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Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe: Five Years A Captain Of Our UNILAG

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Dele Jegede In Conversation With Prince Yemisi Shyllon

By Toyin Falola
University administration and management are not easy anywhere in the world, and it proves more difficult in the case of renowned, older, and more popular universities. Such universities are another world, with their modus operandi, several systems and workflows, and myriad problems. If such a university is domiciled in Nigeria, the challenge of management and administration more than doubles. Little to no attention is paid to the Nigerian education system, and the support that may be readily available for universities elsewhere is non-existent for Nigerian universities. Ironically, for a system that receives little support, funding and resources from the government and other supposed stakeholders, the Nigerian tertiary education system, especially the universities, receives a lot of criticism.

Accepting to manage a Nigerian university is almost an impossible mission that would expose one to public criticism and put one’s political, technical, and diplomatic abilities to test in ways one may have never experienced. However, Vice-Chancellors like Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe have demonstrated that no matter how Herculean the task, it is possible to effectively run Nigerian universities. In the past five years, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has enjoyed the services of an administrator who profoundly grasps what it takes to manage Nigerian universities.

I have a warm relationship with the University of Lagos and have known Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe for years, even before he ascended to the topmost management position at the university. Aside from his administrative strides, his life and career as an academic have been nothing short of wonderful, with awards, grants, and discoveries to his name. His work history is the definition of excellence. He is a technocratic administrator, a unique leader who understands the technical know-how and diplomatic aspect of governing a body and managing people. It is no wonder that despite the tribulations that nearly ended his Vice-Chancellorship, Prof. Ogundipe could steer the ship through the storm.

READ ALSO: Death, Drugs, And Dirges

Before becoming the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe demonstrated strong academic planning and management abilities at various levels of authority, from Head of Department to Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of academics and research. They say present responsibilities prepare one for even greater responsibilities, which is true for Prof. Ogundipe. His position as the administrative head of research and academics at the University of Lagos prepared him for the work of Vice-Chancellor.

Since Prof. Ogundipe has been Vice-Chancellor for the past few years, the University of Lagos has reclaimed its prime position as one of the nation’s best universities. There is also a deeply admirable thing about how the astute administrator and academic has managed the university, which is how he has reinforced the academic and research focus of the institution and openly supported and promoted extracurricular activities like sports and public speaking that contribute to holistic university education. Additionally, the University of Lagos has single-handedly or collaboratively launched initiatives such as the African Student Leaders Network to help its students and staff serve as societal change agents and innovators.

Prof. Ogundipe’s time as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos has seen the university receive research grants running into tens of billions of naira. The great thing about this is that the university’s research focus has encouraged academic members to pursue research projects and included students. The University of Lagos’ research focus under Ogundipe has been designed to produce some of the nation and continent’s best researchers, a mission that the prime and award-winning researcher and foremost botanist led by example.

Another remarkable aspect of Prof. Ogundipe’s administration at the University of Lagos is its progressiveness. The seasoned administrator and his team are forward-thinkers who have gauged the future of work and the transformation of this world post-COVID-19. They are introducing new programs to the University of Lagos system to supply Nigeria and the African continent with the type of skilled workforce the future requires. It is also worth noting that the institution was the first federal university to adopt a fully online mode of learning during the coronavirus pandemic, lending credence to the progressive mindset of this dynamic man.

READ ALSO: 20 Years Of African University College Of Communications (AUCC): Looking Back On The Achievements And Looking Forward To Innovative Upgrades

Furthermore, knowledge and its application are two distinct things, and the fact that one is informed in a specific field is no guarantee that one can apply such knowledge to achieve the right results. This phenomenon has manifested its truthfulness among leaders and administrators in Nigeria, including university executives, who, although knowing the theories of management, perform woefully in managerial positions. Prof. Ogundipe, however, is both knowledgeable and has demonstrated his ability to handle the administration of a university system. One memorable instance of this was at the first convening of the Carnegie Conference on Higher Education in Africa, where Prof. Ogundipe was the keynote speaker. His contributions demonstrated his sound knowledge of the intricacies of higher education in the African region, especially in Nigeria, including the problems the system faces, the causes of these problems, and why solving them has been somewhat elusive. Prof. Ogundipe’s inputs and observations that day take more than theoretical knowledge. It requires someone who has worked their way up through the system trying to make changes.

