Both are twins, identical, cerebral, soft-spoken and humility personified. They are also academic dons who have impacted lives and inspired so many. The two professors, Taiwo and Kehinde Adenegan recently clocked 45 to the delight of friends and family. Taiwo Abiodun shared moments with them.
They are twin brothers and identical in virtually every aspect you may think of. Both have similar facial features, gesticulate the same way, have the same mannerism, act and dress the same way; they also wear the same clothes more of the times, and above all, they have identical voices. Literally, one can hardly differentiate between the two. Not even their wives can differentiate between them by their voices.
They have also grown up together, separating only on very few inevitable occasions. Both attended same elementary school, same high school and the same higher institutions.
Welcome to the world of identical twins: Taiwo Samuel Adenegan and Kehinde Emmanuel Adenegan.
To start with, both are university dons, though working in different institutions.
Taiwo is a Professor of Counselling Psychology with specialisation in Youth and Adolescent with a bias in Marital and Family Therapy, which he obtained from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is the current Director of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance at Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, having in the immediate past held the position of Dean of Students’ Affairs in the same institution. He is the current Chairman of the Counselling Association of Nigeria (CASSON), Ondo State Chapter.
Taiwo studied Biology in his first degree at Adeyemi College of Education (OAU).
Dr. Kehinde Adenegan, on his part, is an IT guru, a Financial Mathematician and Chief Lecturer at Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, where he’s already recognised as an Associate Professor. He is the pioneer Rector of the new Adeyemi College of Technology Ondo and former Director of Management Information Systems of Adeyemi College of Education (now University). He made a first class in Mathematics in his first degree from the same Adeyemi (OAU), which he followed with Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Financial Mathematics from the University of Ibadan.
Top of their classes
The twins attended St. Andrew’s Primary School, Owo, Ondo State and both proceeded to Owo High School and Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo State for their first degrees. They later went to the University of Ibadan for their Master’s and Doctorate degrees.
According to Taiwo, “We were in different classes from primary school but we always led our respective classes. When I scored 94 percent, my twin brother would score 92 percent and vice versa. Our father, Solomon Adenegan did not want us to be in the same class and we accepted.
“When we finished in flying colours from Owo High School, we applied to read Medicine and sat for Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination”. Kehinde takes over: “It was a divine arrangement for both of us as we wanted to study Medicine but we did not meet up with the cut off marks even though we chose different institutions. But surprisingly, we saw our names in one of the national dailies, where we were being offered admission in different courses. I was admitted to study Mathematics and Chemistry while Taiwo was given Biology and Agricultural Science at Adeyemi College of Education. We both brainstormed over it and reluctantly accepted. This was with the intervention of the Ven. Ezekiel Dahunsi (now Bishop) and Chief Olufemi Omosanya, who counselled us to accept the offers. We believe God had a reason. If we had studied Medicine, maybe we would not have read up to the level of becoming professors. However, we have achieved our mission of impacting positively on humanity, as we teach students and touch lives.”
Never quarrelled
Asked if they quarrel like other siblings, the twins answer was: “No, never. We have never had any quarrel. What could cause it? Yes, we could argue, reason together and find solutions to whatever we argued upon. But we have never had any cause to call a third party to settle us, never!”
Kehinde who is the more vocal said, “Would you believe we grew up without playmates?”
Taiwo corroborated: “Yes, we were our own friends! We read together, solved Mathematics problems together without calling any body. But later on we discovered that we needed a friend. So, we formally wrote to a young man of our age, requesting him to be our friend. He agreed and that was how we became friends Abiola Akingbemisilu till date. He is now Dr. Abiola Akingbemisilu, a Senior Lecturer at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Akoko, Ondo State”.
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The twins however said they never took advantage of their identical nature to play pranks on people.
“We don’t play pranks because we were brought up in a Christian home. Our father is a retired Headmaster, a practising Christian and a disciplinarian. He taught us the way of God and reminded us that there is judgement day and there should be fear of God. So we have the fear of God and had never played pranks on anybody,” Taiwo said.
As a result of their devotion to their Christian faith, Kehinde said: “We both hold important positions in Ondo State Anglican Communion Church.”
Kehinde is a long serving Church and Archdeaconry treasurer of Ondo Anglican Diocese and Ondo Province as well as Assistant Secretary of all treasurers in Supra West Board, consisting of over 60 Dioceses.
