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Encomiums for Ogunlesi as family donates books to Ajayi Crowther University

By Chijioke Iremeka
08 October 2022   |   3:17 am
It was a day of eulogies for Pa. Josiah Soyemi Ogunlesi at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral Church, Ikeja, Lagos as the children donated books to Ajayi Crowther University....

Pastor Awoyemi Awopeju (Left); Mr. Kunmi Adio-Moses; Mrs. Ebun Omotosho; Dr. Aderemi Adio-Moses; Mrs. Anuolwapo Adio-Moses; Mrs. Tokunbo Somolu;Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru; Dr. Adunadepo Adio-Moses and Pastor Awoyemi’s friend from South Korea.

It was a day of eulogies for Pa. Josiah Soyemi Ogunlesi at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral Church, Ikeja, Lagos as the children donated books to Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo and other selected institutions in Lagos in memory of the late seasoned educationalist.

The event that was held on 2nd of September 2022, according to his children and family, was in fulfillment of a desire to give an endowment in memory of Pa. Ogunlesi, while luxuriating in his legacy to humanity and service to God.

In her tribute made available to The Guardian, Mrs. Anu Adio-Moses, described her father as a wonderful, loving, humble, disciplined but strict man, who raised many scholars.

She said: “Daddy was passionate about reading and had a big library of various books on Philosophy, Theology, History, Government, Arithmetic, English Grammar, English Composition, Yoruba, Algebra, Logic, Latin, Greek, and Autobiography, among others.

“In his will, he instructed that his books and journals be donated to both Remo Secondary School, Sagamu in Ogun State (as one of the founding fathers of the school) and to St. Andrews College, Oyo, his alma mater.”

According to her, by the time the books were to be attended to, a number of them had been damaged, while some had become obsolete and not suitable for the Ajayi Crowther University, into which the St. Andrew’s College Oyo had metamorphosed.

Sequel to this, Mrs. Adio-Moses selected the suitable ones, added hers and her children’s books to make up for the one thousand copies of books that were donated to Remo Secondary School on November 22, 2016.

Pa Ogunlesi attended St Andrew’s College as a student between 1921 and 1925, where he also taught as a tutor (1927-1933). He was grateful and proud of the excellent missionary training and education, including sports, manual labour and music, he had received in the college.

“What we are doing today is in fulfillment of daddy’s request to bequeath something to his alma mater. May I just mention that his brilliant performance at Oyo and the excellence of his final results informed his unique transfer to teach at CMS Grammar School Lagos from 1926 to 1927.

“Among his students at St Andrew’s College were Prof. C.O Taiwo; Prof. S.0 Awokoya; Mr. E.O Dada; Chief I.O Dina and Chief S.0 Igodaro. At Igbobi College, some of his students were Prof. Vidal Fowler; Dr. Adebola Bailey; Chief Chris Ogunbanjo; Hon Justice Adefarasin and Prof. Adeboye Babalola.

“Daddy mentored people from all over the country, including his hometown Sagamu. One of them is Prof. Theophilus Ogunlesi, the first professor of Medicine in Nigeria, whom he took from Sagamu as a little boy and put in the CMS Grammar School.

“He was a focused man and since his rich uncle, who had promised to sponsor him to the UK to study law, decided otherwise, daddy pursued his ambition and continued his studies by reading for a university degree through private study. He followed the noble example of Mr. E.O. Ajayi who had obtained the Honours degree of the University of London by correspondence in 1927 while teaching at Oyo.

“Daddy enrolled with the London University and obtained his B.A. (Hons.) London degree in History in 1933 as an external candidate by correspondence and became the first university graduate of History in Africa,” Mrs. Adio-Moses told the guests.

After his History Honours Degree in 1933, in January 1934, Ogunlesi, a newly married man, was posted to Igbobi College, Lagos as tutor where he taught Latin, Greek, History, Yoruba and Mathematics. He relocated to lbadan with the College at the break of the Second World War but did not return to Lagos with the school after the war in 1945.

Pa. Ogunlesi went to the UK for Postgraduate Studies in Linguistics, Social Anthropology and Mass Communication. On his return to Nigeria, he became the first Nigerian Graduate Editor of the Daily Times in 1947. His stay was short because the newspaper establishment was not yet ready to tolerate as editor, a Nigerian intellectual who knew his own mind.

Mrs. Adio-Moses continued: “Daddy was a prolific writer. He had some unique qualities such as faith and trust in God, dedication, discipline, diligence, loyalty, hard work and self-confidence. He was honest and sincere, a meticulous record keeper and that was probably why he remained among the cream of the society in his days.

“He believed that all the population of the Western Region both young and old needed to be educated for self-reliance and in preparation for independence of Nigeria. He was a quiet achiever in his pursuit of excellence. His programme has been studied and implemented as an essential factor in understanding the socio- economic development in all the states of former Western Region.

“When he retired from the Western Region Civil Service in 1960, he became the first Nigerian proprietor of a Correspondence College in Nigeria.

“He had a distinguished career in the field of formal education but in later life, he was known more as an Adult Educator and experienced the hazards of the profession. Traveling all over Western Nigeria, he drove his Chevrolet car, which served as his home, kitchen and office all over the then Western Region, leaving his home, wife and children.

“At a time when other Nigerians were pursing business and politics, Daddy was devoted to scholarship. He had neither the spirit nor the means to acquire properties, yet he was content, satisfied and fulfilled. He studied until his death.

“Daddy was a man of great faith, an Anglican to the core, he enforced daily morning and evening prayer at home, comprising hymn singing, reading of the Bible and praying turn by turn. He was a beautiful pianist and often accompanied family hymn singing on the piano.

“Daddy was a great company to be with; he was a cheerful and happy man. He told us many stories about himself, folktales, current affairs, and history both local and international. He did not punish us for not knowing but did not spare us the cane for carelessness, lying or laziness. When he was denied promotion while in service, he worked on. He did not waste his energy criticising government or apportioning blame, he simply acted and filled the vacuum left by anybody or agency that failed to perform.

“As a historian, and a teacher, I am convinced that both youths and adults of today can gain a lot from Daddy’s life in terms of consistent and continuous self-education, never giving up but going the extra mile, and personal discipline by saying “NO” to what you know you need to say it to.”

In his goodwill message, the erstwhile Diocesan Bishop of Lagos and Archbishop of Lagos Province, Most Rev E. Adebola Ademowo (PhD), said a great number of people passed through the tutelage of Pa Ogunlesi, thanking God and celebrating the early missionaries who left their footprints in the sands of history.

Ademowo noted that the missionaries planted the seed of the gospel that germinated and grew by leaps and bounds with amazing rapidity, adding that they introduced Spirituality, Health and Education (SHE).

“In 1975, Baba J.S. Ogunlesi came visiting the Diocesan Bishop of llesa, The Rt. Rev John Adegbehin Ibitayo Falope, in the Bishop’s court, Oke-Ooye, llesa. Baba Falope was my mentor and role model. He providentially became the first Diocesan Bishop of llesa in 1974.

“Throughout his tenure, I was his chaplain. It was during that time that Baba J.S. Ogunlesi visited the Bishop at the Bishop’s court. That was the only contact of very lasting impression I had with Papa J. S. Ogunlesi. While he was there, there was evening worship in the Chapel conducted by the Bishop himself.

“There were lasting lessons I learnt. I saw his neat pair of shoes, impeccably polished and shinning. As a result of that, I doubled the number of times I shine my shoes. There were two beds in that room. I noticed that Baba’s agbada, buba and sokoto, were properly ironed and kept neatly on that second bed. That made me to intensify the ironing of my clothes and see it as a serious business.

“Baba Ogunlesi touched many lives in the area of education etc. Those who passed through his tutelage are great people in various positions of leadership. The heritage is continuum. Education must not be bastardised. Lost glory must be restored. Parents must cooperate with teachers and authorities to give children qualitative education. Adequate funding is essential. Those who work in educational institutions must be well remunerated.

“Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria, our own university, is on top in the area of qualitative education, discipline, morals, character and sound learning,” Ademowo said.

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