Prof. Ogundipe is one man who is more concerned about doing the work than revelling in the office or position. With such people, it is difficult to get back at them by relieving them of their position because their self-esteem, fulfilment, and joy are not tied to the position but to their service, people, and contributions. Thus, Prof. Ogundipe was not ruffled as many would have expected when he was briefly removed from office by the University of Lagos Governing Council, an action that subsequent happenings have further confirmed untrue and misrepresented the leadership, commitment, and excellence of the Ogundipe-led administration.

Whether good or bad, everything comes to an eventual end. This finality of everything about life means our deeds are what sustain us. People have negative thoughts about individuals whose periods of dominance and authority fueled personal and selfish interests at the expense of general progress and development. Likewise, posterity and legends are always kind to those who dedicate their life to stellar service. For Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, the end of his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos has come, and, without a doubt, posterity and legends will be kind to him for his commitment to the institution and how he proved that commitment through service. Wherever the new season may bear him, whether to the intellectual walls of an academic office, the technocratic boardroom of an international organization, or the intricacies of a political office, Prof. Ogundipe will deliver on the mission as he is wont to do.

READ ALSO: UNILAG VC Ogundipe To Give Keynote  Address At Impact Of Private Universities’ Conference

Congratulations to a decorated captain! May the ship bearing all your endeavours not capsize when you hand over the controls. Keep my song of victory on your walls and minds.
CAPTAIN OGUNDIPE

Like an agoyin-girl story,
Who danced to the melody of agony,
Selling happiness from a hot pot that hurt her head,
Making ends meet; ends that are never met,
To being beaten like a whore in Sweden,
Is the tale of many lives before the enthronement of Ogundipe

****
Like any other passenger in a ship of murky waters
In between life and death,
Ups and downs,
Troubles and more troubles;
We stayed sleepless and helpless,
But Captain Ogundipe came on to save us

****

READ ALSO: Conversations On The Impacts Of Private Universities On Public Universities In Africa (1)

Half a decade is gone
Years have passed
UNILAG waxing great
Lives formed; dreams built
Great strides, untold achievements
UNILAG breaking borders
Men are born; Kings are made
Legacies live on; kingdoms end
But Ogundipe’s vision is clear;
His name was a word that never missed in people’s mouths
In prayers; In talks; In ceremonies
His name was the theme song for all,
Students sang it, Staff sang it, Friends and family sang it
God blessed us; He gave us Ogundipe
And now UNILAG is great again!

****

Ogundipe, you’re “The Captain”
Whose power can drive a clan
Breathing in and out
Gasping, sighing, screaming, and shouting.
Spreading his arms wide and smile
Making himself tall, as tall as a mile
Doing the impossible
One, two, three or ten times

****

A milestone of achievements
Five solid years of making a name
The one that stays long even after death;
You surely deserve a statue
On the streets of UNILAG and its environs.

Falola is a Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies. He is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin.

 

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Opinion

Poisoning And Witchcraft Accusations In Africa

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Witch Burning, Impunity And Abuses Linked to Witchcraft Beliefs In Benue State
Dr. Leo Igwe

By Leo Igwe

A recent incident in Malawi illustrates the link between witchcraft accusations and poisoning. A lot has been said about how allegations of witchcraft manifest in various African communities, but enough attention has not been paid to how these accusations lead to the poisoning of the accused. It has been reported that two women, Tilise Kapaya, 55, and Stelia Kapaya, 64, have died after being accused of witchcraft in Malawi. The two women were not beaten to death or lynched. They took some poisonous concoctions following the allegations. The two sisters took the harmful substance because they could not bear the shame and stigma of being accused. The Police Spokesperson, Jacob Khembo, said the women went to a funeral in a nearby village, and while at the event people accused them of witchcraft. Some attendees started calling them witches. In response to this disturbing and embarrassing development, Tilise and Steila went home and took some local concoctions believed could cleanse them of witchcraft. They started vomiting and died before they could get some medical help.

Witchcraft accusation is a form of death sentence. The accused are often attacked and killed. As this case has illustrated, the accused poison themselves or are poisoned. Alleged witches are forced to drink poisonous concoctions, which lead to their death or health damage. The belief is that this concoction removes, or disables witchcraft powers. The concoction supposedly cleanses suspected witchcraft. The taking of this substance is an exoneration process to establish the guilt and innocence of the accused. Some local medicine men or women administer the concoctions. The recipe for preparing these concoctions is known in many communities. As in this case, alleged witches do not wait to be given the concoctions, they prepare and take the substance themselves. 

