A socio-cultural organisation, the Kwara South Consultative Forum, has strongly opposed the call by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, for the renaming of the University of Ilorin after Sheikh Alimi, the founder of the Alimi dynasty. The Forum described the proposal as “highly provocative” and insensitive to the ethnic diversity and historical plurality of Kwara State.
In a statement issued today and signed by its Secretary-General, Adebayo Daramola, the Forum said the University of Ilorin belongs to the entire state and not to any single ethnic group or community, further warning against actions capable of reopening ethnic fault lines, noting that the location of the university in Ilorin does not translate to exclusive ownership by the host community.
The Forum argued that the historical significance of Sheikh Alimi does not resonate with many ethnic groups in the state, particularly those of Ekiti, Ibolo and Igbomina extraction in Kwara South, as well as communities in Kwara North. They appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to intervene and reverse what it described as a glaring injustice, stressing that equity, fairness and justice must guide governance in the state.
