Products of Great Ife, (former University of Ife and now) Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and in the particular context of this article, the law faculty of that great citadel of learning and culture (many a student unable to cope with rigorous academic discipline of the school had mischievously re-styled the second limb of the famous motto "torture") have always been proud, almost arrogant of their Alma Mata and the academic heritage bequeathed to them by their passage through the portals of the Ife law faculty.
One of the great academic Gurus who kept the Ife tradition of academic excellence alive for more than a generation was Prof. Solomon Akinboye Oretuyi LLB (Ife) LLM, PhD (Lond.) who recently passed on.
A great scholar and teacher. Prof Oretuyi taught several areas of the law at both undergraduate and Post-graduate levels. His specialties were Land law with emphasis on Conveyance and Customary Land law and Insurance law.
A natural teacher, he demystified those highly confusing doctrines of English land law and conveyance: Fee simple. Fee simple Absolute, Fee simple Entail, Seisin, Dowager etc which were as awe-inspiring to many of us as students as mathematics remains permanently to all generations of students. His teaching of the law of Insurance, was a must, even though Jurisprudence remained the only compulsory course in the final year for several decades.
However, having taken pains to teach the student the correct things. Prof Oretuyi in typical Ekiti style (no offence intended to the good people of Ekiti) made it very clear that the student deviates at his own peril from the acceptable path. There was the true life episode of a student now lawyer of many years standing who upon being asked in the tutorial class, what is fee simple replied quoting information obviously obtained elsewhere other than from Prof. Oretuyi's lecture. "A bundle of property rights". Prof Oretuyi property retorted "Awe, Am asking you about Fee simple, and in spite of all I have taught you, you are telling me its a bundle of right! Chances are you will fail this paper in June". Those were the days of Almighty June, you fail in one subject you repeat the whole year.
The student in that episode promptly made the necessary adjustment and "saved himself from a certain failure, potential repetition of class, even termination of academic career by the dreaded "Advised to Withdraw" from me school's Senate.
Prof. Oretuyi was reported to be amongst the earliest set of Ife law graduates graduating in the 2nd class upper Division which for a whole generation was the highest class of degree a student could graduate in at Ife until a certain Miss Folusho Aweda broke the jinx by graduating in 1st class a feat she repeated at the law school.
In fact Prof Oretuyi's academic record was reported to be the standard by which all successive graduates were assessed. The story continues that Prof. OretuuPs performance at undergraduate level was in fact worthy of a first class degree but the pioneer lectures of the faculty, may of them renown legal scholars from Oxford and Cambridge were skeptical about awarding a 1st class Honours Degree to an African from a young African University.
In any event. Prof. Oretuyi's 2.1 performance was enough to get a University scholarship to study for both his LLM and PhD at the prestigious University of London in the U. K.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Prof. Oretuyi with other equally eminent scholars such as Prof. D. A. Ijalaye SAN, Late Profs. Okunniga, Odumosu, Iluyonmade, Profs. J.O. Fabunmi, Itse Sagay SAN (many conveniently forget that Prof. Sagay was both student and later Professor at Ife before his short lived and tumultuous stay at Benin), Mr. Abel Emiko, Prof. Olu Adediran, Prof. Akintunde, Eniola, Dr. Surinda Boparai and Dr. (Mrs.) H. Boparai, Prof Esiemokhai, Prof. G. K. Vukor - Quarshie, Mr. Kaiser Bames Prof. (now Justice of the court of Appeal) M. O. Owoade, Prof Anifalaje and others: toiled ceaselessly to make the Ife law faculty the faculty of choice, it was for many years and I believe still is. Profs S. A, Adesanya SAN, C.O. Olawoyin SAN, A. B. Kasumu S.A.N no particular order, were also at various times part of the Ife success story.
Prof. S. A. Oretuyi by dint of hard work rose through the ranks to become Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Dean and Professor at various times at Ife. A thorough bred academic, he taught and in some instances served as Dean in many of the law faculties in the South Western part of Nigeria in addition to being visiting Professor at many Universities in the United Kingdom thus enjoyed tremendous goodwill and respect in the academic community. He was also for many years a member of the Editorial Board of the University of Ife Law Report (UILR).
