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  • UI remains Ayo Banjo constituency, says DVC

    UI remains Ayo Banjo constituency, says DVC

    The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration of the University of Ibadan, Professor Peter Olapegba, has said that the University of Ibadan remains the constituency of Late Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, saying the community would continue to honour his meritorious service to humanity and his enduring legacies.

    Professor Olapegba made the remarks on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale while receiving members of the Nigerian Academy of Letters during a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor’s office.

    The DVC said Professor Ayo Banjo was the most profound Vice-Chancellor UI has had, not only because he was the longest-serving Vice-Chancellor but also due to his significant contributions to humanity and the legacies that he left behind.

    He expressed happiness that the NAL would be honouring the late Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo.

    Professor Olapegba said he was not surprised when the NAL President stated that UI has the largest membership in the NAL and the highest number of fellows, given that UI is the first university in the country, and many Professors of English in the country were taught by people who attended UI.

    The DVC assured that UI will continue to produce outstanding individuals for the country and the world.

    Read Also: Of Ayo Banjo, ‘Femi Falana’ and heydays of student activism at UI

    Professor Olapegba said: “We need to celebrate Prof. Ayo Banjo and keep celebrating him,” noting that UI had already immortalised him by naming the Vice-Chancellor’s lodge “Ayo Banjo Manor” while he was still alive.

    The President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Professor Sola Akinrinade, earlier in his remarks said the UI contingent in academics is one of the largest and strongest, and it is a pride to meet with them.

    He explained that the purpose of the visit was to enable NAL to celebrate the Late Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo at an International Symposium organised in his honour because he was the second President of the Academy and one of its pillars.

    He appreciated UI for hosting the Secretariat of the Nigerian Academy of Letters for many years.

    Professor Akinrinade said that there is a Book of Tributes for Professor Ayo Banjo that will be presented to the family.

    He commended the UI community for holding Late Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo in high esteem and continuing to celebrate his legacies

    Emeritus Professor Munzali Jubril of Bayero University Kano will be delivering the keynote lecture titled “The State of the Nigerian English Art”, he added.

  • Of Ayo Banjo, ‘Femi Falana’ and heydays of student activism at UI

    Of Ayo Banjo, ‘Femi Falana’ and heydays of student activism at UI

    Events, incidences and circumstances often coalesce to bring about the remembrances of things gone and things that make for how the present is constituted out of the past. The months of May and June brought about such reminiscing in the very sad events of the demise of Professor Ayo Banjo, followed almost immediately in June by that of my formidable foe and later lifelong friend, late Femi Oladele Lucas Falana (no relation with the SAN – that being a story for another day!). These two significant figures in my character and professional maturation are not unconnected; the three of us occupied a fundamental temporal space at a point in time. And that space conditioned the emergence and consolidation of a significant part of my perspectives on life, leadership and the task of societal, governance and institutional reforms. I mourn these two solid people specially because of the roles Providence allowed them to play in my evolution and foundational leadership training—and I on theirs. Human relations are for mutual reinforcement, either for good or for ill. And sometimes when issues are developing in our relationship with others—either for good or for ill—we have no ideas how those issues and circumstances will mold us. This is the point of my reminiscing about my relationship with the late Ayo Banjo and Femi Oladele Falana.

    I fondly refer to the late Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo as “my Vice Chancellor”, but most people do not know the depth of the gratitude I owe the late professor and his deep humaneness. My relationship with the late Falana was however adversarial and turbulent. And it was the confrontation between us, during the period when student union activism at the University of Ibadan in the early 1980s was most critical, that brought Prof. Ayo Banjo as a humane mediator. My encounters with these figures, and with many others, contributed immensely to how I would perceive my professional future. When Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, a distinguished professor at the Department of English, University of Ibadan, and one of the key players at the period in time, narrated this series of events in his eulogy to the memory of Professor Banjo, just like the renowned columnist and my classmate, Segun Ayobolu, did earlier, I felt compelled to stretch the narrations to be able to articulate my appreciation to those Providence has brought my way, and in gratitude to God for making my maturation worthy of a salute to those who have impacted me.

