My unforgettable encounter with the late Dr. Omololu Olunloyo

I knew the late Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo by reputation before 1978. I watched his activities as a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, as a Commissioner in the Emergency Administration of Dr. Koye Majekodunmi in the old Western Region in 1962, and as a Commissioner in the General Adeyinka Adebayo military Administration in the old Western State from 1967 to 1971 from a distance but with admiration. I did not have any contact with him until 1978 when he was the Executive Secretary of National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA).

After finishing my postgraduate training at Wye College, University of London with a Ph.D. in 1975, I went back to the Nigerian Institute for Oil palm Research (NIFOR) as a full-fledged Research Officer. NIFOR, situated about 30 kilometers from Benin City on the road to Owo, had a good setting as a research station. The station then was self-sufficient in municipal facilities such as water, electricity and well paved roads. The working and social environment was conducive with a vibrant Staff Club for relaxation. The only snag was that NIFOR was a bit isolated at that time and the administrative setup was a bit monolithic with the Director having full control of the Staff and only answerable to the Governing Council set up by the Federal Government.

Despite the few drawbacks of the Research Institute, I threw myself fully into my job as a Research Officer on Oil Palm. However, by 1978 after three years of productive research and social activities, I started to feel frustrated and unfulfilled in my career. I felt that I needed a bigger platform to express myself in my career. The feeling was so intense that I applied for the first job opportunity I had as a Research Fellow at the department of Agricultural Extension at the University of Ibadan. I got the job without much ado. 

The next hurdle which seemed insurmountable was how to take up this appointment at the University of Ibadan without incurring the administrative displeasure from the authourities of NIFOR. As expected, the authourities in NIFOR did everything to frustrate my taking up the job at UI. First, I was given accelerated promotion to tie me down and when it was felt that this did not calm my desire to take up the job at the University, I was subsequently subjected to administrative venom. The Director of the Institute at that time put his foot down that he would never approve my transfer of service from the Institute to the University and he convinced the Governing Council of the Institute to turn down my request. It would be an understatement to say that I was depressed and frustrated at this turn of events.

In my melancholic state, a bright idea came to me that I should go to Ibadan to discuss my plight with the late Dr, Victor Adebambo who was then working in NSTDA where the late Dr. Olunloyo was the Executive Secretary. The late Dr, Adebambo had always been a big brother to me ever since we met at the Federal School of Science Onikan Lagos in the sixties. On getting to Dr. Adebambo at Ibadan, the first thing he told me after listening to my story was to tell me that he was going to their Lagos Office the following day, and that I should follow him to see the late Dr. Olunloyo on my case. While I was elated at this offer. I then had a silent feeling that I might not succeed with Dr Olunloyo who I regarded as an unorthodox man who instilled fear into people. At any rate, I took up Dr. Adebambo’s offer, and I followed him to Lagos the following day.

On getting to NSTDA office at Onikan in Lagos, Dr. Adebambo took me straight to the office of Dr. Olunloyo. On getting there, he pointed me to the door of the office and told me to go in and plead my case with Dr. Olunloyo. Before I could make any sense of what he was telling me he had disappeared into one of the rooms in the building leaving me stranded in front of the office of somebody who was not expecting me and who I had not met before. It would be a great understatement to say I was utterly confused and disoriented. For the first time in my life, I was really in a quandary. Before I could collect myself together and fathom the bewildering action of Dr. Adebambo, the door of the office opened and there and there I came face to face with Dr. Olunloyo.

       ‘Young man what is your business in front of my office,’ that was the first salvo to me from Dr. Olunloyo.

       “I , I, I come to see you sir” was my frightened and feeble reply.

        ‘what for?’

        ‘I need your help to get my service transferred from NIFOR to UI’ was my subdued reply.

At that stage, Dr. Olunloyo started to move away complaining to no one I could see that what I requested was outside and below his responsibility.

