Afe Babalola, lawyer, lecturer, philanthropist and administrator has just added another laurel to his many crowns of excellence.

The brilliant lawyer and veteran of several courtroom battles, again stepped boldly into the limelight last Saturday, as the Alaafin of Oyo Kingdom, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi conferred on him the traditional title of Aare Baamofin of Oyo Empire.

Coincidentally, the induction of Babalola into the traditional folk of the Oyo Kingdom came about the same time he was celebrating the 45th anniversary of his call to the Bar and 21 years of his elevation as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). For his teeming admirers, the entire development marks a celebration galore for a man, who is believed to be a leading light and iconic personage in the legal profession.

Babalola, perceived as a man of many parts, has left his mark in almost all facets of human endeavours. As a seasoned author, he wrote a lot of law books that currently serve as reference materials for legal scholars.

As a lecturer and educationist, Babalola contributed to the advancement of education in the various institutions he has taught. It was principally in recognition of this that he was appointed the Pro-chancellor of the University of Lagos in 2000, a position he holds till date.

While some Nigerians described his enthronement by the Alaafin as a well deserved honour, others believed such a traditional position is not meant for people like him. They described Babalola as a very insultive and boastful man. Reference was made to his utterances at his investiture as "The Grand Custodian" of the Nigeria Polytechnic Games, an honour bestowed on him by the authorities of Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti in February this year. At the occasion, Babalola was said to have tagged his critics "Bastards" because they said he has not contributed to the growth of Ekiti State.

Babalola, who boasted that his contribution to the development of Ekiti State was invaluable, reportedly said he had made up his mind not to assist Ekiti State anymore but for several pleas from Governor Segun Oni. "I am not saying I am a saint, we can make mistakes as human beings, but people should criticize constructively in most cases", Babalola had stressed.

Jide Awe, Chairman of Ekiti State Action Congress (AC)sees Babalola as an intellectual giant and father of the people of Ekiti State, who has excelled in his chosen career. "We are indeed proud of Babalola. He deserves all the honour and adoration given to him by the Alaafin of Oyo and the entire people of Oyo kingdom," Awe stated. The AC chairman was, however, quick to add that Ekiti people were not happy with him "for allowing his friend, Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President, to invade Ekiti State during the 2007 general elections". He accused Babalola of supporting Obasanjo to unleash crisis in Ekiti State, adding "that notwithstanding, we can correct those imbalances".

Babalola, the Principal Partner of Emmanuel Chambers founded in 1965, is a holder of two university degrees both by private studies. His full-time education ended at the elementary school. Called to the Bar in 1963, he proceeded immediately into legal practice and has since remained a foremost litigation lawyer. His Chambers has produced over 500 lawyers rated seasoned advocates occupying professional and political positions in the country.

Born on October 9, 1932, Babalola has won several honours and awards including: highest taxpayer award, Ondo State (1990 & 1991), Professional of the Year Award, Ekiti State (1994), Best Pro-chancellor of Nigerian Universities by National University Commission (NUC)in 2005 and Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR)2000.