In many cases, family members pressure the accused to take these substances, to cleanse themselves, to free and exonerate themselves. The belief is that if they took the concoction and died, then they were witches. The concoction could make them vomit, and the belief is that the vomiting helps expunge witchcraft particles and powers. Sometimes, the concoction makes suspected witches hallucinate and begin to make utterances often mistaken as confessions. Most often those forced to take this concoction are elderly women and men who can barely resist the process. Poor people in rural communities, widows, and aging persons living alone with limited social support are usually the target.

This form of witch-hunting is pervasive in the villages. It is difficult to know the number of alleged witches who poison themselves, or are poisoned each year. They would be in their tens of thousands because these poisonous concoctions form part of the witch-hunting accessories. In witch hunting, the motivation is to eliminate the suspected witches, to murder and get rid of them. Cases of alleged witches who were poisoned have been reported not only in Malawi but also in Nigeria, Liberia, and Gambia.

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches condemns the poisoning of these two women in Malawi and calls for an end to the process of administering concoctions to alleged witches anywhere in the region. There is no link between witchcraft imaginaries and these concoctions. The administration of these concoctions is rooted in superstition-based socializations. As is usually the case, these women could not have taken these health-damaging concoctions without the involvement of family members. The police should investigate and ensure that those implicated in the murder of these women are brought to justice. The government should sanction the community head in the Ntcheu district where this incident occurred. The authorities should punish any person, traditional healer, or witch hunter who recommends or administers any harmful substance to suspected witches.
Dr. Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches.

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Self-esteem Of The Male Child, A Tool for Peaceful Marriage

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The Futility Of A Marital Chase
Dr. Hope Nwawolo

By Hope Nwawolo

Self-esteem determines how much you value yourself and believe in your ability to succeed. If you feel confident in being yourself around others, then you likely have high self-esteem. Having high self-esteem is related to increased happiness, relationship satisfaction, and resilience in the face of adversity. Some men went through bullying in childhood or adolescence, grew into men with deflated self-esteem. 

In more recent times, the society is veering off the mindset of training only the girl child. This is because the disturbing experiences of ladies, who were trained to be submissive to their untrained husbands, have changed the dynamics of child training. Eyes have opened to realize that if you train your girl child to be an angel in marriage, she might end up with a male child who grew into a monster in the same marriage because he was not trained. 

Training has different dimensions and the common one being offered the male child is that of having a caring heart and respect for his wife in future. This is highly commendable but not all encompassing. One aspect of training that is silently being ignored is that of development of self-esteem in the male child.

Nowadays, the girl child is encouraged to look at herself as one who is wonderfully made and should not be trampled by anyone, particularly, the opposite sex. This is helping to build the confidence and self-esteem of many girls who can now stand their ground on who they want to be as they grow older. These girls grow into ladies with confidence, taking on different challenges they come across as they aspire to reach the zenith of their careers. Observably, many successful ladies are able to balance their careers with demands of the home, and succeed. Now, women have their voices and demand to be heard, instead of only being seen as it was the case in the past. 

Unfortunately this new trend seems to be breeding a counter reaction in some men. There is the growing tendency for these men to become uncomfortable in the face of the obvious confidence of their wives. Unknowingly, some of the men sabotage their marriages because they fail to value themselves as persons to match their wives’ self-esteem. This is the crux of the article, and for the need to inculcate high self-esteem in the male child to balance the training of the girl child, if and when they come together for marriage, instead of seeing her as a threat because of her self-esteem. 

Expectedly, a woman with dignity and high self-esteem, will stand out anywhere and anytime. This has nothing to do with pride and does not even give the woman the right to attempt to usurp authority from the man. In fact, such  a woman may go an extra mile to clothe herself with humility, particularly, in the presence of her husband, at home or functions. Unfortunately, many men cannot just manage the success of their wives. They would rather see them as threats. Some expect the women to be seen and not heard, forgetting that silence in dignity can attract attention from those around. Of course, men with high self-esteem, are proud to have such women as their wives.

Furthermore, it is unnecessary, particularly in the present economic hardship where the woman is almost sharing responsibilities with the man. For such a woman with financial independence, the man must be ready to witness some temper flings. And if the general admonition to women is that they should study the men and know when to talk to them, the man should also understand that the woman might be on the wrong side of her temper, due to pressure at home or work, sometimes, rather than seeing her when she is in a bad mood, as insulting him, because of his low self-esteem. 

A man with low-esteem, often finds it hard to believe that he is lovable or worthy of being respected, particularly, if he sees the woman as one who is independent to some extent and capable of taking care of herself, and sometimes, the children . Such mindset can suffocate a relationship, as it may become almost impossible to please him. Understandably, the behaviour may not even be reflective of his character but symptoms of an internal struggle, and can indeed be a cause for concern, if left unaddressed. Unfortunately, there are cases of such marriages that went sour.

