Professor Tola Atinmo, Knight of John Wesley, and a native of Odogbolu in Ogun State was born in Lagos on 29th January 1945. He enrolled at the famous Kings College Lagos on 2nd January 1958 for his secondary school education. He later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ibadan and a Ph.D from Cornell University, New York, United States of America.
He is a Professor Emeritus of Human Nutrition at the College of Medicine University of Ibadan. He served as President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria and the Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANUS). He is Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Science, and a member of the Nigerian National Nutrition Council chaired by the President Commander in Chief and he serves as the Chairman of its Technical Committee. He has been described as a Doyen of Human Nutrition in Nigeria.
My first personal encounter with Professor Tola Atinmo was during my tour of duty as Dean of the Postgraduate School at the University of Ibadan from 2002 to 2006. A university has been described as an organised chaos, a form of zoological garden where the managers are daily saddled with conflict resolution. In this case a petition had been raised against one of the doctoral candidates and mentees being supervised by the eminent Professor Tola Atinmo which was brought to my notice. This was at a time the lady was ready to submit her Ph.D thesis. Both Professor Atinmo and my humble self were jolted and troubled on how to solve the problem. Professor Atinmo assured me that his supervisee had not done anything wrong and she would be vindicated.
The University operates on the basis of the Committee System. And so it was that I had to set up an Ad Hoc Committee under the Chairmanship of Professor Dapo Adelugba (1939 to 2014) former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, to investigate the matter and submit a report for consideration by the Board of the Postgraduate School. The Committee carried out its assignment diligently and made the necessary recommendations. The sordid matter was put behind us, while some of the findings were subsequently incorporated into the Revised Guidelines Governing Higher Degrees in our University. The candidate was able to submit her thesis and the Panel of Examiners was satisfied with her performance during the oral examination. Her PhD was subsequently awarded and conferred. Lo and behold, the candidate concerned died soon after. We pray for the repose of her gentle soul and the soul of Professor Adelugba as well. There were lessons for me as a person, including never to go out of my way to hurt anyone as well as the need to always be compassionate even while striving to maintain standards. Only God knows what would have happened to our conscience if she had passed on before the completion of her doctoral research.
My second encounter with Professor Tola Atinmo was much more progressive, pleasant, enobling and salutary. It happened in 2017/2018 when Professor Atinmo informed me that he had been trying to convince a notable philanthropist Sir Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu, the Odole of Ile-Ife (also known as Baba Ijebu) to construct a building for our Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. At every convocation of all federal Universities, the Proprietor/Visitor always proclaim that Government alone cannot singlehandedly fund the University that it established. So I was naturally excited about the possibility of securing this Third Stream support for our great University. Professor Atinmo told me that this kind hearted, highly successful nationalist and serial entrepreneur is his brother-in-law at the Remo/Odogbolu axis of Ogun State. Coincidentally I later met Baba Odole Adebutu Kensington at the reception organised by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association in London during the Summer of 2018 as part of activities lined up in celebration of 70 years of University Education in Nigeria. I walked up to him, introduced myself and reminded him about his promise to the University of Ibadan through his brother, Sir Professor Tola Atinmo. He assured me that he had included it in his budget for year 2019. The rest is history. To the glory of God the project was designed and completed in record time. It turned out that Baba Odole exceeded his original budget for this legacy project.
That the ultramodern Sir Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF) Auditorium in the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics is easily the best of its type currently on our campus is to the eternal credit of Professor Tola Atinmo who explored his filial relationship with the donor for this benefaction. We will never forget your support to your alma mata even as we pray that Baba Odole will live for ever.
Happy birthday to you, Sir. I wish you God’s abiding love, peace, favour and joy. I pray that the good Lord will grant you many more years of fulfilled life in good health, peace of mind and sustained prosperity. We also congratulate our mother, your wife, the former Head of the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, Professor Morayo Atinmo, children and grandchildren over this landmark birthday. It is celebration time as we clink glasses to toast to the good health of Sir Professor Emeritus Tola Atinmo this season, from Ibadan his base to Odogbolu his ancestral home, and from there to the rest of the world where ever his mentees and admirers are.
Igba odun, Odun kan ni. We love you, Sir.
Prof. Olayinka is a former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan
