Adeyemi, Jawondo pay tribute to late Awobuluyi
By Abubakar Imam
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services)of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Olalere Adeyemi, and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. Ibrahim Abdulganiyu Jawondo, last Tuesday (August 11, 2026) at the Faculty Board meeting joined the rest of the academic world to eulogise the pioneer Dean of the Faculty, Prof Oladele Awobuluyi.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Vice Chancellor described the founding Dean of the Faculty as “our father, teacher, mentor and icon of Linguistics and Yorùbá language.”
Prof. Adeyemi recalled that the deceased taught him and his contemporaries many courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, recalling that he also assisted him in typing his Ph.D. thesis free of charge.
He added that the deceased was the foundation Dean of Arts and Social Sciences before it was separated as he was also the first Inaugural Lecturer in the annals of the University.
Prof. Adeyemi added that the late scholar was a meticulous, critical and deep researcher and the pioneer teacher of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages at the University, who also authored great works.
While describing him as the ‘Chomsky’ of African Linguistics, he said that the deceased was also very prominent in literary criticism, saying that his work on chain folktales, and other Yorùbá chants are pathfinders in the Linguistic analysis of Yoruba oral Literature.
According to the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Awobuluyi, was “a genius, a great administrator and a peaceful man” whose love for scholarship was unique.
He added that despite his retirement from the services of the University in 2001, Prof. Awobuluyi remained strongly attached to the University and was still writing and publishing books.
On his part, the Dean, Prof. Jawondo described the death of Prof. Awobuluyi as a great and irreparable loss not only to the Faculty and the University but also to the entire humanity.
Prof. Jawondo explained that the late scholar was one of the most distinguished founding fathers of the University whose sacrifices made the institution what it is today.
He added that apart from delivering the first Inaugural Lecture of the University, the late scholar also worked with others to train many outstanding scholars of linguistics who subsequently impacted on the University and humanity in several ways.
While saying that the late Prof. Awobuluyi’s name would continue to occupy a pride of place in the annals of the University, the Dean said that the pioneer Dean would remain an unforgettable personality in the annals of the University.
The Dean sympathised with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, and members of his management team as he also sympathised with the family, associates and students of the late scholar.
Others, who spoke, similarly eulogised the late scholar as they also saluted the outstanding contributions of a former Dean of the Postgraduate School, Prof. Badmas Olanrewaju Yusuf, who also died earlier in the year.
They all prayed to God to grant the University and others who are bereaved the fortitude to bear the demise of the two former Deans.