However, this can be checked in adolescence or teenage years before it gets full-blown in adulthood, especially in marriage. It takes an intentional stance by parents to ensure regular self-expression by the male child, as a way of building his self-esteem to go through the rigours of life. He needs to understand that marriage should be that of partnership and not absolute subjugation of the woman, no matter her level in career and society. The man remains the head of the woman, and the home!

 Nwawolo, PhD, writes via 

hopenwawolo@yahoo.com   

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Opinion

Mohbad: When Love And Light Are Not Enough

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Dele Jegede In Conversation With Prince Yemisi Shyllon
Prof. Toyin Falola

By Toyin Falola

    I did not want to write about Mohbad until a student of the University of Babcock contacted me, asking me to lend my voice to it. The seventeen-year-old student emailed me in sentences that come with anguish and pain. I was moved by them. Nothing I write can restore the damaged emotions of this teenager, but I am glad to run this errand. The purpose of old age is to restore the broken fabric of society.

A sea of shimmering lights dotting the darkness of an evening sky is not a common sight anywhere in the world. In Lagos, Nigeria, it holds even more significance. It seems only a few months since a peaceful demonstration of young Nigerians was interrupted at the Lekki Tollgate in October 2020. As though the tragedy that would follow was scripted, solemn protesters who held out candlelights in their numbers in memory of fallen comrades were dispersed by live rounds and coercive military actions.

This time around, on the evening of September 21, 2023, the collegiate crowd, candle lights, and stars you saw were not to mourn the youths who had fallen to SARS’ brute force. This was the candlelight procession in honour of Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, a young Afrobeat singer in his prime whose death and the events leading up to it have been controversial.

But these two nights have more than one thing in common. Just like in 2020, the concerned fans of the late music artiste had chosen Muri Okunola as their rendezvous, a park along Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos, which is only a few minutes from the venue of the 2020 #EndSARS demonstration. Also, the candlelight procession featured youths, some with their placards with the inscription: “JusticeforMohbad,” bringing back memories from that fateful night. Just like three years ago, the candlelight procession for Mohbad ended with police action, the police dispersing “unruly protesters” off the scene. At least, the singular observation that some ill-trained, trigger-happy policemen did not kill Mohbad brings some solace. Nevertheless, murder is murder regardless of who pulls the trigger is an aphorism that admits very few exceptions.

At this point, one would imagine how a solemn event like a candlelight procession could have transformed into a protest that would warrant a dispersal of the “unruly crowd” by men of the Nigeria Police. In the defence of the Police Force, dispersing the procession was in the interest of ensuring the safety of lives and properties. For one thing, an exodus of young people with dread, tattoos, exuding palpable deviance is enough danger to the lives and properties in the surrounding communities; talk more of a rampant exodus of youths bearing weapons of mass destruction like naked fire and placards.

This is why the police had to think up their best initiative to nip the danger in the bud—quench the fire, whether candle lights or flickers of agitation. This is not unusual, especially in a country like ours where the primary security company has an unyielding aversion to demonstrations and an uncanny penchant for forceful responses to demonstrations, no matter how peaceful. Pardon me for this segue; it was necessary.

But will the young, towering late musician ever get justice? Would the enemies, frenemies, and evil conspirators he talked about before his death be brought to book? If anything, Ilerioluwa would take solace in the candlelight procession organized to send his soul home to his maker, as this symbolizes what he stood for. Shortly after announcing his departure from his former record label, Marlian Music, Mohbad announced his label titled “Imolenization.” In the Yoruba language, Imole means light or illumination. So, despite having had his light snuffed out in his prime, his soul would journey to the heavens buoyed on by an array of lights and love.

To many young Nigerians, Mohbad was a leading voice on the street. His songs, K.P.K., Feel Good, Peace, and Ronaldo 

(https://www.google.com/search?q=K.P.K.%2C+Feel+Good%2C+Peace%2C+and+Ronaldo&rlz=1C5GCEM_enUS1077&oq=K.P.K.%2C+Feel+Good%2C+Peace%2C+and+Ronaldo&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigAdIBCDE4MDhqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:1c3f2f36,vid:wB9Vym8SWmU,st:0), are not merely hits but have become street anthems. For many whose lives revolved around the trenches and suburbs of Lagos, Mohbad was also an emblem of hope. Like most of his contemporaries, Mohbad’s discography showcases deviance, survival, internet fraud, high life, and the never-say-die hustling spirit of the average Nigerian youth.

