Born on 7th May 1952, Professor Adams Otuoze Onuka turns 70 today and by so doing will be retiring formally from the services of the University of Ibadan where he has held an academic position for the past two decades.
I ran into him about a week ago at the University of Ibadan/Orita UI Branch of Guaranty Trust Bank and he looked much younger than his biological age. We wish him many more years ahead in good health, peace of mind and prosperity. You shall never lack.
The Venerable Professor Adams Otuoze Onuka is an ordained Priest of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). In the course of his pastoral assignment, he served meritoriously for two terms as the Chaplain of the Chapel of the Resurrection, University of Ibadan, an interdenominational worship centre on the Campus of Nigeria’s pre-eminent and premier University.
He earned his first degree from the famous University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos while his Master and Doctoral degrees were at the University of Ibadan. He joined the Faculty at Ibadan 20 years ago and through a dint of hard work and perseverance as well as seminal research publications he attained the ultimate accolade of a Professorial Chair in Educational Evaluation at the Institute of Education in 2013.
Our honoree presented the 495th in the University of Ibadan Inaugural Lecture Series on 1st July 2021 with the title ‘Evaluate, Learn, Share and Innovate (ELSI)’, on behalf of the Institute of Education. The printed version of the lecture published by the Ibadan University Press is a hefty 121 page document.
As part of his community service, he was Chairman of the Campus Anti-Cultism Campaign Committee and subsequently served as the pioneer Director of the Centre for Social Orientation (CENSO).
As a Senior Research Fellow, he was an elected member of the University Senate representing the Congregation up until he became a statutory member after his promotion to the grade of full Professor.
There was an orchestrated Vice-Chancellorship succession crisis at the University of Ibadan during 2020/2021, and this brought out the best in Professor Onuka in terms of his outspokenness, fortrightness, impeccable character and transparency during meetings of Senate and many other Committees of both Senate and Council on which he served. There were many dramatis personae but for any objective observer the star-studded Senate and Council of the University were the ultimate heroes for admirably protecting the autonomy of the institution.
The Venerable Professor Adams Otuoze Onuka was a member of the three persons select team despatched by the University Senate to deliver the resolutions of Senate to the Federal Ministry of Education Abuja through the National Universities Commission (NUC) during the first week of November 2020 in order to convey the position of the Senate as the highest academic body in any university worth it’s salt. The other members of the Team comprised the Provost of the Postgraduate College, Professor Bamiji Babalola and the Dean of Law, Prof Simisola Akintola.
At the end of the day, while the noisy minority had their say, the silent majority had their way. It is gratifying that Prof Adams Otuoze Onuka wore his religious garment as usual by speaking and acting the truth. You are a true Ambassador of Christ and we will always remember the salutary and stabilising force you represented as a member of this academic community when it mattered the most. God bless you abundantly, my Lord Spiritual.
The Venerable Professor Adams Onuka hails from Kogi State but he has lived most of his adult life here in Ibadan. He has come a very long way from when he joined the Nigerian Army in 1969 and trained at the defunct Training Depot, Igueben, now in Edo State and posted to Onitsha, now in Delta State the following year.
Without any hesitation he qualifies to claim to be an indigene or native of the University of Ibadan. We congratulate your wife, children, grandchildren and the entire Onuka family for this landmark.
We, who are Anglicans from birth, are doubly very proud of you, Sir.
Professor Idowu Olayinka is of the Department of Geology, and Former Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan
