Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, has praised UNILORIN for its recent awards ceremony, which upholds the genuine meaning of honor and sets it apart from other universities that bestow honorary titles without merit.
Oloyede, a former vice chancellor of the university, spoke during the investiture ceremony in the university auditorium. He said the university’s awards of excellence are a reflection of its integrity and mission.
Honorary prizes are now given out like trinkets in numerous locations; they are no longer worth anything. However, we don’t do that at the University of Ilorin.
“Only exceptional individuals who have truly changed their world are recognized by this university,” Oloyede stated.
Chief Rafiu Balogun SAN, a legal luminary, was among the recipients of the occasion, which also honored 50 ambassadors, 10 distinguished alumni, and two persons for the Award of Excellence.
In line with Oloyede, he cautioned that politics and self-interest play a significant role in the majority of honorary awards given out today.
Sadly, the dignity of the majority of honorary awards has been lost. “What UNIIORIN is doing here is noble, but they can be bought or politically manipulated,” Balogun said.
In his keynote address, Professor Yusuf Ali, Kuliyan of Ilorin, encouraged the audience to support the organizations and communities that helped to form them, calling such actions a moral duty.
Professor Wahab Egbewole SAN, the university’s vice chancellor, reiterated the institution’s dedication to identifying genuine merit and urged other academic institutions to follow suit.
“We are celebrating excellence, service, and dedication to nation-building, not just bestowing awards,” he stated.
