eats what
others eat openly and cracks a lot of jokes. For him to be
identified and given the prestigious 2018 Humanitarian Peace Award
by the Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR) at
the California State University, United States of America is most
appropriate and well deserved honour. I can only pray God to
preserve his life and increase his wealth and wisdom.”
The Registrar, Mr. Gafar Adebayo Shittu also said “His
appearance, life style and attitude make him a distinct elite who
accommodates the masses. On his swearing in as the Chairman of
Governing Council of Osun State University, the statement made in
his remarks not to receive any allowances from the University
through the period of his service is a demonstration of his
ideology for selfless service. It is a rare quality amongst
Nigerians. One is never disappointed because Mallam Yusuf Olaolu
Ali, SAN merges his utterances with actions.
He is a lover of peace who believes in mediation and amicable
settlement. He proved this quality in the University when he
constituted Mediation and Conciliation Committee of Council that
resolved the protracted legal issue between the former Management
and the University on out of Court terms which was recorded as a
positive development for the University. The Chairman of the
Governing Council, Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN believes in transparency,
justice and fair play. For the first time in the history of
Appointment of Principal Officers for the University, he introduced
openness to the processes and procedures by inviting all the Unions
representatives in the University and Students’ Representatives to
the Selection Interview of Principal Officers.
He did this when the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor Labo
Popoola was being interviewed in November, 2016 and during the
interview of the newly appointed Registrar and Bursar in February,
2018. He does not believe in religious bigotry. He understands
perfectly what the Qur’an and Hadith say about good
neighbourliness, good relationship with fellow- beings and rights
of individuals according to their beliefs, which are always being
upheld by this fine gentleman.
Our chairman is a leader and a philanthropist to the core. He
donated a hostel to the College of Law, Ifetedo Campus of the
University in year 2011, when he had not even been appointed as
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University. It was
also noted that Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN donated a hostel to Fountain
University, Osogbo in 2017 and an ICT building with all facilities
to the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin in December, 2016 as part of
his contributions to education development in Nigeria. May you live
long in your service to Humanity and Almighty God.”
While the Bursar, Mr. Bola Feruke believes the Chairman of
Council, Osun State University is bound to bag more laurels
“Honestly, I was never opportune to meet the Pro-Chancellor and
Chairman of Council until now.
Although I have always been reading about him on the pages of
the newspapers as a shining star in legal profession. He believes
absolutely in equity and justice. For instance, I did not know
anybody before attending the interviews for the post of the Bursar
of the University. But he conducted the interview with utmost
fairness and justice. He believes in merit and such people are rare
in our society. He is very sociable and his coming on board of the
university is a blessing. He is bound to have more laurels. I wish
him the best in this future endeavours.”
And Mr. Maxwell Oyinloye, the University’s Librarian says
“Congratulations Sir, for winning such a prestigious award. Truly,
the commendation is not surprising knowing the unique grain and
mettle of your essence. Your dedication, enthusiasm and insight are
really inspiring. The honour is not only for you but rather for us
all because it is a worthy laurel coming at the right time to our
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council . You are our shining star.
May Almighty Allah endow you with long life, good health, wisdom
and understanding as you selflessly serve humanity. I wish you many
years of great achievements.”
*Professor Anthony Kola-Olusanya is a staff of Osun
State University, Osogbo
Read more https://nairalaw.com/yusuf-ali-san-an-honor-well-deserve/