    As an undergraduate, my embedded interest and immersion in student unionism was an opportunity cost of earning a sterling degree as an undergraduate. However, what I lost in terms of an excellent grade, I gained in terms of an initiation into a learning curve in transformational leadership orientation that articulates nation-building, development expertise and reform advocacy and expertise into a professional portfolio.

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    I cut my student union activism as a member of the executive of the Federation of Oyo State Student Union. My audacity, or if you like, notoriety, especially with the Bola Ige administration has been the subject of many pieces, and is beautifully narrated in my memoir, The Unending Quest for Reform (2023). It therefore does not bear a re-telling here for the constraint of space.  It was therefore that reputation for activism, and especially my concern with student welfare that got me involved in a series of campus-wide conversation and consultation during the incumbency of Bayo Olowo-Ake as SUG president. The conversation was around the need to focus commitment to a university development while abjuring an adversarial unionism for unionism’s sake. Hence, the key stakeholders at the university level were resolved to facilitate the emergence of a consensus candidate for the SUG presidency and a successor to Bayo Olowo-Ake. After some rigorous interviews and consultation, I emerged as consensus candidate out of many.

    Of course, not every stakeholder has the best interest of the university at heart. I was summoned by the Pyrate Confraternity and provided with a set of conditions that would facilitate its acceptance of my candidature. I refused these conditions as a matter of principle. My dedication to philosophical reflection and principles derived in part from my political science learning up unto that time had imbued me with some circumspection enough for me to be able to see through the implications of a derailment of purpose. But I was still too naïve to anticipate the extent the Confraternity was willing to go to have its way. Of course I lost the election, and Femi Falana was the hatchet man. He had the right amount of notoriety and radicality to fit into the Pyrates’ agenda. Unfortunately, his tenure set off perhaps one of the most violent student riots in the history of student activism at the University of Ibadan.  

  • Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo—A lovely man

    Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo—A lovely man

    By Kolade Mosuro

    The conference call came in on the morning of May 24, from his daughters, Bunmi and Yinka, that their father, Prof Ayo Banjo, had passed on. The news was met with a moment of silence, my heart missed a beat, but I composed myself enough to comfort them. To the world, Prof Ayo Banjo, a star academic, had passed on. To them, it was their father who had passed, and these were two different matters. They sobbed from the weight of the loss. The personal bereavement was bound to transcend family because Prof Ayo Banjo was distinguished not only for his academics but also equally distinguished and lovely for his friendliness and the sweetness of his general disposition.

    I met him for the first time in 1963 at Government College, Ibadan, where he was a teacher. He briefly taught us English in 1964.

    Prof Ayo Banjo was an unmistakable personality. He was tall, sprightly and elegant. His writing was neat and clear. The writing had a special calligraphic loop to it which made it uniquely different and legible. It gave the picture of a reflective, precise and organised mind. And he was. In voice, he had a baritone, acquired from his father—deep, calmly, assuredly and inviting. It was a voice that characterised his persona. It was also a voice that distinctly conveyed his profession. English had to be enunciated with flex, tenor and tone. With him, the delivery was with a distinct voice.

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    I was in one of his many presentations as the vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, where he stood, as usual, tall while his voice reverberated, bouncing off the walls of Trenchard Hall, commanding the full attention of the audience and fascinating the listener. Late Professor Tunde Bajah, sitting next to me, was enraptured. He looked at me, ‘I will follow this man blindfolded’, he submitted. He was under the spell of good leadership and so was the entire university when Professor Banjo led them. There was that aura about him. He exuded leadership, grace, humility and charm. Whatever the assignment, you knew Prof Banjo was deep, measured and balanced in action. For that reason, the academic community across the country took their problems to him and he gladly obliged.

    In 1994, about thirty years after our first interaction, we met again, this time professionally. He had, of course, gone on to seal an outstanding career and considerable reputation as an academic and an administrator in the university while I was a burgeoning publisher. I was going to be publishing a book for him and Prof Ayo Bamgbose, another academic titan, titled New Englishes: A West African Perspective. That publishing assignment formed the beginning of a re-invigorated friendship that was to last to the very end.

