Kwara names state varsity after Saraki

Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed
Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed

The Kwara State Government on Wednesday named the state university after the late strongman of Kwara politics, Olusola Saraki.

The state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, made the announcement in Ilorin at the inauguration of the Sola Saraki Educational Foundation.

Mr. Ahmed, who declared that the Kwara State University, KWASU, would henceforth be called Sola Saraki University, explained that renaming the university was a better way of immortalising the late politician.

According to the governor, the late Mr. Saraki was an “outstanding politician, mentor and philanthropist”.

The governor said Mr. Saraki, who bore the title of Waziri of Ilorin, had immense love for education as evident in his contributions to the building of several primary and secondary schools across the state.

While commending the initiator of the Sola Saraki foundation for complimenting government’s efforts in making education accessible to all, the governor called on individuals and corporate bodies to invest in education as a way of securing the future of the children.

Mr. Ahmed donated N15 million for the takeoff of the foundation.

Born on May 13, 1933 in Ilorin, Kwara State, the late Mr. Saraki was until his death regarded as the “strongman of Kwara politics”.

Late Olusola Saraki

He first ran in the 1964 parliamentary election for Ilorin as an independent candidate, but lost.

After the election, he returned to medical practice in Lagos, only returning to party-politics in 1978/79.

In 1977, Mr. Saraki was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly that produced the 1979 constitution.

In 1979 he was elected a Senator of the Second Republic, and became Senate Leader. In 1983 Mr. Saraki was re-elected into the Senate on the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) platform.

Mr. Sakari died on Wednesday 14 November 2012 in Lagos at the age of 79 after a battle with cancer. He was laid to rest in Ilorin.

His son, Bukola Saraki, is Nigeria’s senate president.

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  • Wale

    “Mr. Ahmed, who declared that the Kwara State University, KWASU, would henceforth be called Sola Saraki University, explained that renaming the university was a better way of immortalising the late politician” _ PT

    KWASU is a state owned university, not a private institution. One would think and belive that this decision was arrived at by the Kwara State legislators, representing their local governments in the state assembly.
    Else, it shouldn’t stand, I remember a similar scenario, when Ex. president GEJ tried to rename University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University. He was laughed at, of course.

  • JasV

    Who did this man mentor? Thieves like yourself and the current president of thieves in the senate.

  • xabnuq

    Name the entire state sAraki instead of kwara!!

  • taiwo popoola

    I ponder rather pitifully what kind of XOMBIE-INCLINED set of people are indigines of kwara state.They have a sickness that ravages their political, economic, social ,cultural existence……and they seem to be happy to have that sickness ……..I.e saraki syndrome. Major symptom of this disease is slumbering and never wishing or wanting to wake up.IT IS SAD !
    Of course this assertion cannot apply to all of them……therefore this is. “petepete
    ti a ba …….Kwarans need to wake up and face realities ,it’s like only one and only person directs them to talk and not to talk; to eat and not to eat…..oh what a state in this twenty first century !!

  • Curtx Maccido

    What a shame….only in a country like Nigeria saraki’s name will be immortalized. Very soon he will name the state polytechnic after bukola saraki ….bunch of rogues and thieves who only thrives on public funds and resources. Why can’t saraki built his own university? What exactly has sola saraki done in kwara to warrant change the state university name to immortalize him? Why do we have so many fools and thieves as leaders in this country?