Is’haq Oloyede: A Golden Fish With No Hiding Place

By Ishak Mohammed Sabi

I used to hear of this name here and there, but it was at the Islamic Welfare Foundation tafseer delivered by the erudite sheikh Kolawale Jum’a that we had opportunity to see ourselves at close quarters.

At this same time, the name was equally a house hold one at UNILORIN because even as a DVC, Oloyede was the man to beat and it continued that the UNILORIN sojourn became an opportunity for him to break the ceiling which volted him to the National space.

Even though just before he became the VC, the institution had gained a National attention as a result of the resistance of his predecessor, a no nonesense man of very high standards who refused to be intimidated by some people that thought they could do & undo.

But the tempo became even hotter when Oloyede took up the mantle of leadership as a substantive VC.
This was fuelled by his passion to always do the right thing by balancing the equation even when no one is complaining.

I remember how he went out of his way to recruit some young & fresh graduates of Baruten origin as lecturers into the institution, you could here him say now & then;
“Baruten as a catchment community of this institution should have a good presence here, now!”

Today, some of those young beneficiaries are Professors & Associate Professors and are now invaluable Ambassadors on whom Baruten people are proud of in that institution.

This kind of thing was common occurance in the Oloyede era because that’s the kind of spirit that drives the mind called Is’haq Oloyede, and may Allah’s rahama continue to abide therein.

The administrative and academic machinery of the institution got imbibed into all the characteristics of the new VC; discipline, time consciousness, due diligence, uncompromising, hardworking, innovative, motivative, doing it differently, building a structure for sustainability & not allowing room for excuses etc these and more were conspicuous in the UNILORIN of oloyede that made it to earn the ‘better by far’ acronym.

I have come to a conclusion that the acronym is actually the identity of Oloyede himself, it is in his spirit.

From the University he went to JAMB and met an institution whose performance (we thought) was excellent. Within some months, oloyedes’ spirits was evacuating filth & maggots from the place and after a year or so it became another Nigerian institution that is now ‘better by far’; again we could see the spirit of oloyede at work.

This man who possesses the spirit of ‘better by far’ is going to begin a gradual withdrawal from active service of UNILORIN.

I said gradual because he can not, in the near future divulge himself from that institution. The ‘seeds’ that he had ‘sown’ are just beginning to bear fruits!

In that place, he is already a golden fish, that has no hiding place.

Nigeria & humanity will not loose you anytime soon. Infact JAMB is still enveloped by ‘that blessed spirit’. Remember, it is not over until it is over, so by the time ‘the spirit’ is done with JAMB, only the almighty knows what it will become; better! better!! by far!.

That we have you at IWF, we give glory to Almighty Allah, we celebrate you, we congratulate you, we are proud of you, you have done so well, but as an ‘Islamic Scholar’ that you are, you have paid and you continue to pay your dues, levies & donations not only very regularly, handsomely but also timely & I know that you want to do even more. May Allah accept everything as ibaada from you.

Insha Allah, not anymore will Allah change His mind of Rahama & albarka on you and everything that you lay your hands upon.

May Allah assign higher responsibilities on you even as we appeal to Him to support your spirit with more resilience and blessings.

On behalf of the IWF Kwara State Chapter, I wish you a happy retirement and also welcome you into the life of senior citizens.

I therefore call on all members of IWF, their families & friends to troop out in their numbers tomorrow Wednesday 09/10/24 & Thursday 10/10/24 in support of our brother, friend, leader & Ambassador; Professor Is’haq Oloyede, as he is being hosted by another brother, friend, leader & Ambassador; Professor Abdulwahab Egbewale the VC of UNILORIN to the 2024 University lecture.

May Allah reward you as you come.

Mohammed Sabi, is the Coordinator, IWF, Kwara State Chapter.