My first encounter with Mrs Mojisola Ladipo (not yet a High Chief then) was memorable and that was in 1992. I had been promoted to the humble position of Lecturer Grade 1, effective the previous year. Long after the promotion had been approved by the University Appointments and Promotions Committee for Academic Staff the official communication to me from the Establishments Division of the Registry was not forthcoming. In frustration, I decided to write a formal letter of complaint to the relevant university authority to inquire about the tardiness in informing me formally concerning the matter. Our Departmental Secretary, Mrs Abimbola Oduwole, who was hitherto working at the Establishments Division before being posted to the Department of Geology told me that I was just wasting my time; in her view my letter would end up in the dustbin as no one would bother to reply me. Nonetheless, I followed my instinct and hand-delivered my protest letter as originally intended.
It may be pointed out that the period under reference coincided with extreme underfunding of the University of Ibadan with many offices in the Registry hardly having a stock of the official letter head papers. The University was always taking bank loans to complement government allocation before salaries could be paid. The rain has been beating the Nigerian University System for many moons. The more things change, the more they remain the same. There is always the past in the present. To those of us who have been on the Faculty here for over three decades, and still counting, we have watched rather painfully and survived worse days than the current funding challenges. We are incurable optimists and know that there are better days ahead. Anyhow, I digress.
Lo and behold I received a beautiful reply in an official memo from the Establishments Division, a few days later endorsed by Chief Mojisola Ladipo apologizing for the protracted delay. I was relieved to the extent that my letter had not been ignored. I was impressed with her efficiency, effectiveness and attention to details. This to me was a practical demonstration of service delivery. As someone who believes in meritocracy, there is no gainsaying the fact that I have remained her loyal fan ever since.
Chief Moji Ladipo once mentioned at a public function several years ago that when she first took up appointment at the University of Ibadan after relocating from our sister institution, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, she took the pain to peruse the Act setting up the University of Ibadan and its College of Medicine, along with all the amendments. Thus, she became very conversant with the rules and regulations and this must have helped her tremendously in her most brilliant career.
It was a thing of joy to me personally that such a diligent, devoted, efficient, knowledgeable and dutiful worker rose to the pinnacle of her career a few years later in such a highly competitive institution like the University of Ibadan. It is gratifying to note that she brought to the position all the attributes that had made her such a huge success in her previous positions of responsibility. She served with distinction as Registrar for two full terms covering a total of 10 years (1996-2006).
From the University Records, she is the third longest serving Registrar of our institution, coming on the heels of two other great administrators and icons, namely Chief N. K. Adamolekun (1960-1972) and Chief I. Ekanem-Ita (1982-1994), respectively.
On account of her wealth of experience and insisting on the rule of law rather than the rule of men (or rule of women) and being impartial in offering advice whether in Senate, Council or other organs of the University even if the heavens will fall, she earned the respect of the Faculty. You cannot give what you do not have. She was fond of referring to Deans of Faculties and Heads of Departments as directly in line of succession to the Vice-Chancellor. Nothing can be truer than this. I consulted Chief Moji Ladipo regularly for advise in my official duties over the last two decades either as Head of Geology, Dean of the Postgraduate School, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) or ultimately as the Vice-Chancellor. She never failed to offer sustainable positions on even the most seemingly complex situations.
I have been highly impressed with her highly cerebral nature. She writes and speaks impeccable English as if she were a native speaker of the language. It is always a delight listening to her speak at conferences and workshops. Any way you do not expect anything less from a former student of the Master of the English Language himself, our highly respected academic father, the inimitable Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, NNOM, FNAL, CON.
We had no difficulty in utilising her skills, cognate experience and expertise during my stint as Vice-Chancellor. While looking for an expert resource person, her name always came up as the best man for the job. Consequently, we invited her regularly as a Consultant/Resource Person. She served on many interview panels for the employment of very senior administrative staff.
Among many others, she presented a seminal paper which was well-received by all the participants on the theme “Footprints in the Sand of Time” at the University of Ibadan Council Retreat, which held at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex, Abeokuta, at the end of March 2018. She also took an active part in and delivered a Keynote at the first ever Senate Retreat of the University of Ibadan held in December 2019. She has demonstrated her keen sense of institutional memory over and over and this impresses me a lot.
I am also aware that she is held in very high esteem by Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of other sister Universities in Nigeria and for which reason she is consulted regularly. She is some sort of Registrar of Registrars. One may not be wrong to assert with all sense of responsibility that she is a very good ambassador of the University of Ibadan. There is simply no hiding place for the golden fish.
My wife and I wish High Chief Mojisola Ladipo, our first Alumna Registrar, a happy birthday. Going forward, the odds will always favour you. We thank you for your love for our great Alma Mater and for serving the institution with demonstrable competence, diligence and hard work.
As you hit platinum and by this token truly become an elder and a very senior citizen, our prayer is that the good Lord will renew the strength of this lady of substance and grant her many more years ahead in the service to God and humanity.
We are exceedingly proud of you, our dear Registrar Emerita, the High Chief Aare Alaasa of Ibadanland, as you hit platinum on Wednesday 9th June 2021. This is wishing you everlasting bliss in the land of the living.
Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, Fellow Nigerian Academy of Science and Fellow Geological Society of London, is the 12th Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan
