TRIBUTE TO PROF. A. A. A. AKINKUOTU: AN ICON WHO WAS NOT AN ICONOCLASTI- BY PROF. DOSUNMU

TRIBUTE TO PROFESSOR AKINYEMI AMBROSE AKINKUOTU: AN ICON WHO WAS NOT AN ICONOCLAST

I hereby express my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege given me to read the tribute of the late Professor Akinyemi Ambrose Akinkuotu.

The name Adolf Hitler or Abacha might evoke the feeling of trepidation, eeriness and quantum sadism but the name, YEMI AMBROSE AKINKUOTU stands for nobility, respect and industry among those who knew him as an academic. Due to brevity of time (10 minutes) permit me to deliver the tribute under three brief acrostics.

Essence – Adepele – When a deed is convoluted, it is common among the Yoruba to refer to it as the teeth of Adepele; I wish the molars were in hundreds and the incisors were in thousands. Essence precedes existence. He followed the essence of his existence with passion. Born on 9th July, 1959 in Ondo, Akinkuotu had his Higher education in Ife, Benin and Ibadan. He crossed over from Federal College of Education, Abeokuta to Lagos State University, rose through the rank and file and became a Professor, a Dean and a member of the Court of Governors of LASUCOM. Prof. Akinkuotu embraced education and Philosophy. The results show in his humongous scholastic works, his effortless internationalism and his unfathomable pioneering works in Philosophy of Education. He had the carriage of one who possessed the coveted academic degrees, behaved maximally like one exposed to the cut and thrust of academic atmosphere and its liberalism. He had a robust intellectual depth for introspection and the expansive knowledge, logic and discipline for introspection. No topic of discussion was above his ken. He mostly spoke and wrote with the entrancing and enthralling ease and facility of master story teller and adept philosopher without sacrificing rigour of presentation and logic of articulation. He never vented his bile in the public or resorted to unworthy temper tantrums and Machiavellian machinations against anyone. Professor Akinyemi Ambrose Akinkuotu was a man of the people. He was always a mediator in times of disagreements. He bridged the gap between the Professors and the Younger lecturers. Akinkuotu’s philosophical stand-point is, “nothing is completely without some values, not even the most horrendous of human experience”. He was so passionate with Philosophy and Education that fellow Deans then called him, the Only Educated Dean.

Existence – AjantalaAjantala in the Yoruba mythology is a precocious child. It smacks of one with independent mindedness. He could not be cajoled, cowed or coerced. At times, he would jocularly say, “oun soro mon wo. Oro pemo ti gba to wun. He, Akinkuotu, possessed sedulous, mesmerizing voice and inexhaustible repertoire of witty wise-cracks. He went on Sabbatical Leave only to come back and regaled how R.S. Peter’s Office was next to his. Somebody then shouted, Ha, Oga! R. S. Peters died long ago! Oga Akinkuotu quickly changed the direction of the conversation. His milk of kindness flowed like the River Niagara. It was his fancy to say, ‘it is acquitting indecency that makes a villager to come to town in village attire”. A domesticated dog does not know the value of the hunter. Prof. Akinkuotu had a way of creating comic relief at every tragic situation with his non – distractive but relevant humour and proverbs. When it came to dressing, Professor Akinkuotu was a dandy. He looked spic-span every day. He was a man with fastidious sense of impressive dressing. However, he did not allow his taste for fashion to becloud his academic and administrative excellence. 

Exit - AmureleOjo ti a ba ku lan di ere and the ere of today wants you to have amurele (a take home). There are times when confounding situations emerge, forcing a group of people into a fundamental rethink. It is incontrovertible that death knocks on everyone’s door. The tap becomes imperceptible at the peak of life. We cannot and should not do things that accelerate or gravitate us to the cold hands of death. Shunting form Shanties to the ‘Sinners’ Chapel’ and Clubs, romanticizing with liquor will one day culminate in contributory mortal pension. For Professor Akinkuotu, Students supplicated, family members sorrowed, colleagues sighed but we all eventually surrendered to God, the Creator of all men. Now there is in store for you the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge is waiting to award you. Adieu, Professor Akinyemi Ambrose Akinkuotu!

PROF. S. A. DOSUNMU 

@ SOCIAL SEER

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