Seeking knowledge and developing a person’s personality has no limit, knowledge gathering isn’t just for the young at heart as it is also meant for the old at heart.
Sincerely speaking, age they say is a number, what you can do with yourself, how best you develop yourself matters in life, sitting around without adding any value is like a person that is determined to perish.
The book of Hosea, chapter 4, verse 6a also collaborated the need to constantly seek knowledge when the bible said that ‘’ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’, hence, the need to seek for more knowledge and contribute towards the development of mankind.
According to Benjamin Franklin ‘’an investment in education pays the best interest’’ no wonder that 85 year old Telecommunication Expert and a retired Lt. Colonel in the Nigerian Army, Dr Onofowokan Bolaji Titilayo recently bagged a Doctorate Degree at the 16th convocation ceremony of the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode.
The 85 year old Dr Onofowokan Bolaji Titlayo with the feat became the oldest person to earn a PhD in Nigeria and the 6th to do so in the world.
Ogun state currently boast of about sixteen universities with two state owned universities, a federal university, about fifteen private universities and over four colleges of education
Dr Onofowokan Bolaji Titilayo got a cash gift of N2.5 Million from the Ogun State Government, the cash gift is in continuation of the Ogun state Government’s decision to reward excellence in the ivory towers.
Also, the sum of N500, 000 was given to the best graduating students from other departments, while N2,000,000 was given to Abdullateef Adedamolaa Adedeji, the overall best graduating student with a GPA of 4.91 from the department of Mathematics.
‘’ I am proud to announce that history is being made today, not only is TASUED graduating its first set of doctorate students but also the university has put Ogun State in the global reckoning as one of the Doctorate graduates who is now officially the oldest PhD graduate in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, has come from TASUED.
‘’ Indeed, he is the sixth oldest in the world, he has been awarded a PhD in Educational Media and Technology, this is an unprecedented milestone for the institution, Ogun State and for Nigeria and it is a great personal achievement,” he said.
The Ogun State Governor; Prince Dapo Abiodun at the meeting was represented by his Deputy; Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele who charged Tai Solarin University of Education to deepen collaborations with research institutions in areas that align with the Ogun State Government’s focus on Mechanical Agriculture and Agro- Industrial Development.
The Secretary to the Ogun Government; Mr Tokunbo Talabi was also not left out of the celebration as he disclosed that the feat was something meant to inspire people to always believe in their abilities to achieve anything regardless of their age
The octogenarian described continuous learning as a medicine that aided him from dying from certain diseases like diabetics and high blood pressure, adding that anyone that refuses to learn new things irrespective of whether they are old or young are like someone who has lost hope and are not sure of adding to the growth of his immediate environment.
Dr Onofowokan while urging the younger generation who now see continious learning as a difficult task and an unnecessary venture, urged them to have a rethink and embrace learning, opining that anyone who says education is worthless is a doomed fellow.
‘’ They are doomed, education is a therapy, unknown to many people, when I was going for my Master’s program, I was diabetic, I had high blood pressure, some people thought I was going to die, when I started reading again, everything flew, today, I don’t have diabetics and high blood pressure.
‘’ One thing I have observed is that education, that is continuous learning enables you to be free from depression, age related diseases like Parkinson, brain problem, loss of memory, you won’t have it’’’ he said.
Baba Onofowokan studied Telecommunication Engineering for his first degree, attended International Correspondence College, London and the Cleveland Institute of Electronics in the United State of America.
Dr Onofowokan a retired Lt. Colonel in the Nigerian Army disclosed that he met himself in the Nigerian Army around the time the civil war broke out in Nigeria, and he noted that he opted to join the Nigerian army so as to protect the territorial integrity of the country.
Upon joining the Nigerian Military,Dr. Onofowokan was sponsored to the Royal School of Signals in Yorkshire, the Southcott School of signals in the United State of America and also to Canada.
Baba Onofowokan speaks French, a language he said he had to learn while in Quebec, Canada, stating that it became very important to learn to speak the language because anyone who does not speak French Language at that time In Quebec would be shot.
Dr. Onofowokan was deployed and was the commanding officer of the Signal Strategic Communications Department and later acted as the commander, Systemic Signals Maintenance Command, baba was a signals guru.
He was at a point in time in charge of Weather Patrol Communications after he was brought to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he was also at the Nigerian Navy, Air-force, police where he was in charge of their weather patrol communication.
Dr. Onofowokan was at a point in time at Osun, Oyo and Delta States where he helped the three states to develop and set up their broadcasting offices.
He served the United Nations in Lebanon in 1981 and 1982, then Liberia and then Sierra-Leone, all in Telecommunications.
Kudos to the Ogun State Government under the able leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun who has constantly continued to reward excellence at the ivory towers in the state.
Obasan Oluwafunso works with the Ogun State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
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