Lifted is a 521-page narration of the fascinating life of Peter Olufemi Adeniyi. Written in flawless, simple, flowing, sometimes musical English, “Lifted” is an account of toil, pain, excitement, challenge, ups and down, success, celebration, reflections, consciousness, timeliness, discipline, tribulation, triumph and trust in God.
It tells the story of a determined young man, who took his life in his hands, struggling to claim his inheritance; a young man who met love, missed love and found true love and family. He remains a loving husband, a devoted father to all, from far and near; a mentor, teacher, leader, workaholic, humane, urbane yet down-to-earth.
A community man, social worker, philanthropist, all fused together, with intellect, passion, devotion, and faith.
I have been lifted by reading “Lifted”. It is a compelling read. Should I then not congratulate the author for this epic work that is given to lift humanity, indeed, all of us.
Chapter One reveals the humble beginning of the author, devoid of the guiding light of education. The journey unfolds through the narrative of his family background and early life, offering a glimpse into the formative years that shaped the path of his life. It is an account of his parenthood, family tree and the missed opportunities of learning from a mystic father with special healing powers. The reader is entertained by the tales of Papa’s adventures with young Olufemi. Mothers will always be mothers, loving, caring and protective.
This thrilling chapter ends with an explanation of the origin and preference for the name “Adeniyi” to “Adeluyi”, and in place of “Ajibaiye”, the original family name.
Chapter Two narrates the trials, fun and triumphs of secondary school days at Egbeoba High School, Ikole-Ekiti and Abeokuta Grammar School, laying the foundation for the divine intervention that paved the way for undergraduate and postgraduate education, covered in Chapters three and four. If you want to explore the foundations of the author’s everlasting discipline, especially timeliness, look no farther than the narrations of his life experiences at these important life stations. Talk of the inspirational resumption assembly bible passage, Roman 12: 1-21 that became the hallmark of Abeokuta Grammar School.
He said “these words guide and keep guiding and guarding my life. I lived that life as the chapter had said it…(the passage) kept on instructing us to do good and recognise that we all have limitations”.
The chapters complete the story of the early life. Chapter three is a narration of grit, resilience, lost hopes and miraculous divine intervention in the journey to the university, first, University of Ife at Ibadan, then later at Ife. The miracles and luck continue to his postgraduate sojourn in Canada, now with his God-given wife.
Make sure you do not miss the “convocation dreams of the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada” that hunted Prof from 1978 (after he missed the 37th Convocation at which he should have been conferred his PhD, till several years later in 2010 when he was invited to be conferred with a honorary Doctor of Environmental Studies by the same University. It was only then that the dreams stopped! Very fascinating.
Chapter Five narrates the joys and pains of raising a young family, while studying overseas, after finding true love that was once denied. Very few men survive such jilting and jolting, much like a stab in the back. However, every aspect and facet of young Olufemi’s life was a lesson. From how he found true love, you are then treated to “the evolution of an accommodating nuclear family”, which is a true confession.
Mama Anike has remained a quintessential virtuous woman, wife, mother, friend, comforter and Prof’s “jewel of inestimable value” and virtue. Hear what he said: “This Anike has remained a source of light in my life”.
As a “father to many children” from far and near, prof’s family’s generous disposition allowed many to live with them and their house helps (guards, driver, etc) could not be distinguished; they are integral to the family.
However, the episode recorded on page 82 of this chapter forces me to affirm that “life without tribulations must be a fake or fairy tale life”. How could a driver and a guard that were so treated as part of the family have plotted to hire kidnappers against Mama Anike for ransom? The answer to why, how and the full story are in the book. This is the country we now live in.
Chapter Six is on “The Challenges and Joys of Becoming a University Lecturer” and
Researcher, while Chapter Seven: captures the author’s “Reminiscences as Managing Director at UNILAG Consult”. Chapter Six narrates the author’s return to Ife after obtaining his PhD in Canada, only to be returned to the job market, with a young family of tough boys. His divine helper is, however, always at hand, and so University of Lagos came to his rescue, and he made the most of opportunities that came his way and blossomed, rising rapidly through the ranks and leaning on the shoulders of giants. He cleverly lodged himself into the labyrinth of the UNILAG ecosystem and prospered from one administrative position to another, till he was found worthy to serve as the MD of UNILAG Ventures. His managerial, professional and academic stars are shown even in daylight, thus becoming a goldfish with nowhere to hide his enormous talents.
Chapter Eight then narrates his “Journey to Becoming a Vice Chancellor” at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), without previously serving as Head of a Department, Dean of a Faculty/School or Deputy Vice-Chancellor (which were the usual requirements of becoming a Vice-Chancellor in Nigerian universities). He was searched and (divinely) lifted to become the Vice-Chancellor of FUTA, for five statutory years of meritorious and audacious service captured in Chapter Nine. If you want to know why, how Prof stopped smoking (that is if you knew he ever smoked, and I wonder if anybody in FUTA knows, and that FUTA caused it), and who stopped him from smoking, this Chapter 8 is where you will find the answers.
Praise God, it is Thanksgiving time. The same FUTA where he was stopped from entering the campus on reaching Akure from Lagos, and was kept outside in a hotel room in Akure city for almost three weeks, is where we are celebrating him today. Hallelujah. He serves a God that answers passionate prayers! Against all threats by the staff unions, he arrived in Akure on January 2, 2002 to take up his new appointment but was not allowed into this campus till Monday, January 21 … but triumphantly.
Chapter Nine: which is the longest of the chapters at 78 pages, narrates his impactive and transformational tenure at FUTA during which he could be called Mr Projects, or a reformer, a university governance guru or a miracle worker. Don’t forget that though he refused to learn those tricks from Papa, there is no way he would not have inherited some of the trademarks, and much evidence point in this direction.
