Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Professor Wole Soyinka, Dr. Lasisi Olagunju, and other prominent Nigerians on Wednesday stated that the impact of the late Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, a former Governor of Oyo State, will continue to reverberate in the country.

They said Olunloyo’s contributions to the traditional institution, political landscape, and the socio-economic growth of the country were legendary.

The stakeholders, in their different presentations at a symposium, titled “Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, A Legacy of Uncommon Brilliance,” organised by the Initiative for Information, Arts and Culture Development in Ibadan on Wednesday, submitted that the impact of Olunloyo cut across various disciplines of human endeavours.

Olunloyo, according to them, stood tall among his contemporaries, as his contributions, a testament to his genius, would outlive him.

Obasanjo, in his presentation, submitted that the contribution of Olunloyo, as the then Commissioner in the old Western Region, would be remembered.

He added that Olunloyo’s ingenuity in administration was brought to the fore when the kingmakers selected Oba Lamidi Adeyemi as the successor to his father, the Alaafin of Oyo, who was sent into exile.

Obasanjo stated that the onus of approving Oba Adeyemi as the successor to the throne of the Alaafin of Oyo rested on the shoulders of Olunloyo, then as the Commissioner in the old Western Region.

He said, “There was a time Olunloyo came to my office as an Area Commander in charge of security to inform me of the decision of Oyomesi to install Oba Lamidi Adeyemi as the next Alaafin of Oyo.

“He (Olunloyo) came to my office this morning, sat down, took a piece of paper and said ‘You know I have a problem,’ and I said ‘Victor, I never knew you to have a problem’. The problem is that the kingmakers have selected the son of Alaafin, whom Chief Awolowo sent into exile.

“I said, why don’t you go to the Ooni of Ife to inform him of your problem. This is a problem that Kabiyesi can help you to solve. Whatever he said will be the way you will go.

“He went to see Baba as advised. Baba advised that they should enthrone the children of the lineage that had ruled in the past. These are the people who will not mess up the throne.

“I asked what he could make out of the advice, and he said that is why he is back. I told him to go and meet Chief Adegbenro. That was how the matter was resolved.”

On his academic competence, Obasanjo said, “Olunloyo is more than a scholar, a brilliant man, and author of many books, but a genius.
“Olunloyo’s exceptional intelligence is beyond ordinary.

“With Omololu, anything he touched, he did with ease, almost too easily. He studied engineering and ultimately excelled as a mathematician. It all came naturally to him like play.

“You cannot talk about Omololu without mentioning a part of his life that some referred to as political rascality or seeming unseriousness.

“I used to enjoy that part of him. Because every time we met, and we met many times, he always appeared unserious at first. But what would eventually come out of him was deep, profound, and very serious. Every time we were together, I learned something new about him.

“Of course, our paths crossed more deeply in 1965 when I came here, and we served in the same government of the old Western Region under my senior, General Adebayo. Our cabinet was evenly split, with twelve members: six from Awolowo’s side and six from Akintola’s.

“The head of government was neutral, and I believe I was neutral too. But there was one man in that group whose allegiance was uncertain; was he with Awolowo or with Akintola? That man was Omololu Olunloyo. In truth, he was on both sides.

“Whether he was discussing policy, joking, or just in casual conversation, Omololu was different. He was a very, very serious man wrapped in layers of brilliance, wit, and intellect that only a few could truly understand.”

In his remark, Soyinka described Olunloyo as a mathematical genius while alive, whose legacy will never be forgotten.

He said the impact of Olunloyo in academics and politics cannot be overemphasised.

While discussing Olunloyo’s mathematical journalism, a multiple award-winning columnist and Editor of the Saturday Tribune, Dr. Lasisi Olagunju, lauded Olunloyo’s mathematical analysis of Nigeria’s problems, stating that it remains relevant today.

Also, the Global President of the Government College, Ibadan (GCI) Old Boys Association, Dr. Wale Babalakin, where Olunloyo was an alumnus, stated that Olunloyo was a genius among geniuses, saying the school is proud of him as one of its alumni.

Dignitaries at the event include the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, and the President General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Barr. Niyi Ajewole, Sen. Kola Balogun, former Chief of Staff to Governor Seyi Makinde, Chief Bisi Ilaka, and a host of others.