oremost educationist, historian and gender crusader, Prof. Bolanle Awe, yesterday got a surprise 84th birthday celebration from the Ibadan School of Governance and Public Policy (ISGPP). Awe, a former Commissioner for Education in the old Oyo State, turned 84 years old yesterday.
“Mama is a historian per excellence. One of the few alive, who have made the point, and successfully too, that history goes beyond taking a myopic look at a dusty past for the sake of intellectual and academic professionalism.”
“On the contrary, scholarship for you carries the burden of engagement – a commitment to germaine societal issues that are cogent for cultural and national progress. Thus, the full weight of your scholarship is brought to bear on the gender disarticulation in Nigeria. And, being a true Yoruba woman, you have so admiringly animated your arguments and activism with deep Yoruba cultural insights and consciousness,” the school’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Dr. Tunji Olaopa, said.
Responding, Awe expressed surprise at the turn of the ISGPP team to celebrate her but pointed out that Olaopa has always shown the capacity to spring surprises since she knew him. She expressed satisfaction for having made her modest impact on her generation as an individual but said she was depressed over the Nigerian socio-economic status.
when individuals lays good example in their private and public lives. She said the exemplary character will gradually cascade to the top where players can make decisions that will have far-reaching impacts on the fortunes of the country.