Typical of the old generation of Nigerian academics, he lived a simple even Spartan lifestyle completely devoted to teaching, writing and research. Thus had no inclination towards primitive accumulation of wealth that is now the order of the day sadly even among modem day academics. He probably was worth a post retirement house at his homestead in Ijan-Ekiti or at best two, One in Ado-Ekiti the State capital the other his home town, a big farm which he must have stopped attending to personally save for supervision with the onset of diabetes about a decade ago, libraries and tons of books and research materials.
But a man whose accumulation of Human capital in the last 3 Decades includes Justices S. B. Candide Johnson, H. A. O. Abiru, 0. A. Williams. J. K. O. Oyewole and K Jose of the Lagos State High Court, Justices G. 0. Kolawole, A. Ogie and Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, Justice B. A. Adejumo, President of the National Industrial Court, NIC, Justices Diran Akintola and M. A. Adegbola of the Oyo State High Court, Justice C. I. Akintayo of the Ekiti State High Court, Justice L. C. Azuama of the Imo State High Court, Justice A. Ogunfowora of the Ogun State High Court, Prof. U. A. Kalu SAN, Dr. Konyin Ajayi SAN, Mr. I. A. Adedipe SAN, Mr. N. 0. 0. Oke SAN, YusufAli SAN, Chief A. B. Kalejaye SAN, Mr. Supo Shasore SAN, Mr. Layi Babatunde SAN, Mr. Femi Atoyebi SAN Mr. Seeni Okunloye SAN (Deceased) Chief Chike Chigbue SAN. (Deceased), Olu Daramola SAN, Mr. Dele Adesina SAN, Mr. Obafemi Adewale, Mr. Femi Falana,, Mrs. Roli Craig, Mr. Dave AJetomobi, Mr. Bisi Ade-Ademuwagun, Mr. Steve Kuyuro, Mr. Ade Sanusi, Mr. Dare Akande, Mr. Dele Oloke, Mr. Victor Opara, Prof. Ademola Popoola, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, Prof. Olawale Ajai, Dr. Lanre Fagbohun Dr. Kole Sodipo, Consulting Guru Leke Aider, Financial Anaylst Opeyemi AgbaJe,' Prof Ademola Yakubu (deceased). Prof O. Akanle, and in fact a whole generation of lawyers including this Writer: was an extremely wealthy man whose passage to the great beyond is worth celebrating. Adieu, Sunre 0. Baba Oretuyi, Great teacher!
One of the great academic Gurus who kept the Ife tradition of academic excellence alive for more than a generation was Prof. Solomon Akinboye Oretuyi LLB (Ife) LLM, PhD (Lond.) who recently passed on.
A great scholar and teacher. Prof Oretuyi taught several areas of the law at both undergraduate and Post-graduate levels. His specialties were Land law with emphasis on Conveyance and Customary Land law and Insurance law.
A natural teacher, he demystified those highly confusing doctrines of English land law and conveyance: Fee simple. Fee simple Absolute, Fee simple Entail, Seisin, Dowager etc which were as awe-inspiring to many of us as students as mathematics remains permanently to all generations of students. His teaching of the law of Insurance, was a must, even though Jurisprudence remained the only compulsory course in the final year for several decades.
However, having taken pains to teach the student the correct things. Prof Oretuyi in typical Ekiti style (no offence intended to the good people of Ekiti) made it very clear that the student deviates at his own peril from the acceptable path. There was the true life episode of a student now lawyer of many years standing who upon being asked in the tutorial class, what is fee simple replied quoting information obviously obtained elsewhere other than from Prof. Oretuyi's lecture. "A bundle of property rights". Prof Oretuyi property retorted "Awe, Am asking you about Fee simple, and in spite of all I have taught you, you are telling me its a bundle of right! Chances are you will fail this paper in June". Those were the days of Almighty June, you fail in one subject you repeat the whole year.
The student in that episode promptly made the necessary adjustment and "saved himself from a certain failure, potential repetition of class, even termination of academic career by the dreaded "Advised to Withdraw" from me school's Senate.
Prof. Oretuyi was reported to be amongst the earliest set of Ife law graduates graduating in the 2nd class upper Division which for a whole generation was the highest class of degree a student could graduate in at Ife until a certain Miss Folusho Aweda broke the jinx by graduating in 1st class a feat she repeated at the law school.
In fact Prof Oretuyi's academic record was reported to be the standard by which all successive graduates were assessed. The story continues that Prof. OretuuPs performance at undergraduate level was in fact worthy of a first class degree but the pioneer lectures of the faculty, may of them renown legal scholars from Oxford and Cambridge were skeptical about awarding a 1st class Honours Degree to an African from a young African University.
