Date: Thursday, Oct 16, 2014
Time: 6 pm
Venue: Agip Recital Hall
An evening when outstanding personalities share their favourite music and reminisce on memories behind their choices with a live audience
GUESTS
CHIEF EMEKA ANYAOKU CFR, CON, GCVO
PROFESSOR EMERITUS AYO BANJO, JP, CON, NNOM
DR. (MRS) TOKUNBO AWOLOWO DOSUNMU
HON. CHIEF (MRS.) MOBOLAJI OSOMO,
PROFILES
PROFESSOR EMERITUS AYO BANJO, JP, CON, NNOM
Ladipo Ayodeji Banjo, Emeritus Professor of English Language, University of Ibadan, was educated at Igbobi College, Lagos; University of Glasgow, Scotland; University of Leeds, England; University of California, Los Angeles USA and University of Ibadan. He holds the following qualifications: M.A (English) Glasgow, PGDE, Leeds; PG Dip English Studies (With Distinction), Leeds; M.A. (Linguistics) University of California at Los Angeles and Ph.D (English Language), Ibadan.
On his return to Nigeria after his undergraduate studies, he served as Education Officer in Nigeria’s Western Region, rising to the post of Senior Education Officer between 1960 and 1966. In 1966, he was appointed Lecturer in the Department of English, University of Ibadan where he was to spend his entire career as a university teacher and administrator. He rose steadily to the pinnacle of his teaching career as Professor of English Language in 1975. His record in university administration in the same university included the following: Dean of Arts 1977-79; Chairman, Committee of Deans, 1978-79; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, 1981-1983; Acting Vice-Chancellor, 1983-84 and finally two-term Vice-Chancellor, 1984-91. He was Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, 1989-90.
He served as External Examiner in various universities in Nigeria, Botswana, Swaziland and Sierra Leone. He was a Visiting Professor, University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados, 1980-81; Visiting Fellow, University of Cambridge, England 1992-93 and Visiting Professor, Agder College, Kristiansand, Norway, 1993-94.
Professor Banjo was Pro-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, 2000 to 2004; Pro-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, 2005 –2007; He has served as pioneer Pro-Chancellor, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo since 2005. He was Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, 2000-2004.
Professor Banjo is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, 2000; Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, 2001; D.Litt. Honoris Causa (Port Harcourt), 2005. In recognition of a lifetime of service to humanistic scholarship in the field of English Language Studies, Yoruba linguistics and Nigerian higher education, Professor Banjo was conferred with the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) in 2009.
He has authored over 55 publications (books, chapters in books and articles in learned journals). He is married to Alice Oritsewehinmi Banjo (nee Mbamali) and they are blessed with four children.
HON. CHIEF (MRS.) MOBOLAJI OSOMO
Hon. Chief (Mrs.) Mobolaji Osomo was born about 78 years ago in Igbobini, Ese-Odo Local Government, Ondo State. She attended Methodist School, Igbobini from 1944- 1948. She also attended Methodist Girl’s School, Shagamu, a boarding School for girls by the Missionaries who were expatriates.
In 1953-1955, she attended the United Missionary College, Ibadan where she trained as a teacher, she was always a member of choir in all the Schools and Colleges and usually rendered Solo songs and hymns especially during Christmas and Easter Concerts.
As a teacher she taught ‘singing’ to students in the schools where she taught and during the period she met Messer Dayo Dedeke and Akin Euba, who went round the schools in the Western Region of Nigeria teaching music especially voice training.
In September, 1960, she was awarded a Western Nigeria Region Scholarship to study for a Teachers Diploma at the North Riding Teachers Training College in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England.
It was during the period of 1960-1962 when she was a student of late Mr. Eric Fenby, who wrote the lyrics for Mr. Delius when he went blind, that she was exposed to the music of the Romantic, Classical and Contemporary periods and Operas. As the only coloured student in the town of Scarborough between 1960 and 1961, she rendered the Nigerian popular song “Ise Oluwa” to the delight of audiences.
On leaving Scarborough for London to study Law, the alternative choice of profession was to go to the Trinity School of Music, or to study Law at the Inner Temple London, and so she gave up her ambition of studying music on a full-time course.
In November, 1967 she was called to the English Bar at the Inner Temples London E. C. 2 and returned to Nigeria in 1968 to attend the Nigerian Law School where she was called to the Nigerian Bar in June, 1968. She was in private Legal Practice from 1968 to 1979 when she joined the political party of Papa Obafemi Awolowo, the Unity Party of Nigeria and went on campaign with the party members headed by Papa Adekunle Ajasin, the first Democratic Governor of Ondo State, 1979-1984.
She was appointed Commissioner for Trade, Industries Commerce and Cooperatives in the Government of Papa Ajasin. It was during the period that many Industries like Oluwa Glass, Ile-Oluji, Cocoa Processing Industries, Ifon Ceramics and Ire Burnt Bricks were set up.
She had also served in the Federal Executive Council of Nigeria under the late Gen Sanni Abacha and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, as Minister of Establishment and Management Services, and Minister of Housing, Lands and Urban Development respectively. Her interest in music covers not only religious songs, hymns and psalms, but also classical music of the Romantic and Classical periods and also works of music legends like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgetald and others.
