Professor Joseph Anthony Orighomisan Woods has plied his trade for many decades now in the Department of Chemistry, University of Ibadan. As he attains the mandatory retirement age of 70 years today, 14th December 2024, we congratulate him and wish him a happy retirement.
He attended Government College Ughelli from 1967 till 1971, finishing his West African School Certificate in Grade One. He then proceeded to the University of Ibadan the following year and earned a B.Sc Chemistry (1976), M.Sc Chemistry (1983) and Ph.D Chemistry (1987).
He started what has turned out to be a highly productive, engaging, inspiring and rewarding academic career as a Graduate Assistant in January 1982 till December 1986 at his alma mater, the University of Ibadan. He was soon to be employed as Lecturer Grade II at Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife in April 1987 and stayed at Ile-Ife till he relocated back to the University of Ibadan in October 1990 as Lecturer Grade I. He rose rapidly through the ranks, being promoted Senior Lecturer in 1994, Reader in 2002 and Professor in 2005. He has served as Visiting Reader at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.
He has supervised many B.Sc, M.Sc and Ph.D students. He has served as External Examiner and External Assessor for Professorial candidates in many Universities.
Professor Woods has served the University of Ibadan as Departmental Examinations Officer, Departmental Time-Table Officer and Practical Demonstrators’ Supervisor.
He was elected and served as Congregation Representative in Senate from 2001 till 2005, and as a full member of Senate from 2005 till date.
I have known Professor Woods since both of us were early career lecturers and researchers in the early 1990s. He was often vocal at meetings of our local branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
I must confess that I have come to admire, cherish, respect and adore him ever since we worked intimately during my stint as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and later as Vice-Chancellor. He is very hardworking and honest, and could be uncompromising when you discuss a matter with him on which he holds a strong opinion.
As part of his tour of duty at the University of Ibadan, Professor Woods was consistently a go-to person any time the System needed a man of unquestionable and undiluted integrity. With him, what you see is what you get. A serious minded person that he is, he had no time for politicking or back biting.
Among others, he served the University with distinction in different capacities, including but not limited to the following:
- Faculty of Science Representative on the Ad-Hoc Committee on Modalities for the Computation of Results for Admissions Exercise -CMCRAE (a Senate Ad-Hoc Committee with Prof Elijah Afolabi Bamgboye of the Faculty of Public Health as Chairman) (2005-2008) – (a) 2005/2006 input and computation of 100 Level students’ results spanning five academic sessions (UTME, SSCE & CGPA {end of 100L}) leading to the UI POST-UTME model (60:40). (b) 2006-2008 processing candidates for admission using the UI POST-UTME model – data entry and preparation for admission committee meetings of College of Medicine and the Faculties.
- Chairman, Senate Admissions Committee (CMCRAE) (May 1, 2008 – May 21, 2013)
- Appointed Senate Representative (Member)/Co-opted member, Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee, effective August 1, 2005 for eight years.
- Appointed and Re-appointed Focal Officer Service Compact – SERVICOM- (May 1, 2015 – April 30, 2021) {six years}. This particular assignment must have tasked his patience. It is gratifying that he was able to serve the University well as a Conciliator and Mediator in resolving all the seemingly intractable cases, save for one case in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technology and another in the Department of Virology, College of Medicine.
We had some memorable encounters in the course of our tour of duty together. The 2011 Post UTME screening was the first time that the University of Ibadan was undertaking the most comprehensive written examination for the examination. Our remit was to select the best and the brightest candidates from amongst the tens of thousands who had selected the University of Ibadan as their first choice.
Professor Woods as Chairman of the Committee had the task of vetting, printing and collating all the questions to be answered by the candidates and the OMR Sheets for the answers while I was only required to provide oversight as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). Over the weekend preceeding the POST UTME, I kept pestering Professor Woods when he would commence printing his questions. He assured me everything was under control. That the Admissions Office had a giant printer that was very fast. In fairness, he was very busy with other equally important arrangements for the examination. Time was ticking. I was becoming impatient that Sunday afternoon. I asked him to let us experiment with a few questions in order to estimate how long it would take to complete the entire printing for all the candidates. It was at this point we discovered that although the ‘giant’ printer was fast, it would take us till about 2 pm on the date of the examination to complete the entire batch. Yet, such examination should normally start latest by 9 am. There was fire on the mountain! Professor Woods had apparently underestimated the volume of work before us. We had to look for all available printers in the Central Administration in order to complement the main printer. Needless to say that I was unable to go back to my off campus accommodation as we worked overnight till the early hours of the following morning. Happily the Post UTME screening went well and Professor Woods was commended for a good job done under tremendous pressure.
The 2011 experience was part of our learning curve as we had picked up a few useful hints on how not to underestimate the volume of work required for the Post UTME. This was helpful during the following year’s undergraduate admission exercise in 2012. This time around, I declared my Conflict of Interest to Chairman Woods to the effect that my son was a prospective candidate for the Post UTME into the BSc Mechanical Engineering programme at the University of Ibadan. I added that I would, consequently, not like to sight the life questions before the commencement of the examination. As the Yoruba would say O Ndi waju d’ejo. Let some mischievous persons not damage my reputation that I exploited my position as Deputy Vice-Chancellor with oversight over undergraduate admission to unduly favour my child. We both agreed on this while all other arrangements went seamlessly as planned.
That the Senate of the University of Ibadan has over the last 20 years developed, refined and implemented a robust and transparent undergraduate admission template which has greatly improved the quality of students admitted into our undergraduate programmes can be attributed to gallant efforts of many individuals such as Professor Woods and his successors as Chairmen of the Senate Admissions Committee. We cannot thank him enough. Between 1% and 2% of UI students are now advised to withdraw at the end of their first year of study in comparison to between 10 and 12% before Post UTME was introduced in 2005/2006 academic session.
I once had reason to present the statistics on very low attrition rate at the end of the first year of study at the University of Ibadan at a major Workshop in South Africa and our university was applauded by the audience for the feat.
Still talking about Professor Wood’s unequalled devotion to duty, I still vividly recollect the day the Appointments and Promotions Committee for Academic Staff concluded his promotion to the grade of Professor. For most of us at the University of Ibadan such a day is historically an occasion to host friends who are on ‘ward rounds’ to merry and felicitate with the newly minted Professors in the Universe. So it was that this particular late afternoon some of us ‘Friends of JAO Woods’ made our way to Professor Woods campus Residence at Liard’s Place, near The Polytechnic Ibadan Gate. Lo and behold our newly promoted Professor was not at home! His wife, Dr Nancy Chinyere Woods, a notable senior academic in Computer Science, told us that her husband was still busy at the Admissions Office. I shook my head in disbelief! He had apparently dashed home to have a brief celebration with his family after his pronouncement a Professor by the Vice-Chancellor before going back to his desk in the office. Such was his exceptionally strong work ethics, level of dedication and commitment to the system.
Beyond Thanksgiving at the Seat of Wisdom Catholic Church on the Campus where Professor Woods and his family usually worship, one would not be surprised if our colleague, friend and brother does not throw a society party to celebrate his formal retirement today. Nonetheless, this occasion calls for celebration for a worthy native of UI. We raise a toast on his behalf.
Professor John Woods is still very energetic. We wish him many more years of fruitful service to God, his family and humanity in good health, prosperity and peace of mind. Without any iota of doubt, you have served our beloved community selflessly. The good Lord will reward you most bountifully.
Professor Idowu Olayinka served as the 12th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (2015 to 2020)
