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Farewell, Prof. Isaac Ayinde Adalemo

By Adebayo Akinade
02 September 2022   |   3:21 am
One of the permanent things in life is the debt of death. It is therefore, inevitable that one day we will surely answer the call. Despite the inevitability, it is sad and painful to depart with a father, mentor and foundation President of the Institute of Security Nigeria. Emeritus Professor Isaac Ayinde Adalemo, dfisn, a pillar and strong supporter of Institute of Security Nigeria.

The death of this great man August 19, 2022 was a sad reminder that life, however blissful or turbulent, would come to an end one day!

One of the permanent things in life is the debt of death. It is therefore, inevitable that one day we will surely answer the call. Despite the inevitability, it is sad and painful to depart with a father, mentor and foundation President of the Institute of Security Nigeria. Emeritus Professor Isaac Ayinde Adalemo, dfisn, a pillar and strong supporter of Institute of Security Nigeria.

Nigeria has lost a thorough bred, illustrious son, a real patriot, academic and devoted Christian. Africa has lost a hero and sage. We will always remember him for his kindness, forthrightness and exemplary services to humanity and education in Nigeria.
“A titan is gone! A good mentor and father has departed from our midst, “A true father indeed, A pillar of support, A truly great man, A distinguished scholar, A great teacher, A great University administrator, A great statesman, A progressive servant of humanity, A very considerate and blunt personality”
Emeritus Professor of Geography, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor and foundation Dean of School of Postgraduate of the University of Lagos and foundation President of Institute of Security Nigeria.
Shakespare once said that: –
“Some are born great
Some achieve greatness
While some have greatness thrust upon them”

Emeritus Professor Isaac Ayinde Adalemo was a great patriot with splendid personality, whose place in the history of university education and leadership in Nigeria, is unique. He displayed in his character the virtues of selflessness, discipline, objectivity, tolerance and methodical approach to personal contemporary and national issues.

Emeritus Professor Adalemo was an embodiment of humility, hard work, intellectualism, perseverance, symbol of excellence and devotion to the development of university education for the advancement of this great nation which is paramount in his heart and vision. We salute his courage, wisdom, intellect, depth, patience, generosity, love, humanity, simplicity and an uncommon sense of purpose.

We salute the lifestyle of Emeritus Professor Isaac Ayinde Adalemo whose indefatigable role model profile, had been one of exemplary leadership, uncommon achievements and great service to humanity.

The rare combination of humility and courage ordained him to be an inspiration to the lives of so many people he touched. Six of these aspects of those experiences of courage stand out and comprise of Emeritus Professor Adalemo’s intellectual diversity, hunger for knowledge, deep engagement in educational development, family man extraordinaire, and a man genuinely purified in the fire of authentic Christianity.

Those who have outstanding intellectual diversity are very few. Unarguably, Emeritus Professor Adalemo was one of those rarities. He owned accredited academic and professional accomplishments in the disciplines of Social Science and many more that we do not know.

The hand prints of his contributions to the educational development of the nation are overwhelming. They not only speak volumes of his vastly demonstrable experiences in educational development but are apparent in the numerous roles he played.

Successful men are not known to do it alone. Behind them are their highly respected and supportive wives and children. It takes a man like him with genuine love, respect, trust, understanding, friendship and faith in your relationship with your wife and children to sustain such priceless oneness. As author Thomas Merton put it, “the married man and the mother of a Christian family if they are faithful to their obligations, will fulfil a mission that is as great as it is consoling: that of bringing into the world and forming young souls capable of happiness and love, souls capable of sanctification and transformation in Christ”.

While that defines him, it is a genetic legacy. Its full manifestation took place during his encounter with God and consequent transformation through the purest fire of the Holy Spirit.

Professor Ayinde Adalemo was a man of integrity, impeccable manners, quintessentially wonderful, unique rare breed of modest, gentle, humane, entrepreneurial and perfect epitome of humanity.

Here are certainly a lot of lessons and inspirations that can be learnt from Emeritus Professor Adalemo. It was an incredible account of rigorous training and perseverance. He was very diligent in his work with a rare passion for excellence and success. In all his education ventures, he demonstrated his inherent perseverance and determination in the face of all odds to achieve fantastic feat and brilliant achievement as a purpose-driven great professor and scholar. He chose to be a university teacher and worked assiduously to reach the pinnacle of his career as an Emeritus Professor.

If hard work, integrity, dedication, loyalty and accomplishment are the true measures of greatness, then Emeritus Professor Adalemo was truly great.

His making was steady, quietly and persistently, Professor Adalemo climbed the hill to the peak of his chosen career as a scholar and educationist.

