By Bukola Hameed
The Provost, Dr. Rasak A. Adefabi has received with great shock the news of the untimely death of Dr. Akinbiyi Adisa Adetunji which sadly occured on Monday, March 8, 2021 after a prolonged illness.
In a press release made available by ‘Wale Adeoye, Special Assistant on Media Matters to the Provost, Dr. Akin Adetunji as he was popularly called, born on May 4, 1967 was until his demise an Academic Board Representative on the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo Governing Council Board and was a former COEASU Chairman, EACOED Chapter. He was a former Head, Department of General Studies in Education and had served in many College Committees. Dr. Adetunji was an alumnus of Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo; Federal Government College, Ogbomoso; University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Masters in English Language before he proceeded to Texas A&M University, USA where he bagged his Ph.D in English Language.
Dr. Akin Adetunji joined the service of St. Andrew’s College of Education, Oyo (now Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo) as a Lecturer III in 1993 and rose through the ranks to become a Chief Lecturer. He was married to Mrs. Gbemi Adetunji and blessed with children.
Reacting to the ugly news, the College helmsman Dr Rasak Adefabi, described the news as one blow too many. According to him, “I received the news of the death of Dr. Akin Adetunji with shock. He was not just an academic colleague but a friend. His contributions as a member of the Governing Council were always weighty. He was always frank and would say things the way they are regardless of whose ox is gored. Indeed, the College has lost one of our best hands and we shall sorely miss him”. “It is my special prayer to God Almighty to put a stop to untimely deaths among us in the college while I further pray that He comforts his aged parents, wife, children, siblings, the entire Adetunji family and the College Community”, the Provost submitted.