    Some 22 or so years ago, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Britain, as part of her global cost-cutting measures asked the British Council to close down some of its libraries worldwide. For Nigeria, the libraries in Calabar, Kaduna, Ibadan, Enugu and Port Harcourt were marked to be closed. When word reached me, Dr Victoria Okojie, the British Council Librarian in Ibadan, and I went to see the late Prof Ladipo Akinkugbe, another academic giant, and then Prof Ayo Banjo. I argued rather than close the Ibadan British Council Library that we should take the British Council Library over. We should form a Society to run it. This gave birth to the Initiative for Information, Arts and Culture Development in Nigeria (IACD). Happily, the British Council acceded to our proposition and handed the Ibadan library to us. We turned it over, better than what it was, and it became more than a library for us. It became a Library and Resource Centre. At the start, the late Prof Ladipo Akinkugbe was our president, and then Prof Ayo Banjo before the baton was passed on to me.

    I remember vividly at its inception that Prof Ayo Banjo insisted that our mandate include a vision for the promotion of civilisation espoused through the written word. In very shrouded language, he was promoting the intercourse of knowledge across the world. Man’s advancement has been through rigour of thought and ideas, most of which have been documented. The library aspired to provide access and space for intergenerational interaction. That the Library and Resource Centre remains today, the only one out of the five marked to be closed 22 years after is a testament to his vision and an enduring legacy of his commitment to scholarship, his doggedness, and the resilience of the Society.

    About nine years ago, General Muhammad Buhari won the election for his first presidential term in office. As a result of this election victory and prior to assuming office, Buhari embarked on a goodwill trip around Nigeria to notable Nigerians who may have played a part in his success or whom he would be leaning on for support when he assumed office. The tour took him to Ijebu-Ode for a visit to the Awujale. To receive him, the Awujale, in turn, invited his chiefs and a few of his subjects to join him. I ran into Prof Banjo on the appointed date as we approached the big circular Lion Conference Room of the Awujale. This room was going to serve as a holding bay before proceeding to the Banquet Hall, all in the palace. By the time we got in, the room was filled up with only one empty seat available, which I nudged Prof Ayo Banjo to take. He moved to the seat and a few people came around to greet him while I stood by his seat so that we could engage in some conversation. Not long after, two courtiers from the palace politely approached him to let him know the seat he was on was the Awujale’s. Prof Banjo immediately sprang to his feet and joined me standing. For a brief moment, I told him he occupied the exalted throne, and I teased that in the presence of witnesses, he could well be described as a Temporary Awujale. He laughed heartily and those around who always thought he wore an unflappable mien were surprised to see him in that mood. Prof Ayo Banjo was full of humour and he could take a joke.

    A year after Prof Ladipo Akinkugbe died, about three years ago, there was going to be a memorial reception. I approached Prof Banjo as he alighted from his car at the reception hall. Suddenly, his legs gave way under him, and we both fell on top of one another. It was a wet day, and the dampness of the grounds cushioned our fall. We were helped up by onlookers. As he got up, he said to me, ‘Kolade, I want to sit at your table.’ ‘No, Sir. You are chairman of the event, and I will watch over you from a distance,’ I said to him. Those sturdy and agile legs that held firmly between the posts at Igbobi College, nimble feet that made runs between wickets at cricket, feet that moved stridently across the campus at the University of Ibadan were now wobbly. Age now was beginning to tell.

    If you were close to him, one of the most common words he used was, lovely. If you did anything right, he would say lovely. If you brought him anything, he would say lovely. If he engaged you in conversation, in closing, he would say lovely. He used the word lovely interchangeably as a synonym for good, thanks, affirmation and beauty. The truth of the matter was that he was the loveliest man you could ever find. What we will miss most about him is this boundless love for all and sundry. Love rang out loud, from mouth to mouth throughout the land on his demise, for the scholarship and happiness he supplied, in and outside the university, and for his pleasing disposition. He was a lovely, lovely man.

    •Dr Mosuro is a publisher and bookseller

  • Ayo Banjo (1934 – 2024)

    Ayo Banjo (1934 – 2024)

    Longest-serving UI VC and literary giant

    His autobiography, ‘Morning by Morning,’ published in 2019, according to a reviewer, shows that he played “a major role” in the establishment of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited. It is the country’s biggest and most prestigious literary prize.  Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo was Chair, Advisory Board of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, for about 16 years. He left the position in 2021, and became Life Patron of the Literature and Criticism prizes. His legacy includes this noteworthy contribution to the development of literature in Nigeria. He died on May 24, aged 90.