Taiwo, on his part, has been the President of Anglican Youth Fellowship (Nig.), later ACF and leading in other segments of the Anglican Church. He is, at present, the Chaplain of the Achievers University Chapel of Grace and Glory.
No rivalry
According to Taiwo, “We have been used to wearing same clothes from cradle. In fact, if you are giving us gifts, it must be two or else we would not accept. If Kehinde travelled out, he would make sure he bought two of same clothes; same with me.”
Kehinde who lives in Ondo said, “I remember when Taiwo came to pay me a visit at my station in Ondo, I wore the same clothe as he did, yet we never told ourselves what to wear!”
Not surprisingly their wives can identity and differentiate between them only by their physicality, but not by their voices.
Kehinde said: “Our wives can identify us physically,” but according to Taiwo, “they are not able to through our voices because our voices are similar! On several occasions, they have had to ask who was on phone, if we were away and together. Even our parents could not differentiate between us from our voices.”
Challenges of being identical
On several occasions, each of the twins has been mistaken for the other.
Taiwo, laughing, said: “We face a lot of problems in that regard. Any time Kehinde comes to my place of work at Achievers University, my students would be greeting him and telling him about their assignments. And when they see him waiting for me in my office, they would beseech him with problems about their work, such that when I finally arrive, they are left confused.”
“One day my boss met my twin brother, Taiwo at the Murtala Mohamed Airport, Lagos and expressed surprised that I, Kehinde, did not notify him before embarking on the journey. To add salt to injury, Taiwo, who of course did not know my boss, did not greet him, which shocked him the more. What effrontery, he thought, vowing that I would meet him at the office whenever he returned from his tour. I learnt the drama went on for some minutes until someone who knew that I had an identical twin brother, spoke with Taiwo, who told him that he was Taiwo and not Kehinde. I was told my boss was stupefied!”
When reminded that one of them is taller than the other, they both laughed and said in unison: “It is just an inch, and mind you it depends on where we’re standing.”
The twins also say they have been separated only thrice. Kehinde said, “First, we were separated in 2004 when we went for our compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC); Taiwo was posted to Yobe State, while I, Kehinde, was posted to Benue State. According to Taiwo, “We agreed to go to our different postings because we needed to experience life. And when Kehinde settled down, he called me to his station and vice versa. That is what we call education.”
Taiwo said “We were separated again in January 2007 when we were offered employment letters, and again in December 2007 when Kehinde got married. However, we didn’t leave each other. Not even our wives can separate us!”
The third separation was when each got employment – Taiwo to Achievers University, Owo while Kehinde got a job at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo.
“But that did not stop our relationship. We checked up on each other regularly; and thank God for technology, we communicate frequently,” said Kehinde.
According to Taiwo, working in different places has helped them explore the world and know more people.
Visited five continents, 14 countries
Both also have huge travel experience, largely on account of their work for different programmes, research, seminars, symposia, workshops among others.
Kehinde said: “To God be the glory, I have travelled to 14 countries and five continents while Taiwo too has also travelled a lot to attend programmes and seminars”.
The highly cerebral twins have also had their contributions in terms of academic journals, researches, and published books.
Aside published articles, Taiwo has written books such as: The Beauty in Virginity; Staircase to Happiness; Adolescent Sexuality: Implications for Counselling; Marriage: An Institution for Sustainable National Development; among others.
Kehinde too has done a lot of work in published articles. He has also authored a book: The Tale of Hexagon City, which is an interesting book mathematically structured in proverbial and historical form to depict a nation in the African race.
45th birthday
Asked how they celebrated their recent 45th birthday, Kehinde said: “We celebrated our birthday in differently memorable ways. I dressed up in white suit, black shirt with a red bow tie on white shoes and went to teach my regular lecture, Numerical Analysis between 8am and 10am. I came back to the office to cheers from my staff and colleagues. I then attended to memos and official matters before going home to join my wife, family members and the Rotary Club of Ondo-Adeyemi College members. We cut my birthday cake, and dined and wined together in celebration.
Taiwo on his part said, “I wore shades of black and white on the day; I was actively engaged with my students, attended to official matters amidst a surprise birthday goodies sent to my office by my wife. I then returned to my family for an indoor celebration”.