The great heights Professor Adalemo attained were not by sudden flights but by dint of hard work, perseverance, doggedness and undaunting spirit which have carried him through a lot of stormy weathers to achieve abundant success, excellence and greatness in his chosen fields. Infact, he was a great man.
Being around Professor Adalemo, he would ensure that one was comfortable and happy. He made people feel important, recognized and respected. He lived a life of great service to humanity especially to the less privileged. The great poise, unblemished integrity and humanity endear you to the heart of millions of people as an exemplary mentor.

We celebrate his giant strides and great achievements. We are always inspired by his determination, dedication and vision. He was known to leave inimitable footprints in the hearts of all who come across him as a leader, mentor and quintessential manager of men and material resources.

Emeritus Professor Adalemo was an enigma, a towering personality and a man loved by all. His personality was strikingly cerebral, attractively simple and pleasantly unassuming. He was a forward looking, dynamic and resourceful person. Ayinde Adalemo had a kind of wisdom and courage which made it easy for him to be at home with all situations. He had a deep appreciation of the goodness of life.

From our close observation, he was a man who did not have the ability to hate his fellow man, no matter the provocation. He lived his life with a rare combination of simplicity, high principles, respectability and conviviality. Ayinde Adalemo presented a role model of hard work and diligence worthy of emulation at all times.

Ayinde Adalemo lived a very decent life when he was alive. In his entire professional life as a teacher, he was known for his fierce dedication and his deeper commitment to integrity and fairness to all. His teaching styles, managerial acumen, organisational efficiency and flair for leadership skills were impressive. He was a role model and friend. He was full of honour, compassion, loyalty, hardworking and sincerity.

He served as a mentor to many young men who had interaction with him. To him, mentorship is lifelong friendship. As a devoted mentor, many of his proudest moment were in basking in the success of those he was so opportune to give a start. As true son of Otaland, Ayinde never forgot his root; he was an active member of the traditional societies of his town.

We cannot begin to imagine the number of people who will miss Emeritus Professor Ayinde Adalemo and the many ways in which he will be sadly missed. He mixed and related very well with all levels of people in the society, yet he had a strict sense of discipline and proper order of things. He was a friend who believe in friendship; a team player who added value to the team; a solid and dependable person who was a pillar of support to many.

Ayinde will be remembered by many colleagues, friends, former classmates, students and relations as someone who was compulsively dedicated to ensuring that long held bonds of friendship and kinship never ever fray or wither.

Ayinde at home in Ota was in contact with everybody, young and old. He was a good and honest man who had the love of his people at heart.

Emeritus Professor Isaac Ayinde Adalemo can be described as a most charming and lovely gentleman from excellent family background and sound education who also loved children dearly. He was a successful teacher, a job he loved very much. The quality education that Emeritus Professor Adalemo attained was the lever that the Almighty God used to lift him from the valley of life and to propel him to his destiny. He was highly regarded by generations of educationists and social reformers.
The great heights Professor Adalemo attained were not by sudden flights but by dint of hard work, perseverance, doggedness and undoubting spirit which carried his through a lot of stormy weathers to achieve abundant success, excellence and greatness in her chosen fields.

There are models, role models and amazons, but some are more than models and amazons.

There are professors but there are professors of professors. There are teachers but there are teachers of teachers. Emeritus Professor Adalemo was a complete detribalised professional teacher and leader. He was passionate and committed to his profession as a scholar and researcher.

As a leader, he was a fantastic listener who was always willing to assist in solving younger colleagues’ problems. He was a genuine leader who was interested in the growth and development of the youngest professional colleagues.

Being around Emeritus Professor Adalemo, he would ensure that one was comfortable and happy. He made people feel important, recognized and respected. He lived a life of great service to humanity especially to the less privileged. His great poise, unblemished integrity and humanity endeared him to the heart of millions of people as an exemplary philanthropist.

As a good leader, he was ready and willing to make sacrifices for the people’s welfare or survival not the other way round. He was a great leader of repute with great virtue of high standard which he has inculcated into his numerous mentees. He was a man who had impacted and effected lives immeasurably with his hardwork and commitment. He was a fearless, courageous professional who made his presence felt in the environment she operated.

Emeritus Professor Adalemo was a man of many parts.

“A perfect husband, a perfect gentleman, a perfect father
A great mentor and educator, a great achiever, a disciplinarian, An outstanding professor
A great leader and a devoted Christian”
Goodnight good leader and supporting mentor.

Akinade, a Barister at Law, is the director general of the Institute of Security Nigeria.

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