     Also notable was his impact as a university administrator.  Banjo’s memoir, ‘In the Saddle: A Vice-Chancellor’s Story,’ published in 1997, captures his years at the apex of university administration at the University of Ibadan (UI), including two years as deputy vice-chancellor, one year as acting vice-chancellor and seven years as vice-chancellor (1984 – 1991), respectively. He was the university’s first two-term vice-chancellor, and the longest-serving vice-chancellor in the university’s history.  During this period, he was the chairman, committee of vice-chancellors of Nigerian universities (1989 – 1990).

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    He displayed humility by returning to the classroom to lecture after completing his tenure as vice-chancellor. He was given the title ‘Professor Emeritus’ after he retired in 1994, showing that he retired in good standing, and in recognition of his distinguished service to the university. 

    Interestingly, his retirement at the age of 60 had coincided with a new Federal Government policy on extension of retirement age to 65 years for academic staff, but he chose to exit despite a formal request from the university management that he should reconsider his departure.  

    Born in Oyo, in present-day Oyo State, he attended Igbobi College, Lagos, and the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan. He earned a first degree in English from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1959. He got a Post-graduate Diploma in Education at Leeds, and did a French course in France before returning to Nigeria in 1960.

     He later got a master’s in Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, and a doctorate with specialisation in English Language from the University of Ibadan, in 1969.  He was appointed associate professor in 1973, and became a full professor in 1975 at the University of Ibadan. From the early 1970s until he was appointed deputy vice-chancellor in 1981, he consistently wrote English course books and dictionaries for primary and secondary levels.

    Based on his experience in university administration, he was appointed pro-chancellor, University of Port-Harcourt, 2000-2004; pro-chancellor, University of Ilorin, 2005 – 2007; pro-chancellor, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, 2005 to 2014; and chairman, committee of pro-chancellors of Nigerian Universities, 2000-2004, among others. 

    Also, he was Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), and its president, 2000 – 2004. He was also Fellow of the Nigeria English Studies Association. He received the Nigerian national honour, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2001, and the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) in 2009. These national honours underlined the acknowledgement of his contribution to the development of Nigeria.

    In an interview in 2017, he observed that the standard of spoken English in Nigeria had declined, and blamed the situation on the quality of teaching at the various levels of education. “I don’t think the schools have been doing a good job teaching English. Many users of the language are very deficient, whether you look at the pronunciation, the vocabulary or its pragmatics,” he said.

    According to him, “Now, with the explosion in public education, many people are taught English, but they are taught very badly. The English of the English teachers is not something to write home about and that is why the language is deteriorating in Nigeria.”

  • UI’s ex-VC Ayo Banjo dies at 90

    UI’s ex-VC Ayo Banjo dies at 90

    Former vice-chancellor, University of Ibadan, Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo, is dead, The Nation learnt yesterday.

    He was aged 90.

    A source in the university, who confirmed his demise to The Nation, said the don died early Friday morning.

    The ace academic had celebrated his 90th birthday on May 2.

    The late Banjo, renowned for his contributions to the development of the English Language curriculum in Nigeria and the promotion of Nigerian varieties of English, was a former Chairman of the Board of the National Universities Commission.

    He was Pro-Chancellor of the Universities of Port Harcourt, Ilorin and Ajayi Crowther.

    Banjo’s scholarly contributions include over 50 publications and widely used textbooks in primary and secondary education.

    He was born into the family of late Pa. Reverend Samuel Ayodele Banjo, a graduate, an educationist and a teacher at St. Andrew Primary School, Oyo; the period when Prof. Ayodeji Banjo was born. He is a native of Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

    He started his education career at the St. Andrew Anglican Primary School where he did standard One (1) to three (3).

    On transfer of his father to Christ Cathedral Primary School in Lagos on same mission, he completed his Standard Four (4) and Five (5) at St. Aroloya and Christ Cathedral Primary Schools both in Lagos.

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    He attended Igbobi College, Lagos from 1947 to 1952 for his secondary education.

