Something unusual or extraordinary has been happening in Ilorin over the last one week. Such a thing hardly happens not just here but also elsewhere. And so, yours sincerely feels that it should not go unreported, particularly for the awareness and reading pleasure of our compatriots living outside Ilorin.

I am positively surprised with the way ordinary individuals, very important personalities and influential organisations have been trooping into the GRA, Ilorin, residence of a political activist and University teacher, Dr Ibraheem Olayiwola Ghali.

This has been the trend since his tenure as a Non-Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) PLC came to an end as a result of the constitution of a new board of the company by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Before I proceed, I must say that Dr Ghali is my brother. He calls me “Omo Iya” (which means my brother). We are from the same adugbo (quarters) . He also told me that he was one of the pupils of my late father, Mallam Jimoh Imam Pakata.

So, I am not doing this because of any personal favour that I enjoyed from him. Rather, this piece is intended to draw the attention of our compatriots to the need to always utilise any opportunity it pleases Allah to avail us effectively and for community development as done by the subject of this piece.

While the number of visitors who are paying Dr Ghali solidarity visit is huge and astonishing, the calibre of those who are doing so is quite exciting. This ignited my interest.

The Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, left his pressing official engagement to solidarise with Dr Ghali. The visit of the Governor was reported to members of the public by no other person but His Excellency himself. The National President of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Abdulmumini Ayo Abdulmalik, had also visited the former NNPC Board Member at home. Several Local Government Area Chairmen, youth groups and other important stakeholders have also not been left out. I cannot count the number of other dignitaries who had visited Dr Ghali to commend him for the wonderful tenure he had on the NNPC Board.

What used to happen is for a new appointee to receive visitors, many of whom would do so because of one anticipated favour or the other. Visiting someone who has completed his tenure hardly happens.

This is why the Yoruba people say “Ese giri ni Ile Anje Ofe. Anje Ofe ku, Kori eni kankan”. The literal translation of this saying is that “people only patronise those who are in positions of authority and swiftly abandon them as soon as they are relieved of such positions.

In the reckoning of our people, Dr Ghali made the position. He didn't allow the position to make him.

Though Dr Ghali is not perfect like every other person but he succeeded in demonstrating some qualities while he was on the NNPC Board. These attributes magnetise a lot of our people to him.

One of them is that “he didn't see himself”. Dr Ghali didn't abandon the cause that gave him the privilege. He also maintained his previous network of friends.

One other thing he did was that he used the privileges conferred on him by the position to cultivate more friends. He allowed more individuals, communities and organisations not only to relate with him more closely but also benefit from him.

It is a public knowledge that the projects currently being executed by Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) benefited from his support. I am also in the know of what a similar projects embarked upon by the Pakata Area Development Association (PADA) and “Pakata Patriots”, Ilorin, among others also benefited from his generosity.

His house remains as it was before he bagged the appointment. It enjoyed no form of renovation. Rather, he kept making people happy.

I believe that Dr Ghali deserves to be celebrated. He merits the endless celebrations from the small and the mighty that he has been enjoying.

Dr Ghali, a scion of a prominent Muslim cleric, Shaykh Muhammad Ghali bn Muhammad Ghazali Alaaya, who lived between 1903 and 1973, was born on August 17, 1964.

He had his primary education at Barakat Primary School, Oke-Pakata, Ilorin, before proceeding to the Moslem Council College (now Jamaatul Nasril Islam Secondary School), Babanloma in the Ifelodun Council Area of Kwara State, from where he earned his West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1980.

For his Advanced Level qualifications, Dr Ghali attended the then Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic), Ilorin, between 1980 and 1982.

He thereafter proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from where he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 1990. He won the prestigious M&B prize for the best student in Veterinary Pharmacology.

Dr Ghali also attended the University of Ilorin from where he earned his Master's degree in Public Health in 2012. He crowned his academic credentials with a Ph.D. in Veterinary Public Health from the University of Ibadan in 2022.

He served as Chairman of the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency between 2000 and 2003 during the administration of Admiral Muhammad Alabi Lawal, mni. He was also the Kwara State Coordinator of the Presidential Committee of Police Equipment Fund from 2006 to 2008. He is, at present, the Chairman of the Kwara State chapter of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

Dr Ghali, who is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ilorin, is married and blessed with children.

While I urge other compatriots to emulate Dr Ghali's sterling qualities,which includes loyalty, generousity and patriotism, I join numerous other compatriots in wishing him success in all his future endeavours.

Imam is Secretary, Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union.