Mohbad’s music career took a different turn when he joined his former record label, Marlian Music. On the back of the label’s popularity, Mohbad’s stock rose exponentially, even attaining stardom with two successful albums and an E.P. Without dwelling much on what may have gone wrong between the musical art and his label, it was clear that his departure was not well received. In most departures of this kind, bad blood and legal skirmishes are not uncommon.

However, when bad blood brews into assaults and unending threats to life, and parties take laws into their hands rather than ply the legal route, the assailing party would be said to have crossed the line. As the elders would say, a fight is already set in motion when the handshake goes beyond the elbow. Mohbad, upon leaving Marlian Music in 2022, premised his departure on the failure of the label management to remit his music royalties and other entitlements. Months later, the late musician had severally released materials on how his ex-boss, Afeez Fashola, had been after his life. This leads to the question, what more would tilt the suspicion of the police towards a suspect than the declaration of a deceased person before his death?

The events surrounding the death of Mohbad raise many questions. First, could there be any connection between the frenemies he lamented and his death? Why was his burial hurried, even by his kin? Are the police doing a good job of arresting and interrogating prime and remote suspects? Was the government of Lagos right to have exhumed his remains to conduct an autopsy? Going by the Coroner’s System Law of Lagos State, “a report of death shall be made to the office of the Coroner and be subject to post-mortem examination where there is reasonable cause to believe that the cause of death was violent, unnatural, or suspicious”.

Matter-of-factly, even in this cruel world, the death of a 27-year-old is presumably unnatural except where the circumstances reveal otherwise. In Mohbad’s case, the circumstances seem to agree that a post-mortem examination is more than necessary. It becomes even more suspicious when the allegations of hostility, threats to his life, trespass on his person, and unending battles, as lamented by the late musician, are put into context.

Admittedly, the law books teach that suspicion and subjective opinion are not a sufficient basis for proof of facts. Hence, the need for empirical examination will further drive us to the point of certainty, at least for the sake of the deceased, whose life may have been cut short by unnatural forces. Maybe this would also provide context or answers as to why his burial was hurried.

When an unnatural or suspicious death occurs, the police ordinarily conduct a post-mortem examination, interrogate close associates, and scour through correspondence, recent contacts, and perceived enemies. This information becomes even more relevant if the deceased claims to have been bullied, threatened, or attacked.

Mohbad’s death has provoked commentaries and opinions from different quarters. While some have been more cautious in pointing fingers, others have thrown caution to the wind and have demanded the arrest of individuals like Afeez Fashola and Samuel Balogun. One salient issue that must be addressed before this momentum dies down is the need to redefine lost values in light of the infiltration of foreign values. In foreign climes like the United States, it is not unusual for bad blood of this kind to brew into assassinations. A case in mind is that of Tupac Shakur, who was murdered exactly 27 years ago in Nevada, United States 1996. Six months later, Christopher Wallace, Notorious B.I.G., was murdered similarly.

While Mohbad may not have died from gun violence, his death was no less violent, given the circumstances that culminated in his untimely demise. When viewed in light of his industry, we begin to see the impact of foreign elements in the Nigerian music world. A look through the boards shows artists with criminal histories ranging from assault, internet fraud, marijuana abuse, and sexual violence to homicide. It would seem that Nigerian pop artists have not only taken music inspiration from the West but have also taught their dark penchant for vices.

The cause of death might have been speculative, and the range of agitation could also have been built on unsubstantiated emotional outbursts on circumstantial evidence, a little bit shy of mathematical accuracy. Even at that, they have established the undisputed need to chase the issue to the root and also raised a disturbing concern that a lot has been overlooked in our complacency. Unfortunately, the police, in their usual brutes, have dispersed away such voices that would keep them on their toes like in the EndSARS period.

It begs the question that the current continuous show of love and a thousand sessions of candlelight will not fill the societal lacuna that might have occasioned his death or brought about the ugly incidences that built momentum before it. An enabling system has nourished the powers that have pressured Mohbad for months before his death and have continuously caused the demise of many of our fallen heroes, even if they are social stimulators like Mohbad.

To the young Babcock student, let me close as an elder: When someone else dies with similar circumstances, the same love and light will fall along with them. We have seen it continuously in recent history. We have seen brutality on helpless individuals and the government being continuously inconsiderate, but we have not seen an end to the circle. The love and lights are insufficient, but the nation has been too sleepy to fill the void they could not cover. May your fate be different, and may you live past 100 years. Amen. I will come to your campus and speak with you in person, sharing my story of survival as a teenager in the bush.

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