In any event. Prof. Oretuyi's 2.1 performance was enough to get a University scholarship to study for both his LLM and PhD at the prestigious University of London in the U. K.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Prof. Oretuyi with other equally eminent scholars such as Prof. D. A. Ijalaye SAN, Late Profs. Okunniga, Odumosu, Iluyonmade, Profs. J.O. Fabunmi, Itse Sagay SAN (many conveniently forget that Prof. Sagay was both student and later Professor at Ife before his short lived and tumultuous stay at Benin), Mr. Abel Emiko, Prof. Olu Adediran, Prof. Akintunde, Eniola, Dr. Surinda Boparai and Dr. (Mrs.) H. Boparai, Prof Esiemokhai, Prof. G. K. Vukor - Quarshie, Mr. Kaiser Bames Prof. (now Justice of the court of Appeal) M. O. Owoade, Prof Anifalaje and others: toiled ceaselessly to make the Ife law faculty the faculty of choice, it was for many years and I believe still is. Profs S. A, Adesanya SAN, C.O. Olawoyin SAN, A. B. Kasumu S.A.N no particular order, were also at various times part of the Ife success story.
Prof. S. A. Oretuyi by dint of hard work rose through the ranks to become Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Dean and Professor at various times at Ife. A thorough bred academic, he taught and in some instances served as Dean in many of the law faculties in the South Western part of Nigeria in addition to being visiting Professor at many Universities in the United Kingdom thus enjoyed tremendous goodwill and respect in the academic community. He was also for many years a member of the Editorial Board of the University of Ife Law Report (UILR).
Typical of the old generation of Nigerian academics, he lived a simple even Spartan lifestyle completely devoted to teaching, writing and research. Thus had no inclination towards primitive accumulation of wealth that is now the order of the day sadly even among modem day academics. He probably was worth a post retirement house at his homestead in Ijan-Ekiti or at best two, One in Ado-Ekiti the State capital the other his home town, a big farm which he must have stopped attending to personally save for supervision with the onset of diabetes about a decade ago, libraries and tons of books and research materials.
But a man whose accumulation of Human capital in the last 3 Decades includes Justices S. B. Candide Johnson, H. A. O. Abiru, 0. A. Williams. J. K. O. Oyewole and K Jose of the Lagos State High Court, Justices G. 0. Kolawole, A. Ogie and Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, Justice B. A. Adejumo, President of the National Industrial Court, NIC, Justices Diran Akintola and M. A. Adegbola of the Oyo State High Court, Justice C. I. Akintayo of the Ekiti State High Court, Justice L. C. Azuama of the Imo State High Court, Justice A. Ogunfowora of the Ogun State High Court, Prof. U. A. Kalu SAN, Dr. Konyin Ajayi SAN, Mr. I. A. Adedipe SAN, Mr. N. 0. 0. Oke SAN, YusufAli SAN, Chief A. B. Kalejaye SAN, Mr. Supo Shasore SAN, Mr. Layi Babatunde SAN, Mr. Femi Atoyebi SAN Mr. Seeni Okunloye SAN (Deceased) Chief Chike Chigbue SAN. (Deceased), Olu Daramola SAN, Mr. Dele Adesina SAN, Mr. Obafemi Adewale, Mr. Femi Falana,, Mrs. Roli Craig, Mr. Dave AJetomobi, Mr. Bisi Ade-Ademuwagun, Mr. Steve Kuyuro, Mr. Ade Sanusi, Mr. Dare Akande, Mr. Dele Oloke, Mr. Victor Opara, Prof. Ademola Popoola, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, Prof. Olawale Ajai, Dr. Lanre Fagbohun Dr. Kole Sodipo, Consulting Guru Leke Aider, Financial Anaylst Opeyemi AgbaJe,' Prof Ademola Yakubu (deceased). Prof O. Akanle, and in fact a whole generation of lawyers including this Writer: was an extremely wealthy man whose passage to the great beyond is worth celebrating. Adieu, Sunre 0. Baba Oretuyi, Great teacher!
3 comments:
Can I truely forget prof Oretuyi for is wonderful impartation of knowledge. R I.P PROF.........EMOKPAE OLIHA esq.
Can I truely forget prof Oretuyi for is wonderful impartation of knowledge. R I.P . EMOKPAE OLIHA esq.
Am proud of u grandpa!! R.I.P
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