From my column… Goodnight Professor Shehu Jimoh! In Ilorin, our world stood still as news of the death of one of its illustrious sons hit the town in the late hours of Monday 19th May, 2014 like an avenging ghost. The death that took away Professor Sheu Ahmad Jimoh walked in like a thief in the night. It shocked everybody, including members of his family. I’ll personally miss this man of letters and one of the finest Professors and scholars Ilorin has ever produced. Though, I was not opportune to be his student, but I learnt a lot from him in our relationship; right from the very first day we met about a decade ago to about three weeks to his death. The last of his usual Fridays’ messages to me was: “Every man is like all other men, like some other men, like no other man. Let’s understand and appreciate our differences, Jumaah Kareem”. My admiration for this erudite scholar grew wider right in the hall where he delivered his inaugural lecture “If gold rusts, what will iron do?” at the University of Ilorin. A title, according to him, adopted from The Clerk’s Tale, one of the stories compiled in the classic The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. He bluntly and courageously told his listeners in the hall to consider the gathering as a waste of time, if had in any way found the lecture he was about to deliver in any book or speech. What a courage, what a confidence! He was an orator, an avid reader, a prolific writer of international standard and above all, a complete teacher. His numerous students, ranging from Prof. Ish’aq Oloyede, Prof. Bayo Lawal, and Prof. Durosaro to many others out there, will attest to the fact that he was a teacher of high repute. The outpouring of grief speaks volume of this elegant teacher who plied his distinguished profession so quietly and diligently without ever trying to draw attention to himself. In spite of the challenges and unlucrative nature of the profession, he was steadfast and never fluctuated. He was a teacher from beginning to the end. He was ever courteous and unfailingly polite to his superiors and subordinates alike. Despite being an elderly kinsman with a wide age difference between us, he was found of using the Yoruba plural of respect when addressing me. He was significantly different. I’ll miss him, Ilorin will miss him, Nigeria will miss him, and indeed the world will miss him. As this great teacher was laid to occupy the small hole popularly known as “six-feet” at a very small corner of his house in Adewole around 2.45pm last Tuesday, I could not but reflect on the futility and vanity of life. In his death is an ample lesson for us all that life is nothing but vanity upon vanity. No matter one’s achievements on earth, death would one day knock on one’s door and that would be the end of the road. The comfort is that, the unblemished nobility of his life will serve as an example for future generations. May his gentle soul rest in peace. Goodnight Prof! HIS BIOGRAPHY(Culled from Kwara State Polytechnic’s internet page) Shehu Ahmed Jimoh, OON an emeritus Professor of Education Psychology was born on the 28th of February, 1944. He hails from Ilorin town in Ilorin West Local government of kwara state. The young Shehu Jimoh, as he is popularly called started with Islamic Education which is typical of an average Ilorin man; his Islamic background prepared him for further challenges which he later faced in life. He had his Secondary Education at the Holy Trinity Grammar School, Sabongidda – Ora in the then Middle Western Region now Edo State between 1957 and 1961. He proceeded to the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria between 1963 and 1967 where he bagged B.A (Hons) English. In his attempt to attain International recognition he hurriedly went to the University of Dakar, Senegal between July and September 1966 where he obtained a Certificate of Proficiency in French. His quest for knowledge took him to the Premier University, University of Ibadan where he obtained a PGDE in 1968 making him a Professional Teacher and a competent Education Administrator. He was still not satisfied with his educational achievement, he went ahead to obtain M.Ed in Education Psychology in 1971 and PhD (Education) in 1977 making him the first Ph.D (Education) graduate of University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The Emeritus Professor (Shehu Jimoh) won several Scholarships and Prizes during his educational career, among several are; Best Student in Literature (H.T.G.S. Ora) 1955, Best Student in English and Geography ABU, 1963-64, University Scholar, ABU Zaria 1964-67, University Scholar, University of Ife (OAU) 1975-77, Best overall Student, AMC 24/91, ASCON Badagry 1991, Listed in who is who in the following Directory: Ilorin Directory by America Biographical Institute, Nigeria; by International Biographical Centre, The Contemporary who is who by America Biographical institute, Distinguished ALUMNI Award, OAU, Ile-Ife, and National Honours Award of OON. He belongs to several Learned / Professional Societies; the following are a few of them, Member Educational Studies Association of Nigeria, Member, Nigerian Psychological Association, Member British Psychological Society, Member, Association of Psychology Teachers, Member, International Association for Educational Assessment and Member of Nigeria Society for Educational Psychologists. The status attained by him today has to do with the working experiences gained over the years. He started during the Civil War as a Teacher/Principal in the Ilorin College, Ilorin now Government High School, Ilorin 1967-71, Teacher / Vice Principal, Ilorin Grammar School 1972-73. He was a founding member of Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic) in the English Department 1973-77. He joined as a Lecturer II in 1973 and rose to the position of Senior Lecturer in 1977. He joined the services of the “Better by Far University” University of Ilorin, in 1978 as a Lecturer I and became a Senior Lecturer in 1980. The tenacity and doggedness with which he delivers assignment with minimum supervision and a high level of precision made the Kwara State Government sought the permission of his employers the University of Ilorin to appoint him the Provost of Kwara State College of Education, Oro between 1985 and 1992. The standard and quality he bequeathed in the College made the NCCE use the College for a pilot study on new approaches to NCE Certificates and the Quality assurance exercise during the Educational Reform programme of President Olusegun Obasanjo. He went back to the University and between 1994 and 1995, he was Ag. HOD and Reader in the Department of Education Psychology. The State Government again gave him another assignment as the Sole Administrator of Kwara State Polytechnic between 1996 and 1997. He became a Professor of Education Psychology in 1995 and was Dean, Students Affairs between 2004 to 2008. He has rendered several services to the University, his Community and the Nation at large. These include; Chairman of Task Forces in the University, Member of various Committees such as Senate Committee on Memorandum for Visitation Panel, Chairman University of Ilorin Muslim Community, Public orator of the University etc. To his Community and the Nation; Professpr Shehu was a Member, Technical Committee on the Establishment of Al-Hikmah University, Kwara State University, Malete and Crescent University Abeokuta, Editorial Adviser of several Journals, Consultants to ECOWAS and UNESCO on Education programme and Capacity Building in Teacher Training, State Consultant to British Council and UNICEF on several programmes. His attendance of Major Workshops and Seminars for over 3 decades took him to all nooks and crannies of this Country and beyond. He has attended Seminars in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Latin America on several important issues on Education and its development. He has over 40 Major Public Lectures, Seminar papers and Technical reports which he had painstakingly delivered over the years. His Publications of over 50 in various discipline and aspect of Education, Social life and on the Job experience is a testimony that he was a man of International repute. His last Research activities includes Staff Evaluation Procedures, School Discipline and Contemporary Developments, An Examination of the Role and Relevance of the External Examiner in the Examination System of Tertiary Institutions and Primary Education in Nigeria and the prospect of the UBE (Universal Basic Education). Professor Shehu Jimoh was happily married with Children. He enjoyed reading and writing, he liked associating with people of diverse background. His belief and philosophy is doing things the right way. He does not compromise quality and standard. He is a Disciplinarian to the letter. His contemporaries saw him as a Realist while his colleagues saw him as an accomplished Educationist and his subordinates view him as an astute administrator and a good Leader.
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 18:39:17 +0000
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