    Following his sound academic background and excellent performance at ‘A’ Level Class at the Nigeria College of Arts Science and Technology, Ibadan, on nomination, Prof. Banjo was awarded the British Council Scholarship in 1959 to study Master of Arts (M. A.) in English Language at the University of Glasgow, Scotland.

    He thereafter proceeded to do Post-Graduate Diploma in education (PG in education) and Post-Graduate Diploma in English Studies at University of Leeds in England and came out with distinction.

    In 1966, he was awarded a scholarship by the American State Department to study Master of Arts (M. A.) in Linguistics at the University of California, Los Angeles, United State of America (U. S. A.). He got his Ph.D with specialization in English Language at the University Ibadan, Ibadan in 1969.

    Professor Banjo’s work experience was garnered across several countries of the world. During Summer, he was consistently travelling to the Oxford University press, England to write English Course Books and Oxford Dictionaries at primary and for secondary levels.

    This work he did from early 70’s until he was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan in 1981.

    Prof. Ayodeji Banjo has to his credit over 55 publications (books, chapters in books and articles in learned journals).

    He spent 10 Years, consistently in the University of Ibadan, managing the affairs of the university; two (2) years as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, one (1) year as Acting Vice-Chancellor and seven years as Vice-Chancellor respectively.

    Records have shown that Prof. Banjo is the longest-serving Vice-Chancellor in the history of the University of Ibadan to date!

    On successful completion of his tenure as Vice-Chancellor in 1991, Prof. Banjo humbly displayed academic humility by returning to the classroom to lecture.

    In 1994, he clocked 60 years of age in service and consequently retired from the service of the university.

    Ajayi Crowther University mourns

    Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), Oyo has joined the horde of sympathisers mourning the passage of Prof Banjo who passed on at the age of 90.

    The university through the Chairman, Governing Council, Dr Olutoyin Okeowo and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Timothy Adebayo, said it received the death of the Emeritus Professor with sadness.

    The late Ayo Banjo, who died 22 days after celebrating his 90th birthday, served as the pioneer Pro-Chancellor of ACU and later, chairman of the University Board of Trustees, succeeding Emeritus Prof Oladipo Akinkugbe.

    Before he became pioneer Pro-Chancellor of ACU, he had served as chairman of the university implementation committee.

    In a tribute dedicated to the deceased, Okeowo described him as a visionary leader whose legacy in ACU will forever be remembered.

    He said: “Today, we honour and remember our pioneer Pro-Chancellor, Emeritus Prof Ayo Banjo, a visionary leader and pioneering Pro-Chancellor of our great University, whose legacy will forever be etched in the annals of our institution.

    “He was not only a guiding light for our university but also a source of inspiration for countless students, faculty, and colleagues.

    “He dedicated his life to the pursuit of academic excellence and the betterment of higher education.

    “He believed in the transformative power of education and worked tirelessly to ensure that our University provided the highest quality of learning and development opportunities.

    “Under his stewardship, our institution flourished, achieving milestones that many deemed impossible.

    “His tenure as Pro-Chancellor was marked by groundbreaking initiatives and unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and integrity.

    “Ayo Banjo championed the creation of state-of-the-art facilities, the development of cutting-edge research programmes, and the expansion of our outreach.”

    In his own tribute, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adebayo, said beyond the late Banjo’s professional achievements, he was also known for his compassion, wisdom, and generosity.

    He said: “He was a mentor to many, always willing to lend an ear and offer sage advice. His humility and kindness endeared him to all who had the privilege of knowing him.

    “As we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will continue to inspire future generations.”

    A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, described the death of late Emeritus Ayo Banjo as the end of a glorious era.

    Noting that the late Banjo would be sorely missed, Olayinka who was the 12th VC of UI, said the deceased was highly approachable in his lifetime and remains the longest serving VC of University after serving for a period of seven years.

    Olayinka said: “I have just learned of the transition of Professor Emeritus Ladipo Ayo Banjo, the longest serving Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (1984 to 1991).

    “This is very sad news even at a ripe old age of 90 years. The end of a most glorious era. Rest in perfect peace, Baba. You will be sorely missed by all of us who knew you.

    “Heartfelt condolences to his entire family and to all of us his mentees and academic children. We valued your wise counsel at all times.

    “You were highly approachable. An icon. An eminent citizen of the world. The gift of UI to humanity.

