An unforgettable night with Prof. Oluseyi O. Oluwatosin (formerly Oduguwa)
April 13, 2021
Sometimes in 2006, a group of five members of the ExCo of Nigerian Society for Animal Production (NSAP ) went for a meeting of the NSAP and the Local Organising Committe of "Calabar 2007". We left Abeokuta in one vehicle on Friday. In the vehicle were Prof. Adeniyi Agunbiade (President), Prof. Seyi Oduguwa ( Ex-Officio Member), Mrs T.P. Efuape (Ex-Officio Member), then a Director in the Ogun State Service and Dr. Olajide Adeyemi (Deputy Editor -in-Chief) and our Driver (Mr Ikire). It was a very long and tortuous journey owing to the bad road.We had to break our journey at Owerri. Before we could get an accommodation for the night it was past 1.00am.
We barely slept for 4hours as we had to step out at 5.00am so that we can get to Calabar for our Saturday meeting and be back in Owerri before night falls. We even made accommodation arrangements so we will not be stranded when we come back from Calabar. We had our meeting successfully in Calabar and left a little after 6.00pm.
Let me explain here that Prof Oluwatosin (Oduguwa) just came back from one of his many overseas journey two days prior to our setting out for Calabar by road, normally he would have stayed back and rested, but his love for NSAP would not allow him to do so hence he came along with us as an experienced ExCo member to contribute his quota in ensuring a successful Conference for the Society.
We however missed our turning that would have gotten us to Umudike/ Umuahia at Ikot-Ekpene as we have been previously warned by our members at Calabar to avoid Aba at that time of the evening. We found ourselves at Aba by mistake, at that time Dr Austin Ani, the Assistant Secretary had joined us in the car. Just a little before 8.00pm after leaving Aba and on the Aba Expressway enroute to Umuahia, we were ambushed by dare devilish armed robbers . We escaped into the bus hand watched from the hill as our vehicle was ransacked of our valuables. We experienced a traumatic near death exposure. However Prof Oluwatosin and Professor Agunbiade were very good at staying calm. They prayed for our protection throughout the night. We had planned that we will sleep in Owerri that night but it turned out that we slept on subsistence cassava farm in the Bush of Abia State. We experienced God's saving Grace that night and I had the singular honour of enjoying the calming influence of the cool calm and collected Professors Agunbiade and Oluwatosin. I actually slept deeply and even snored while the two Senior kept a vigil, praying through the night.
Professor Oluwatosin, that night remained etched in my mind, you remained a rallying point to many of us till your last breathe. Rest in peace Sir. Goodnight Bro Seyi.
We barely slept for 4hours as we had to step out at 5.00am so that we can get to Calabar for our Saturday meeting and be back in Owerri before night falls. We even made accommodation arrangements so we will not be stranded when we come back from Calabar. We had our meeting successfully in Calabar and left a little after 6.00pm.
Let me explain here that Prof Oluwatosin (Oduguwa) just came back from one of his many overseas journey two days prior to our setting out for Calabar by road, normally he would have stayed back and rested, but his love for NSAP would not allow him to do so hence he came along with us as an experienced ExCo member to contribute his quota in ensuring a successful Conference for the Society.
We however missed our turning that would have gotten us to Umudike/ Umuahia at Ikot-Ekpene as we have been previously warned by our members at Calabar to avoid Aba at that time of the evening. We found ourselves at Aba by mistake, at that time Dr Austin Ani, the Assistant Secretary had joined us in the car. Just a little before 8.00pm after leaving Aba and on the Aba Expressway enroute to Umuahia, we were ambushed by dare devilish armed robbers . We escaped into the bus hand watched from the hill as our vehicle was ransacked of our valuables. We experienced a traumatic near death exposure. However Prof Oluwatosin and Professor Agunbiade were very good at staying calm. They prayed for our protection throughout the night. We had planned that we will sleep in Owerri that night but it turned out that we slept on subsistence cassava farm in the Bush of Abia State. We experienced God's saving Grace that night and I had the singular honour of enjoying the calming influence of the cool calm and collected Professors Agunbiade and Oluwatosin. I actually slept deeply and even snored while the two Senior kept a vigil, praying through the night.
Professor Oluwatosin, that night remained etched in my mind, you remained a rallying point to many of us till your last breathe. Rest in peace Sir. Goodnight Bro Seyi.