The Discourse: I Have Come To Honour Prof. Adebisi Afolayan, Not To Bury Him

• Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

I am here to honour Professor Adebisi Afolayan, whom many of us call Baba Afolayan or just Baba – as a demonstration of the respect I have for him.

Professor Afolayan is one of the rare breed of intellectuals in Nigeria, whose works and theories transcend the walls of academia into beneficial practice for the sole purpose of enriching humanity.

Baba’s publications on the key role of the Yoruba language in achieving qualitative and functional education, his practical demonstration of the same with his committed involvement in “ The Six-Year Primary Project”—the Mother Tongue Education Research Project in Ife- with the Yoruba language as the language of teaching and communication, his continued commitment to the development of Yoruba language for education are worthy of celebration.

In “ My Pact with the People of the State of Osun” which we issued while preparing to be Governor, we communicated our intention to “Promote Functional Education; Education that makes one useful to one’s self and society”. 

We were committed to laying the foundation of education, that will develop our youths into productive, critical and creative thinking cultural icons, who will be models of good character, innovation and competence; the quintessential Omoluabi.

The Six – Year Primary Project resonated with our plans and we wanted to implement it in Osun. We discussed with Professor Afolayan and I was enthusiastic to have him lead the project. Unfortunately for Osun, Yoruba land and Nigeria, our efforts did not produce the desired result within our time.

As our contribution to laying a foundation for the future implementation, so that Governments after us could continue with it, we developed and approved the Omoluabi Policy of Education in 2018 with one of the  “Specific Policy Focus” items saying “Government shall implement Yoruba as the language in schools..” and “ Government shall develop this to include full usage of Yoruba in High Schools and Tertiary Institutions “. 

Being here today for me, is to demonstrate my love and commitment to this noble cause that Baba holds dear and to pledge my support, in sha Allah, to efforts to sustain and achieve illumination and greatness for the Yoruba race and Africans. 

The concluding Stanza  of the State Anthem we adopted for Osun tells it all:

Ọmọ Odua di de,

Bọ si ipo ẹ tọ rẹ,

iwọ ni, imọlẹ, 

gbogbo adulawọ.

May Baba, Professor Adebisi Afolayan never die..

Baba, ẹ o ni ku lai lai.

• Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola is the immediate-past Minister of Interior, Federal Republic of Nigeria

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not represent the opinions or views of OSUN DEFENDER.