    “It hurts very deeply to start referring to you in the past tense. Nonetheless, we thank God for your life of selfless service and worthwhile legacies. Good night, Sir.”

  • Ajayi Crowther University mourns pioneer pro-chancellor, Ayo Banjo

    Ajayi Crowther University mourns pioneer pro-chancellor, Ayo Banjo

    Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), Oyo, has joined the throng of sympathisers, who are mourning the passage of Emeritus Prof Ayo Banjo who passed on Friday, May 24, at the age of 90.

    The University through the chairman of the governing council, Olutoyin Okeowo, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Timothy Adebayo, said it received the death of the Emeritus Prof Ayo Banjo with sadness.

    The late Ayo Banjo who died on Friday, days after celebrating his 90th birthday, served as the pioneer Pro-Chancellor of ACU and later, chairman of the University Board of Trustees, succeeding Emeritus Prof Oladipo Akinkugbe.

    Before he became the pioneer Pro-Chancellor of ACU, he served as chairman of the university implementation committee.

    In a tribute dedicated to the deceased, Okeowo described him as a visionary leader whose legacy in ACU will forever be remembered.

    He said: “Today, we honor and remember our pioneer Pro-Chancellor, Emeritus Prof Ayo Banjo, a visionary leader and pioneering Pro-Chancellor of our great University, whose legacy will forever be etched in the annals of our institution.

    “He was not only a guiding light for our University but also a source of inspiration for countless students, faculty, and colleagues.

    Read Also: Ayo Banjo’s death signals end of era, says ex-UI vice chancellor Olayinka

    “He dedicated his life to the pursuit of academic excellence and the betterment of higher education. He believed in the transformative power of education and worked tirelessly to ensure that our University provided the highest quality of learning and development opportunities. Under his stewardship, our institution flourished, achieving milestones that many deemed impossible.

    “His tenure as Pro-Chancellor was marked by groundbreaking initiatives and unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and integrity. Ayo Banjo championed the creation of state-of-the-art facilities, the development of cutting-edge research programs, and the expansion of our outreach.

    In his own tribute, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adebayo, said beyond the late Banjo’s professional achievements, he was also known for his compassion, wisdom, and generosity.

    He said: “He was a mentor to many, always willing to lend an ear and offer sage advice. His humility and kindness endeared him to all who had the privilege of knowing him.

    “As we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will continue to inspire future generations.”

  • Ayo Banjo’s death signals end of era, says ex-UI vice chancellor Olayinka

    Ayo Banjo’s death signals end of era, says ex-UI vice chancellor Olayinka

    A former vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka has described the death of late Emeritus Ayo Banjo as the end of a glorious era.

    Noting that the late Banjo would be sorely missed, Olayinka who was the 12th VC of UI, said the deceased was highly approachable in his lifetime and remains the longest-serving VC of the University after serving for seven years.

    Olayinka said: “I have just learned of the transition of Professor Emeritus Ladipo Ayo Banjo, the longest-serving Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (1984 to 1991).

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    “This is very sad news even at a ripe old age of 90 years. The end of a most glorious era. Rest in perfect peace, Baba. You will be sorely missed by all of us who knew you.

    “Heartfelt condolences to his entire family and to all of us his mentees and academic children. We value your wise counsel at all times.

    “You were highly approachable. An icon. An eminent citizen of the world. The gift of UI to humanity.

    “It hurts very deeply to start referring to you in the past tense. Nonetheless, we thank God for your life of selfless service and worthwhile legacies. Good night, Sir.”

  • FOR AYO BANJO AT 90

    FOR AYO BANJO AT 90

    Seasons come, seasons  go

    But your virtues remain steady

    Untouched by passing fancies

    Below is a slightly amended version

    Of my ode to the Teacher

    Two remarkable  decades ago. . . .

     Old teachers never die; 

    They simply wax wiser with passing moons. . .  

    Old teachers never die

    The wine of age is winking in your glass,

    Sip it in style;

    Sip it with relish.

    For when you sat in the saddle*,

    You never rode roughshod upon our earth.