All the restiveness of workers disappeared, “enemies and foes”became friends and there was peace on campus; no single students’ unrest was recorded.
Finally, his exit after five meritorious years of service was in contrast to his eventful arrival and resumption. FUTA had been transformed with a solid foundation of future leadership, and here we are today basking in that glory and euphoria.The good of it was that Mama was still alive then to share in the Joy of his success and triumph.
This book is a must read to capture his flowing analysis (in words and deed) of what makes a successful university governance. The account in this book, up till this chapter, represents the definition of “An Ideal 21st Century Vice Chancellor”. Talk about the simple but delicate matter of the appointment of Heads of Department. FUTA leaned to the radical left who argues that HOD’s must be democratically elected.
The author’s counsel after tasting the pudding is thus: “A system that allows junior staff academics to head Departments in the presence of senior colleagues automatically denies them the mentorship and cooperation of the senior ones”, with which I fully agree. It is not good for the junior staff and definitely not good for the system.
Oga Adeniyi was to, afterwards, become a leading authority in the management and governance of universities, hence, apart from serving in two Federal Universities (UNILAG and FUTA), he was also elevated to serve in one State University (University of Ado Ekiti, now Ekiti State University) and two private universities (Elizade University, Ilara Mokin and Chrisland University, Abeokuta), as captured in Chapters 10 and 11).
His insights into the complexities of university governance and leadership has become legendary. I must say that I was quite fascinated and enthralled by his understanding and narration of his similar experiences in helping to establish and guide the development of private universities. I consider this a mentorship and great lesson for proprietors and founders of private universities, who tend to feel a priori that such institutions are for money making from Day One. This viewpoint is wrong and accounts for the mushrooming of several underperforming “glorified university colleges” in Nigeria.
At this juncture, let me complain that, perhaps, Prof had too many tales to tell that he forgot to include a fairy-tale encounter which paired us together on an NUC Committee that was set up to inquire into why Plateau State University (PLASU) had not graduated any student till 2015, though it was established in 2005.
Prof was the Chairman of this risky committee that saw us sneaking into Jos and Bokkos, and were hurriedly evacuated back to Jos before nightfall, as neither the governor nor SSG of the state welcomed our mission. The committee succeeded in rescuing the university from the brink of collapse because we had an experienced, non-quitting and resilient chairman, whose whole life is guided by his faith.
I should not fail to note that Mama passed on gloriously on Saturday, October 11, 2008 when Prof was serving as the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council of UNAD.
Let me pause here to reflect that this blockbuster of a book is actually a 3-part thriller that could have been conveniently split into two volumes: “Growing up, Family and Academic Tales” and “Professional Exploits and Contributions”. However the resonating thread of being “Lifted” (divinely or mysteriously) and being a passionate vessel to Lift others on his way or path beautifully weaves and nests the entire volume into a whole that it may be hard for you to know that “you are getting two books in one”.
This talks to the mystic, the humaneness, the generosity and the considerate mien that together hallmark the life of the author since he came out of his mother’s womb. The running thread talks to the trials and tribulations, envy, treachery, greed, disappoints, injustice, deadly and toxic intrigues that run in the underbelly of every lizard that we assume is doing well because we cannot feel its pain, yet on the flip-side, are also stories of mysterious glorious and triumphant escapes, victories, celebrations and joys unlimited. They were all there growing up, at adulthood through the schools, including the university and the graduate school. How and where will you not encounter and interact with human beings, hence it continues even in professional life, in government, at the university classrooms, everywhere. Ori eni ni nko ni yo, ka dupe lowo ori (it is our heavenly being that saves us from the vicissitudes of life, hence we must thank our stars), the mystic that guards and guides us through the storms, hills and valleys. Today, we are celebrating Olufemi Adeniyi’s victory, as we thank God for his life. That includes his lovely family.
The later chapters, but one (12 to 17), which I dubbed Volume II, detail and illuminate Prof’s professional life of selfless service to humanity and country, featuring a diverse array of experiences, from contributions to remote sensing education, practice and application in Africa to involvement in rural development programmes in Nigeria. These include service in DFRRI, NALDA, and the unfinished businesses of PTCLR and the NRDC that remain still-born in the underbelly of Nigeria (I deliberately kept the acronyms so you will be compelled to seek their full meaning in the book).
The engagement and solid professional and expert contribution to land reform initiatives and collation of the inventory of community-based infrastructure projects in Nigeria and specifically, closer home in Ekiti State, underscores a commitment to societal progress and transformation. All these with considerable challenges, deadly encounters with greed and corruption, but also with an oasis of successes, such as when help came from unexpected quarters after all hope was lost. Such was when the then SGF came to the rescue of the National Inventory of Community-based Infrastructure Projects.
To God be all the Glory.
I will then leave you to find out in the last Chapter 18, what the author called “a poignant turn” as he reflected on the misadventure into a business partnership, that generated many lessons of pitfalls, wrong assumptions and risks.
This chapter underlines the author’s commitment to truth, honest engagement and patriotism, which in today’s Nigeria exposes such persons, who are very few, and getting fewer and fewer, to risks, danger and exposure to trick-stars and scammers.
In all, for a big volume of 521 pages with a well detailed index, three or four typo errors mean nothing, the most glaring is taking Mrs Margaret I. Omosule to be a male on page 348. This autobiography of Adeniyi is highly recommended as a treasure that everybody should have. Be ye Lifted. I have been thoroughly enriched reading through its pages. I congratulate the author for the great painstaking recollection of all the stories so beautifully narrated.
Actually, I feel challenged and immensely Lifted to emulate this great dedication to diligence and excellence.
Get your copy now, and buy for friends, relations, classmates and anyone that you want to be Lifted.