In the Nigerian music scene, she likes the Highlife, Sakara, Agidigbo, Juju and Biripot. The children and students of Estaport Schools, Gbagada which she founded are encouraged to fully participate in music and also to take the examinations of Trinity College, London and also to participate in MUSON Music Competitions and Examinations. She is a Matron of various Choir groups in the Anglican Communion in Nigeria.
CHIEF EMEKA ANYAOKU CFR, CON, GCVO
Chief Eleazar Chukwuemeka [Emeka] Anyaoku was elected third Secretary-General of the Commonwealth by Heads of Government at their meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 1989 and took office in July 1990 and served, after re-election, for two terms of 5 years each up to 2000.
He was born at Obosi in 1933 and educated at University College, Ibadan, where he studied classics as a college scholar, graduating with a London University honours degree in 1959. In 1962, he married Ebunola Olubunmi Solanke; they have one daughter and three sons.
Chief Emeka Anyaoku was Nigeria’s Foreign Minister in 1983 before the military coup d'etat at the end of that year.
Among the highlights of his 34 years' service to the Commonwealth of 54 nations was his role in making the Commonwealth an active agent for promoting democracy and human rights and his seminal role in the processes leading to peace and democracy in Zimbabwe, Namibia and in particular, South Africa.
Chief Emeka Anyaoku has had extensive international exposure and service. He was among many things, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, London School of Economics (2000-2002); President of the Royal Commonwealth Society with headquarters in London 2000-2006; President of the Royal Africa Society with headquarters in London 2000-2007; International President of the World Wide Fund for Nature with headquarters in Switzerland and operations in over 100 countries 2001-2009; Chairman - United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Panel on International Support for NEPAD.
He is currently, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations in Nigeria; Trustee of the British Museum and Patron of Nigerian Museum; Chairman, Orient Petroleum Resources Plc in Nigeria. He has received decorations from Nigeria (CON, CFR and one of the 50 special awards to mark Nigeria’s 50th Independence Anniversary), and the highest national civilian honours of Cameroon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, Republic of South Africa and Trinidad & Tobago’s Trinity Cross (TC) as well as honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) from Her Majesty The Queen of the United Kingdom in 2000. The Freedom of the City of London was also bestowed on him in 1998.
In 2003, the University of London established a professorial chair in his name, the Emeka Anyaoku Professor of Commonwealth Studies, at its Institute of Commonwealth Studies. He is a holder of 32 Honorary Doctorate degrees from Universities in Britain, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, The Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
His publications include “The Missing Headlines” (by Liverpool University Press in 1997); his Memoirs: “The Inside Story of the Modern Commonwealth”(by Evan Brothers Limited in 2004); and “The Racial Factor in International Politics”(by The Nigerian Institute for International Affairs in 1977). A biography of Emeka Anyaoku, “The Eye of Fire”, written by the Canadian author, Phyllis Johnson, was published by Africa World Press Inc and reprinted in Nigeria by Spectrum Books Limited in 2000.
DR ỌLATOKUNBỌ AYỌKA AWOLỌWỌ DOSUMU
After graduating from Bristol University in 1972, Dr Ọlatokunbọ Ayọka Awolọwọ Dosumu worked in several pre- and post-registration teaching hospital posts before she obtained postgraduate qualifications in Occupational Medicine from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in 1979.
She worked in private practice in this capacity for nine years. Then followed a career break which involved significant leadership and administrative positions, as well as public policy analysis and research.
Specifically, she was a nominated member of the Constituent Assembly (1988-89) where she served as Vice-Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee 4 that prepared the philosophical foundations of the new Constitution, namely, the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.
Thereafter, until late 1991, she played various roles in the emerging politics of the Third Republic and in April 1992 she co-founded the Ọbafẹmi Awolọwọ Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization set up in memory of her father, Chief Ọbafẹmi Awolọwọ, and dedicated to generating ideas for national development. She is the Foundation’s Executive Director.
She was appointed member of the International Committee of the Council on Foundations, an umbrella body of Foundations based in Washington DC in 1995. She was appointed Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Netherlands and served in this capacity from January 2000 to July 2003. During this time, she was concurrently accredited as Nigeria’s Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) where she was, at various times and in succession, appointed Vice-Chairman of the Conference of States Parties, Member of the Executive Council, Vice-Chairman of the Executive Council (Administrative & Financial issues), Vice-Chairman of the First Review Conference, and Chairman of the African Group of States Parties.
She was also concurrently accredited to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and Common Fund for Commodities (CFC). She subsequently chose to return to her profession as an Occupational Health Physician and has continued her work at the Ọbafẹmi Awolọwọ Foundation. She is also presently charged, by the family of Chief Ọbafẹmi Awolọwọ, with the responsibility for actualising the vision of the Dideolu Specialist Hospital. She was appointed Chair of the Board of Management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba in April 2013.
She was one of the fifteen delegates that represented the South West zone at the just-concluded National Conference, which was inaugurated by the President, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, on Monday, March 17, 2014. At the conference, she served on the committee on political restructuring and forms of government.
Dr Awolọwọ Dosumu was born in Ibadan, the last child of the late sage, Chief Ọbafẹmi Awolọwọ and his ‘jewel’, Yeye Oodua H. I. D. Awolọwọ.
