By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday felicitated with foremost educationist, scholar, poet and community leader, Chief Alexander Olu Ajayi, on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
Joining family members, friends and associates to give thanks to God for the gift of long life and good health, the President saluted Chief Ajayi for a life devoted to sharing knowledge, and contributing to the smooth running of many academic institutions.
Ajayi, first graduate from Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State was Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s campaign director in Borno State during the 1979 presidential election.
In an interview he granted the Punch newspaper in November 2016, Chief Ajayi said he issued WAEC certificate to President Buhari in the 1960s.
“I was the first substantive Nigerian Assistant Registrar. I took over the control of the examination from the University of Cambridge. I took examiners to Cambridge for training across 10 years and trained them in Nigeria. I had the opportunity of issuing WAEC certificates to three former Heads of State: Buhari, Abacha and Babangida in the 60s.”
A statement by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, read:
“From 1953, when he took a degree at the Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, to post-graduate studies in University of London in 1954, President Buhari commends the fact that Chief Ajayi had no other motive than to impact the education sector of his country positively. This saw him serving at great schools as tutor, and eventually becoming Principal at Fiditi Grammar School, Oyo, at the tender age of 26.
“Chief Ajayi joined the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in 1959, and later the University of Ife, where he rose to become Deputy Registrar.”
Noting that the nonagenarian is a man with deep passion for his community, the President commended him for serving twice as Chairman, Ekiti Central Local Government, without remuneration.
“President Buhari commends this altruism to the younger generation, as he wishes Chief Ajayi good health and sound mind,” the statement concluded.