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I first met the then Mr. Gabriel Oladapo Adeyemi in 1982. I had just been employed as a Geologist by a Consulting Company, Deptol Consultants and our company was engaged in a water borehole drilling project in Kaduna State. He was on the staff of ACME Nigeria Ltd. We became friends instantly. There were no social media platforms those days so we lost contact after 1983. Our paths later crossed a few years later after I joined the academic staff of the University of Ibadan while he was with Ogun State University, (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) Ago Iwoye where he rose to the grade of Senior Lecturer. He was head hunted to join the University of Ibadan principally in order to strengthen our Engineering Geology section in January 2001. I am delighted that I was one of the people that encouraged him to join our Department even though it was for him a horizontal movement as he was placed on the same rank as the one he had occupied for a number of years previously.
It is gratifying to observe that he has delivered on his remit as a committed teacher and researcher, successfully supervising many M.Sc and Ph.D students in his areas of specialisation. He was promoted Reader in 2004 and Professor in 2007. He equally served at different times as the Head of the Department of Geology and Director of the Centre for General Studies. He was a valued member of the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee of the Council of the University of Ibadan. He assisted me during my stint as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of The International School as the Chairman/Convener of an Ad-Hoc Committee when some allegations were raised against the Management of the School at the time. He has without any doubt made significant contributions to the growth and development of our Department in particular and the entire University of Ibadan in general. We cannot thank you enough, Deacon Professor Adeyemi.
Both of us served on the Council of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society at the same time, and one can confirm that he was highly respected by the President and entire Council. He later moved on to serve as a highly consequential President of the Nigerian Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment where he is rightly acknowledged as one of the elders and founding fathers of the professional society.
Thankfully he has been able to distinguish himself in all his external engagements. Including but not limited to serving on Accreditation Panels of the National Universities Commission.
I have found a number of salutary virtues in Professor Adeyemi ever since we met a little over four decades ago. His generosity, friendliness and humility will always stand him in good stead. He remains a go-to lecturer by our undergraduate and postgraduate students. He has a reputation for remembering people’s date of birth. He has pictures of many identical twins pasted on the walls in his office. One has the impression that is one of his hobbies.
As he attains the statutory retirement age of 70 years, I wish him many more years of quality service to humanity in good health and peace of mind.
Olayinka, former UI Voice Chancellor, is of the Department of Geology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
