Opinions

On the passing of Professor Mrs Bimpe Aboyade

Professor Mrs Bimpe Aboyade was a librarian at the University of Ibadan. In fact, she was a professor of Library and Information Science and a foremost pioneer in librarianship in Nigeria and the first woman in sub-Saharan Africa to hold a PhD degree in English Literature. She was Head of the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the University of Ibadan and Head of the Rural Development Information System which provided improved access to information for people in rural areas in Africa. Professor Bimpe Aboyade passed on 3rd of March 2023, some five months before her 88th birthday. The family scheduled a Service of Songs for her at 4 pm on 30 March 2023 and a funeral service at 10 am on 31 March 2023, both at the Chapel of Resurrection, University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Professor Bimpe Aboyade was the wife of Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, a professor of Economics, former Professor and Research fellow, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, and erstwhile Economic Development Consultant to the World Bank. He was a former Chief Economics Adviser to the Government of Nigeria; Head of the Department of Economics and later Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ibadan, and was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University. Professor Oje (as he was fondly called by his peers) passed on 31 December 1994 at the age of 61 years.

Prof Ojetunji Aboyade and his wife, Prof Bimpe Aboyade were bosom friends of Prof Wole Soyinka and Special Marshals of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC. May the good Lord continue to grant the Aboyades eternal rest and comfort their families, friends, and associates.

The Aboyade Impact on FRSC

It will suffice to take one landmark impact which the Aboyades made in the early life of the FRSC. It was Friday, 2nd December 1988. Prof. Wole Soyinka, (then FRSC Chairman) and I (then FRSC Boss) were heading to the Dodan Barracks, Lagos, then the seat of Federal Government of Nigeria to catch a 10.00 am appointment with General Ibrahim Babangida, then the President of the Federal Republic.

When we got into the early morning traffic around Obalende, near Dodan Barracks, we saw vendors dashing around with newspapers carrying various headlines like “Soyinka Blasts Abacha”, “Soyinka Slams the Military”, “ Soyinka Roars at the Army.” I started feeling that at least one of us may not come back from our self-inflicted venture into the military enclave but Professor Soyinka was unruffled.

As we entered the military Barracks, we were quickly cleared at all the check points just by sighting Prof Soyinka or checking the security list. Prof Soyinka directed the driver to go to the office of Prof Ojetunji Aboyade within the Dodan Barracks complex. We waited there with the renowned Economist for about 10 minutes during which he contacted others that we were ready to meet the President. We eventually took the 2-minute drive from the Professor’s Office to the President’s Chambers at about 9.55 am.

The President stepped into the Chambers after all were seated at about 10.05 am. It was then that Prof Soyinka actually ‘roared’: “I am going to fight your man, Mr. Abacha,” and the amiable gap- toothed General diffused the build-up to tension by promptly responding: “Professor, you are already fighting him.” As both stood face-to-face to shake hands, the Pressmen descended on them with flashes from their cameras, and the place was engulfed as if by nonstop lightnings. It was a great experience.

Soon, we all sat to the business of day with the President asking to know why the fight with his Chief of Army Staff. Incidentally, the President had seen the news headlines for the previous day which blared: “Abacha Blasts the new FRSC,” to which Professor Soyinka’s reply was carried that morning.

In fact, Major General Sani Abacha, the then Chief of Army Staff, had, in flagging off the Army Road Safety Week on 1 December 1988, “condemned the new FRSC for not performing to expectation and for not making any impact over one year since it was set up”. Professor Soyinka was in his elements as he explained to the President how wrong General Abacha was and why he should not have made such statements without crosschecking his facts. The President might have been surprised to hear Prof Soyinka conclude with: “Mr. President, it was only the Board of the Road Safety Corps that was inaugurated nine months ago, not ‘over one year’ and the operational Corps itself is barely seven months old; what else could we have done without an enabling decree in spite all our efforts to get you to provide one.” The President was frank. He said he thought the Decree had been completed and released. Right there, he summoned the Legal Adviser of the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) to report to explain the delay. After the Legal Adviser’s explanations, the President ordered: “I want to sign the Road Safety Decree within two weeks”.

With the nagging enabling Decree sorted out, the FRSC Chairman asked me to give a formal briefing on the FRSC Progress to the President. I did. The President expressed satisfaction and Professor Soyinka requested him to please step forward to be formally issued his new National Driver’s License.

When the President proudly displayed his new Driver’s Licence to the Members of the AFRC present, there was a large applause and another round of klieg lights. Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, who made this meeting a reality sat there with members of the AFRC, and other members of the Presidency. He nodded his head in approval when I looked in his direction.

The meeting of 2nd December 1988 with the President achieved much stability and great standing for the FRSC. Take for instance, on 14 December 1988, the promulgation of the New FRSC Decree was announced, and the new National Driver’s Licence Scheme was eventually formally launched throughout the Federation. These giant steps by the FRSC were made possible by the untiring efforts and commitment of Prof Ojetunji Aboyade. He arranged and confirmed the 2 December meeting with the President two weeks before the date and he ensured that the AFRC Legal Drafting Team remained focussed on the new decree. It was the same Professor Aboyade that worked on the Armed Forces Ruling Council to alert all the Military Governors ahead of the nationwide launching of the new National Driver’s Licence Scheme in Nigeria.

I doff my hat for the Aboyades.