It was like yesterday when we met at the portal of that great institution, where boys are nurtured into men , as we embarked on a life-defining journey . Here,I refer to the time Eddy Olajide Omolehinwa and I met at the Prestigious King’s college Lagos.
Prof. Omolehinwa belonged to a Class that suffered severe attrition as a result of the civil war but which ended by parading a West African School Certificate Examination result where only one of the students presented for the examination in that year recorded a Division 2 result whilst all the rest came out in Division 1 !
In Kings College, Eddy earned the sobriquet,”Eddy banana” for his peculiar oblique shots at the goal during football matches. This banana approach continue to find expression in his character.
Eddy Omolehinwa proceeded to complete his Higher School Certificate Examination in flying colours and therefore had no difficulty in securing admission to another great institution,The University of Lagos where he studied his preferred course of study; accounting. He thereafter proceeded to another great institution,Columbia Graduate School of Business,”Columbia heights”,for his MBA program and later to yet another great institution,Manchester Business School for his PhD .Also a Fullbright Scholar,.Prof. Omolehinwa was no doubt destined for greatness as his path was well charted as evident from the list of Prestigious academic institutions he attended.
A very tenacious personality, Prof Omolehiwa is also very ” down to earth” with a sense of humor that is often easily missed by those who do not know him well. Eddy Omolehinwa is highly principled and does not suffer fools gladly.He does not shy away from controversy and would always hold his ground no matter how unpopular his views might appear.
A consummate academic who dedicated his life to his chosen career.he has the privilege of having produced generations of students amongst whom are many State Governors, Captains of industries and many PhD students and Professors . He enjoys very high regards from most of his students and this gives him a lot of satisfaction ,pride and fulfilment.
Eddy is a family man to the core and either by inducement, inspiration or perhaps coercion, he has produced a family of graduates in accounting as all his children studied the course and they all gave good account of themselves as they came out with flying colours. However,he did not succeed in persuading any of them to pursue his own love for academia.
As you bow out of your chosen career and join the legion of retired but not tired academic at the mandatory age of 70years without blemish,I join all friends and well wishers in thanking God for your journey thus far and wishing you a blissful life in retirement as you continue on your new phase in life.
Sola Labinjo