73-year-old Ogun monarch:  I’ve vacated the palace for Law School

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By Femi SHODUNKE

NIGERIA: A 73-YEAR-OLD traditional ruler in Ogun State, the Towulade of Akinale, Oba Olufemi Adewunmi Ogunleye, who recently completed his Law degree at the Crescent University, Abeokuta has vacated his palace for the Nigerian Law School in Lagos.

Oba Ogunleye, who resumed three weeks ago and returned home over the weekend, said that he was delighted to received two of his grandchildren who came to bid him safe journey back to school.

“On my way to the Law School hostel in Lagos, two of my grandchildren were brought by their parents to wish me safe journey and good luck,” Oba Ogunleye told GatewayMail on Sunday.

He further explained: “I had resumed three weeks ago.  I just came home to source for fund for buying Law books and on my way back, one of my daughters, a Human Resource practitioner at the Punch Newspapers Limited, Damilola Oladeinde, brought her children, Dolapo Adetomiwa and Damilola Mojirade, to say hi to me.”

Oba Ogunleye also said: “I haven’t seen them for some time and since I’m vacating the palace for a temporary residence outside my domain, it is not unnatural that they should see me.”

“Some others too had come to share fellowship and wish me well,” the royal father, who was a journalist with the old Daily Times and retired as Public Affairs Manager of the defunct Nigeria Airways, said.

It would be recalled that Oba Ogunleye made headline recently when he bagged Second Class Upper at the university founded by eminent jurist and ex-judge at the World Court, Prince Bola Ajibola.

He said shortly after completing the Law degree: “I got my result and I make Second Class Upper.  Yes, it’s a five year program.  We are the premier Law students of Bola Ajibola College of Law of the Crescent University, Abeokuta, which was established in 2005.

Oba Ogunleye explained that of the 39 Law graduating students, besides one First Class, 16 obtained Second Class Upper, 14 Second Class Lower and three made Third Class, while six would not graduate.

The Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations said: “The first Law graduating students were 39.   There is one First Class, 16 Second Class Upper and 14 Second Class Lower and three made Third Class.”

“Six candidates had reference and would not graduate this session,” he further stressed.

The oldest Law student of the university whose classmates were age mates of his children, but his humility and love for education saw him through the challenges, said that his interest in Law made him to enrol for the Diploma programme of the university in 2012, which eventually paved the way for the degree course.

“I enrolled for Diploma in Law at the university in 2012, to break the monotony of traditional mundane palace paradigm, but with an Upper Credit at the end of the Diploma, I was offered a direct entry to 200 Level, which now see me acquiring an LLB degree with Second Class Upper,” Oba Ogunleye, who retired from the Nigeria Airways after 25 years of meritorious service as the unbeatable Public Relations icon in the aviation industry, stressed.

On the significance of the degree, the royal father said: “By graduating in Law at 73, I have thrown challenges to the youth and other senior citizens that there is no age barrier to educational advancement.”

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