The Kwara South Consultative Forum, a socio-cultural organization, has vigorously rejected the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari’s call to rename the University of Ilorin after Sheikh Alimi, the founder of the Alimi dynasty.
The Forum called the plan “highly provocative” and insulting to Kwara State’s ethnic variety and historical plurality.
The Emir made the call during the University of Ilorin’s 50th anniversary celebration, igniting public controversy around the state.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Secretary-General, Adebayo Daramola, the Forum stated that the University of Ilorin belonged to the entire state, not to any single ethnic group or community.
“The entire state of Kwara is the catchment area of the University of Ilorin. We are just not homogeneous enough in Kwara State for that idea to ever be mooted,” the statement read.
The Kwara group warned 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 fact that the university is located in Ilorin does not confer ownership on the city. The privilege of being a host community should not be confused with exclusive ownership,” it stated.
The Forum stated that the historical significance of Sheikh Alimi is not shared by many ethnic groups in the state, particularly those of Ekiti, Ibolo, and Igbomina descent in Kwara South, as well as villages in Kwara North.
“It will therefore be uncalled for to contemplate the imposition of a name that does not have statewide spread on our collective inheritance,” according to the Forum.
As an alternative, the organization suggested that the proposal’s supporters explore establishing a private university named after Sheikh Alimi, given the increasing number of private postsecondary institutions in Kwara South.
It listed Landmark University, Omu-Aran; Thomas Adewumi University, Oko; Abubakar AbdulRazaq Toyin University, Gamo; Summit University, Offa; Offa University, Offa; Lens University, Offa/Ilemona; and Lens Polytechnic, Offa, as examples.
“So, we are advising you to take a cue from Kwara South by establishing a private university in the name of Sheikh Alimi if there is a strong desire to immortalize him,” the Forum stated.
The organization also criticized the recent renaming of the Kwara State Government House as Ahmadu Bello House, claiming that it was done without proper consultation with other ethnic groups, particularly those in Kwara South.
According to the Forum, if the Government House must be named after someone, it should be the late Brigadier General David Bamigboye (retd.), Kwara State’s pioneer military governor.
“It is still not too late to right the wrong by renaming the Kwara State Government House as David Lasisi Bamigboye House, considering that he laid the foundation of the state and left enduring legacies, including the Government House,” it said.
The group 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.
“We must not do anything that can tamper with our resolve to live together in peace and harmony in Kwara State, the State of Harmony,” the statement added.
The University of Ilorin, established in 1975 as a federal institution, attracts students and staff from across Nigeria and beyond, making it one of the most diverse universities in the country.
