By TONY IYARE

The shocking news of the passing of accomplished History Scholar, Prof Abdulgafar Siyan Oyeweso must have shaken me to my marrows. It shattered my morning and almost rendered me numb. More affectionately called Siyan by friends and colleagues, his death sent shockwaves down several spines.

Since I was oblivious of his ailment, I immediately reached for several numbers for confirmation after reading the Facebook post of acclaimed Newswatch and Tell Editor, Dare Babarinsa. It was as if I was in a trance. “This is shocking! Siyan gone???” Even when I knew Babarinsa would be the last person to peddle fake news, I still sought details.

Unfortunately, no one picked up raising my antenna until I called up Siyan’s son, Jide who gave me a load down of his father’s prolonged battles for survival. “He’s been ill for sometime now and died in Ibadan this morning and we are making plans to move his body to Ede for burial”, Jide retorted.

Sources at Ife Varsity (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he was Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, revealed that he had surgery for brain tumor and underwent chemotherapy and was already showing signs of recovery when he kicked the bucket. He had earlier slumped at an event and was treated for stroke before it was discovered he had brain tumor, the sources offered.

An amiable friend and pioneer Jambite at Ife where he read History, Oyeweso was full of life. He was a highly resourceful academics evinced in his contributions to books, journals and newspaper articles. Siyan and I regularly shared thoughts on several issues.

We popped wine when he was appointed Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, the first alumnus to get that mantle. He had taught at the Lagos State University (LASU) where he was head hunted as pioneer staff of Osun State University when Sociology Scholar, Prof Soji Akinrinade was appointed Vice Chancellor.

Shortly after his appointment, we discussed the need to speed up the power project at the university which was conceived not only to provide electricity for the main campus and the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital but also to some neighboring communities.

Our last engagement was occasioned by the controversial dress code by authorities at Ife Varsity for its students which broke in the last week of July. Like other alumni members who were critical of the move, I equally gave Siyan a piece of my mind,

“My sincere thought is that

1. The university management should avoid anything that will put it in direct confrontation with the students. The university has had almost two years of stability. I do not think it should embark on policies that will put that asunder. We need to sustain the very predictable academic calendar.

2. There are more pressing issues that should attract the focus of the university management than dress code.

*Boosting infrastructure to meet the demands of the students population - *improving/expanding the lecture halls and hostel facilities.

*provision of instructional/digital tools for learning,

*dealing squarely with admission quota and the issue of staff and huge students ratio.

*general welfare/wellbeing of staff and students.

*reaching out and striking a chord with the alumni particularly in Diaspora and other goodwill individuals to undertake specific projects. The university should outline a clear needs assessment where such persons can pick from rather than allow the university to be saddled with similar projects or those that are not immediately necessary.

*democratising conference opportunities (both within and outside the country). Or making the process more accessible.

3. It is in the best interest of the university to embark on campaign/counseling on the issue of dress code via different for a rather than engage in punitive measures which will be sorely counter productive.

4. We are also dealing with a Gen Z generation and need to be guided more by realism rather than a rigid attachment to moral platitudes. Please let’s be circumspect in pushing punitive policies that in the end will only inflame the campus.

5. It’s not impossible that some agent provocateurs within the university system and who were particularly opposed to your appointment as Council Chairman/Pro-Chancellor are angling to put a wedge between you and the students population. Please do not fall for the banana peel as a major confrontation with the students will not augur well for your tenure.”

Siyan was immensely grateful for my thoughts.

“Well received. Well thought out position. Immensely grateful my very dear brother.

Many thanks for the useful advise and guidance.

“May God continue to bless you and your household. Great Ife is a very difficult terrain. The best approach now is for the university to suspend the whole idea of a New dress Code” was his response.

And the matter of dress code was put in the cooler.

I was a bit agitated when my subsequent chats elicited no replies. I had thought Siyan was avoiding me after our verbal exchanges over the dress code. Unknown to me he was in an hospital in Lagos for several weeks battling in pains for his life.

May Siyan’s soul find rest in the Lord’s bosom, Amen.

•Iyare, an International Journalist is also a Development Expert.

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