I followed him as he entered a big office where many of the officers of NSTDA were waiting for him. Dr. Adebambo was with them and welcomed me into the room with a mischievous grin.

Immediately, Dr. Olunloyo entered the room, he announced to the people in the room jocularly and with obvious mild exasperation “Come and see this man who came all the way from Benin to ask me the ES to help transfer his service from NIFOR to UI.”

As Dr. Adebambo must have briefed them about my mission, none of them was surprised at Dr. Olunloyo’s announcement. Among those in the room was one Usman who was my classmate at the Federal School of Science in the sixties. He was then the Administrative Secretary of NSTDA and immediately he saw me, he shouted

“Lucas, what have you been doing to yourself. Are you still good in Zoology and Table tennis?”

I politely acknowledged him and sat meekly on one empty chair in the office.

For the next one hour or so, Dr. Olunloyo ignored me and started discussing sundry matters with his staff who obviously held him in high esteem. This period seemed interminable to me, and I was getting impatient. All of sudden Dr. Olunloyo called me.

“Dr. Lucas, you want your service to be transferred from NIFOR to UI what measures have you taken?”

‘I pray sir’ was my quick response to him.’ I was a bit elated that he had not forgotten my case.

Without hesitation, Dr. Olunloyo shot back at me.

“Leave God out of this problem. Many Nigerians worry God too much, Now Chairman Christian Chukwu is praying to God that the Green Eagle should win its next football match. My Papa Awolowo is praying that he should win next year Presidential election and now you are bringing your small issue to God. My friend, leave God alone.”

I have no alternative but to keep quiet for this admonition. After the admonition to me, he took all of us in the room for a lunch at Kitchen Museum nearby. The food was good and appetizing, but I could not eat much because I had a feeling that my mission to Lagos would not be fulfilled.

After lunch, we all returned to the office and immediately on getting there Dr. Olunloyo gave instruction to my friend Usman to write a letter to the Director NIFOR to release me and transfer my services to the University of Ibadan. I could not believe my ears, and I thanked Dr. Olunloyo for this unexpected gesture. Usman immediately typed the letter which was not more than three lines. I was very happy, and I rushed to Benin with the letter after getting back to Ibadan with Dr, Adebambo. On getting to NIFOR, I took the letter with trepidations to the office of the Director the following morning. On reading the letter, the Director was furious and sent for me for a dress down for going to ES to plead my case. Later he calmed down, and became friendly and said, ” the ES has asked me to transfer your service, and I will obey him.” The only condition he gave me was that I should pay the balance of my car loan which UI which despite the prevalent financial difficulty then offset for me. I resumed at the Department of Agricultural Extension on October 2, 1978, thanks to the letter from Dr. Olunloyo’s office.

I will ever be grateful to Dr. Olunloyo for coming to my aid at a critical stage of my career. In UI, I thank God that my career blossomed as I became a full-fledged Professor 11 years after leaving NIFOR and held many important academic and administrative posts in the University. The late Dr, Olunloyo helped me without knowing me from Adams. In 1995, I met him at UI VC lodge with the late Oni of Ife, Oba Onibuse on a visit to Professor A.B. Oyediran, the Vice Chancellor. At this meeting. Dr. Olunloyo did not even recognise me as I had to remind him of his good deed to me in 1978. I thank God that I had the opportunity to have a telephone conversation with him six months ago where I again reminded him about the positive role he had played in my life. He reminded me in the telephone conversation that my late Uncle Ven, DR. J. Olumide Lucas, the former Emeritus Archdeacon of Lagos helped him once in his life also. The telephone conversation was facilitated by Lasisi Olagunju, the Editor of Saturday Tribune, who was close to this great man.

MAY THE SOUL OF THE GREAT DR. VICTOR OMOLOLU OLUNLOYO REST IN PERFECT PEACE.

OLABODE LUCAS.

OLD BODIJA,

IBADAN.

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