Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar III on Thursday decorated the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Prof Ishaq Oloyede with the traditional title of Kuliya of Sokoto.
The Sultan stated this during the public lecture and presentation of books in honour of Oloyede who clocked 70 on Wednesday and formally retired from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).
The books are titled Islamics, Scholarship and Service to Society, A Festschrift for Is-haq Olarewaju Oloyede and Glimpses into the Giant: A Tapestry of Tributes to Prof. Is-haq Oloyede at 70.
The programme was organised by KU8+ Consortium of University in Kwara State.
The Sultan also used the event to appeal to Nigerians to stop the habit of cursing their leaders, urging them to rather pray for them.
“Don’t curse your leaders, no matter how bad they may be, but pray for them,” he said.
The monarch said he was happy that the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, had conferred the same title of Kuliya of Ilorin Emirate on a legal luminary Yusuf Ali (SAN).
Noting that Oloyede and Ali are close associates who have many things in common, the Sultan said: “I hereby confer on Oloyede the title of Kuliya of Sokoto. I will send the letter of appointment to him as soon as I return to Sokoto.”
The monarch, who poured encomium on Oloyede, added: “Whenever I come to Ilorin, I always feel so much happy. I came to Ilorin for the first time in 1974 as an Army Captain. We thank Allah for Prof. Oloyede’s life and pray Allah to protect him. Though he’s retiring from the university, he will continue to be useful to Nigeria and humanity.
“I’m very pleased to make this programme. It’s very important. We thank Allah for Oloyede’s life. We’ll continue to ask him to do more.”
Minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) chaired the occasion.