    Your voice called up our depths 

    Your silence gingered us into song          

    Our growing scrawls mellowed into hieroglyphs  

    On the tender papyrus that was your palm:

    (Allophones we all, of your happy phoneme)

    Liberal star, compassionate moon. Scion of a stock in league with Light

    Let your ebony laughter unknot our brows          

    As we journey all season from sky to sky         

    Powered by the wind of your word.

    Morning by morning

    We count your blessings

    And regard our days

               Old teachers never die;          

    They simply wax wiser with passing moons. .

     In the Saddle and Morning by Morning are two exceptionally crafted and evocative autobiographies of Ayo Banjo.

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  • Don seeks more funding for education

    Emeritus Professor and former Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan (U.I), Ayo Banjo, has urged government to put in more funding into the educational system in the country.

    He spoke in Lagos at a National Conference on Quality Education: Access and Rights Management in Nigeria, organised by Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG) in collaboration with Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.

    Banjo noted that government is not putting in enough money into education, saying that is causing Nigeria to lose many talents.

    According to him, “Young Nigerians are excelling through their natural talents and gifts or through home advantage. But there must be geniuses who are wasting away. It is the business of education to prevent the wastage. We must start by providing decent environment for educating the children.  What we call schools these days is nothing to write home about and we cannot expect them to display their best quality in an environment that is not conducive. We are not putting enough money into education and this is making us to loose many talents.”

    “You don’t run a University and it is only the nationals teaching there. If you make a bad life you will produce a bad life. If we provide quality education, this country would shoot up.

    On the issue of piracy in Nigeria, he advised that strong penalty should be imposed on anyone who is caught.

    “This issue of piracy must be discouraged in Nigeria. It is unfortunate that the people who are supposed to check this out are part of it. The law should be strict on piracy.”

    REPRONIG Chairman, Olu Obafemi said: “For Nigeria to attain quality education and guarantee a sustainable publishing industry rights must not only be protected but we must also promote access and provide a mechanism to recompense authors and publishers.

    He said the society must give attention to people with disabilities.

    “All institution structures, libraries and the books as well as academic materials must be made with effort that the physically challenged can have access to it,” he said.

    He noted that piracy had increased the depth of criminality in the country.

    “It is alarming that writers find their works imprecated and they cannot make economic benefit from their work.  This shows the depth of criminality piracy has put this country into. Many writers are suffering under the pains of piracy and it must be checked.

    Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Dr Abdullahi Baffa, represented by Director, Academic Staff, Training and Development, TETFUND,  Dr Salihu Bakari, said government has done a lot in the educational system but more needs to be done in the area of funding, noting that until education is taken seriously,  the  and we must take education seriously with high quality,  the country will not progress

  • FG reconstitutes boards of agencies, parastatals in education ministry

    FG reconstitutes boards of agencies, parastatals in education ministry

    April 7, 2017 (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reconstitution of the boards of 19 agencies and paratatals under the Federal Ministry of Education for a period of four years.

    Mrs Chinenye Ihuoma, Director of Press in the ministry, made this known in a statement issued and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

    Ihuoma said the President took into cognizance provisions of the respective legislation with respect to composition, competence, credibility, integrity, federal character and geo-political spread.

    She said those appointed are Prof. Ayo Banjo, National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr Emeka Nwajiuba, Tertiary Education Trust Fund( TETFund) and Dr Ekaete Okon, National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA).
    Others are Dr Mahmud Mohammed, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Prof. Zainab Alkali, National Library of Nigeria and Dr Abubakar Saddiq, National Examination Council (NECO).
    Also, Dr Gidado Akko, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), Prof. Gidado Tahir, National Commission for Normadic Education (NCNE) and Prof. Leonard Karshima, National Business and Technical Education (NABTEB) made the list.
    Prof. Adamu Baikie Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Maigari Dingyadi, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and Malam Kaka Yale, National Teachers’ Institute (NTI).
    Prof. Buba Bajoga, National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Dr. Emmanuel Ndukwe Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Chief N. N Nnabuchi National Institute of Nigerian Languages (NINLAN).
    Mr Paul Unongo, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and Prof. Saliba Mukoro, Nigerian French Language Village (NFLV).
    Others are Prof. Modupe Adelabu, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Prof. O Oladusi Nigerian Arabic Language Village (NALV).

    She said the Boards, consisting of the Chairmen and Members, would be inaugurated on a date to be announced soon.