Oluchi Chibuzor
It was a celebration of academic prowess as two prominent and renowned professors – Prof. Modupeolu Faseke and Prof. Oladele Adeoti, bowed out of service from the Faculty of Arts, Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University (LASU).
Speaking at the colloquium in honour of the two professors, Head of Department, History and International Studies, Prof. Adewunmi Falode, who thanked the celebrants for their work ethics, appreciated the support of the University’s Vice-Chancellor in making the event come to pass.
He described the retiring historical scholars as worthy servants that devoted their time to training most of them within the university and outside.
He said they realised that most of their senior colleagues retire without people actually celebrating them after putting many years in service.
According to him, “Once they are gone, they are gone and they go into obscurity, nobody celebrates and appreciates them. Most of them are first generation teachers in Nigeria and not just LASU, so we now said we should not allow our own to go the same way others have been going, that we should honour them when they are in the system about retiring.
“Not when they are dead, we now start going to sing eulogy. He was a good person, no, let them feel it now so that they feel the warmth and appreciation with joy that we have for them. I appreciate our VC for supporting us today, so that when they leave here they will still have that wonderful memory that though they are not in service, they still have us in their memory.
“They are renowned scholars and excellent teachers because most of us that are lecturers here now are their product and that is the testimony we have about them.”
For Adeoti, leaving a legacy of service and commitment and dedication makes him feel proud.
“For me, I am leaving a legacy of service and I have been a lecturer in this university since 1996. I want the way we have been teaching our students to continue and I wish my colleagues can continue in that legacy of service, commitment and dedication to services and the love we have for the students and the profession,” he said.
Also, in her remarks, Faseke said her steadfastness and disciplinary attributes made her to be denied promotion for years.
“I feel very honoured and give all the glory to God. Putting so many years and all the denials I suffered for promotion paid off with this celebration today,” she added.
