Encomium
“HOW do you pay a tribute to someone who was a ‘TRIBUTE’ from God to humanity? How do you write of a man where there are insufficient adjectives to describe him?”
These were the opening words of Dr. A. A. A. Obiora, co-founder of Eko Hospital, Lagos, in his tribute to Emeritus Professor, Cornelius Olaleye Taiwo, Nigeria’s oldest professor who died on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at over-riped age of 103.
Professor C. O. Taiwo was Dr. Obiora’s Mathematics and Additional Mathematics teacher at Edo College, Benin, Edo State, between 1952 and 1956. He was also his principal within that period.
Another student of Papa who paid him a glowing tribute was Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, the former Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos and presently the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Ndufu Aliko Ikwo, Ebonyi State.
Papa was Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe’s lecturer at University of Lagos, where he taught him Mathematics.
The Scout Association of Nigeria, where the late Professor Emeritus Taiwo was once the Deputy Chief Scout, University of Lagos, where he was the first and the only Provost, College of Education and from where he was later awarded Professor Emeritus of Education in 1996, St. Andrew’s College, Oyo, Old Boys Association (SACOBA), Edo College Old Boys Association (ECOBA) and Young Men Christian Association of All Saints Anglican Church, Yaba, Lagos, are among other institutions that paid glowing tributes to Papa during the burial.
Papa’s academic profile is no doubt that of a prodigy. He started his primary education in 1921 at St. Luke’s School, Oru, Ijebu in present Ogun State. He was promoted from Standard One to Three. He became a pupil-teacher in Standard Five after passing Standard Five examination.
After a four-year stint at St. Andrew’s College, Oyo, Papa was immediately posted to Sagun United School, Oru Ijebu as headmaster. He later attended Yaba Higher College, Yaba, Lagos; Trinity College, Cambridge University, where he bagged MA (Mathematics).
University of London, where he bagged a B.Sc (Special) M.A; M.Sc, Ph.D, D.Litt and Barrister-at-Law of the Middle Temple Inns of Court.
Papa was not only a teacher, he was an administrator. He was in the civil service of the Western Region, from where he rose to become a permanent secretary.
He also practiced as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Notary Public.
ENCOMIUM Weekly was at the Service of Songs and Commendation Service held for the late Professor on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 and Thursday, April 25, 2014 respectively, where we interviewed his children and in-laws.
These are their comments about their father and father-in-law…
‘My father was a pot of wisdom’ – LADI TAIWO, Son
Our condolences on the death of your father.
Thank you very much.
Where were you and how did you get to know about his death?
One night before it happened we took him to hospital because he had never been in pain and we didn’t want him to be in pain before he died. I am sure he did not want to suffer any pain. The next morning, God called him over.
What will you say you miss about him?
Anybody who has a good father will always bear that fact that your father is a pot of wisdom. You will always miss that wisdom, no matter how old he was.
Which memory of him will you always cherish?
He was a man of many parts. I keep using him as a barometer. He had the energy for so many things. I am a parent myself and I have not been able to achieve quite a fraction of what he has done.
Will you say he has brought more prominence to the family by living up to 103 years and probably as the oldest Nigerian professor?
(Laughter) I am not so sure about that but it is probably correct. But he was more prominent in many other ways than just that.
‘He taught me everything’ – DR. BAYO TAIWO, Son
Our condolences on the death of your father.
Thank you.
How did you get to know about his death?
He passed on peacefully after 103 years. We are very grateful there was no pain. God was gracious to the very end. I think he was a blessed man. God liked his ways, he was favoured. We thank God and we are very proud of him.
What would you miss about him?
Ha! Everything. He was my mentor, he was a role model, he was a teacher. He taught Physics, he taught me everything because I studied Medicine. He was the one who personally taught and guided me towards becoming a doctor. So, we are very proud of him.
‘He was an icon’ – DR. (MRS.) OLUFEMI TAIWO, Daughter-in-law
Our condolences on the death of your father-in-law.
Thank you very much.
How will you describe your father-in-law?
Our Papa was a great Nigerian. He was a good father, wonderful grandfather too. He was an icon in the field of education. A mathematician per excellence, a distinguished administrator per excellence, one of the cabinet members of the old Western Region government. He was a devoted Christian, always available in the church every Sunday. He never missed service. He was a good leader who was always there for all of us.
What would you say you will miss about him as your father-in-law?
Papa was a stabilizer who was always there to stabilize our home. Anything we needed he was always there and you could always depend on his support anytime at anywhere. We thank God for his life.
‘He lived a good life’ – MRS. MODUPE OGUNLESI, Daughter
Our condolences on the death of your father.
It is not condolence, say congratulations. He lived a good life and we all enjoyed having him and it is now time for rest.
How did you get to hear about his death?
They called me as soon as he died.
What would you say you will miss about him?
The companionship. He was his children’s companion and he gave individual attention to each child but he left for us enough fantastic memory of him.
‘We are still in a trance’ – LANRE OGUNLESI, son-in-law
Our condolences on the death of your father-in-law.
Thank you.
How did you get to know of his death?
I was in Europe. It happened on a Tuesday and I was still in Europe. My wife came back immediately but I was unable to come back until about four or five days later because I had a lot of commitments I had to sort out. It’s all good.
What will you say you will miss about him?
Not yet until after the funeral. We are still in a trance now (laughs). Then, after the funeral, we would know it’s real.
