By DAUD  OLATUNJI

ABEOKUTA — The  Chairman of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Oba Otudeko  has urged members of dreaded sect  Boko Haram in the north to emulate Muslim fellows in the South West in the area of peaceful  cohabitation with non-Muslims.

Otudeko stated this weekend  shortly after he received honorary  doctor of Science  (honoris Causa) along with the  Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in Northern Nigeria, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu and  two other  prominent Nigerian billionaire businessmen from the Crescent University,  Abeokuta.

The university during its fifth convocation conferred on Lemu, Otudeko, Chairman , CFAO Nigeria Plc, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu honourary doctorate degrees in Public Administration, Banking and Finance, Accounting and Business Administration, respectively.

According to him, the award conferred on  me by  an Islamic based university  despite  my religious  difference  has shown  clearly that,  we in the South West cohabit peacefully.

“ I want to appeal to our brothers who will not be like us  in Yorubaland that we must live peacefully regardless of religious differences . my sister from  the same mother is a Muslim, I have nephews who are Alhaja and I went to Arabic school for my Secondary  School.

“ Let us serve with love and affection,  let us not fight one another, “, Otudeko appealed.

In his remarks, the proprietor of the University,   Judge Bola Ajibola  described the  four honorees as people who have distinguished themselves in their various callings  and continue to make marks in the country.

Ajibola further said that,  the institution which prides itself as first Islamic private University in Nigeria  chose the awarded because of their contribution to the country.

Meanwhile, an  Oba in Ogun state, the Towulade of   Akinale in Ewekoro Local Government, Oba Femi Ogunleye was part of the  140 students that  graduated this year from the  University .

Out of the graduating  students   eight  passed with first class grade, 55 got second class upper division while 54 passed out with 3rd class grade.