Prof Binebai’s Powerful Lecture In Celebration Of Five Professors Of Odimodi
THE ODIMODI ODYSSEY OF SCHOLARLY DISTINCTION: CELEBRATING PROFESSOR CHRIS IKPORUKPO AND RECENT PROFESSORIAL PROMOTIONS
Today, as the ancient rivers and land of Iduwini whisper the mission of this gathering to the wind, and the majestic mangrove trees stand sentinel over the land of Odimodi, I stand before you on the prompting of fate, as a true son of the soil, with humility, deep sense of celebration and grace to speak here. But who am I to speak in a grand reception held in honour of our legendary academic, if not for the invitation of the organisers of this grand reception? As I reflect on my academic journey, I am reminded of the day I stepped into the hallowed institution, University of Ibadan, filled with dreams and aspirations. And it was on that day, I first met Professor Chris Ikporukpo at Preboye’s world, Agbowo, Ibadan. His warm smile and temperate academic mien put me at ease. As I recall that historic moment, I remember not just his words, but his nonverbal gestures. The spread of warm smile across his face, his nod of endorsement and the firm but gentle affirmative wave of his hand communicated his reception of my studentship, it is as if he was saying, “welcome to University of Ibadan and I am committed to helping you succeed”. That was 30 years ago. Here we are, father and son as professors. We give God the glory. Our father, the subject of our gathering today is an institution of inspiration and academic productivity.
Odimodi, an ancient home where the great river of Iduwini and the waters from heaven nourish the fertile plains, is one of the fastest growing communities, in size and population, located in the northern fringes of Burutu local government. It is an enchanted land and home to a people whose love for knowledge has woven a spell of wisdom and prosperity around them. Its founder, Otolor-Kokioko popularly known as Eluwe, was a wise, courageous and adventurous man who left legacy knowledge for his descendant. This is a community dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and the dissemination of wisdom, where children are engrossed in a world of knowledge and wonder. It is a community that celebrates education. We need to applaud our progenitors and their progenies for this divine blessing.
The Odimodi dedication to education seems to have been influenced partly by the examples of other education-loving societies around the world. The Jewish community has a long history of valuing education which contributed to their achievements in Science, Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Art, the Indian diaspora in the United States developed a strong commitment to education, the Singaporean society also placed emphasises on education because it is the driver of economic transformation, Finland, South Korea, the ancient Greek- city state and the Scottish enlightenments also place high value on education. These are examples of nation in the world that have experienced the transformative power of education in shaping the development of their societies and civilisations. In Nigeria, the love for education has long produced the Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa nations as dominant forces and voices.
Ladies and gentlemen, like the ageless River of Iduwini, education flows eternally, connecting past, present and the future and shaping the minds of those who drink from the waters. Permit me to visit the past to acknowledge the contributions of tutors of Odimodi ancestry to the educational development of Ijaw and the Nigerian nation at Burutu. For decades these tutors: the late legendary Mr. Smart Oka and S.M.B Bibaikefie, mathematics and physics tutors, Dickson Ikporukpo Geography tutor and administrator, late Michael Ingo Music, late Idumu Seikorowei, Late Clark Oka, a Student Tutor, Late V.C.M Isiayei, late Tima Iyalagha, Henchard Erezene and Hon.Dennis Yeinbiri Bibaikefie, a tutor of Chemistry and Physics. These array of tutors showed their unflinching commitment to empowering younger generations of Nigerians including Ijaw youths through education. In an occasion of this magnitude, it is necessary to recognise and appreciate their selfless work as educators. Some of these educators or their children are the ones we are celebrating today as professors. Interestingly, most of the honorees had their educational foundation at Eluwe Primary School Odimodi. Let it be known that the Odimodi example of educational excellence is based on, Student and Teacher-centric, institutional, society and environmental factors. These factors interweave to construct a robust drapery of support to the academic success of the Odimodi consumer of knowledge.
In 2019, when my senior brother, Henchard Erezene and I were announced as Professors by the Governing Council of Niger Delta University, the entire Iduwini gathered at Burutu with Odimodi taking the lead to celebrate my thanksgiving in which the former and late Vice-Chancellor of Niger Delta University, Professor Samuel Akpoebi Gowon Edoumiekumo, attended. Remarkably, I received another reception ceremony from the youths of Odimodi on the 29th of December 2019. A memory that remains vivid and indelible in my mind.
Here we are again, in a most fitting manner, to honour a big academic masquerade, an intellectual Abadejongo, a grand master, a titan, a supreme geographer of geography, a prophet and a sage of the environmental science and a space occupying sheriff of knowledge. As you can see, the serene and bright weather indicates that the ancestors and gods of our great land of Iduwini smile upon us as we celebrate the retirement of Professor Chris Ikporukpo and the reception of our new professors. It is only in the fertile soil of knowledge that the seeds of greatness are planted and the harvest of progress and prosperity are reaped. Evidently, Odimodi has an impressive history of nurturing its educated sons and daughters in Ijawland.
On behalf of the Chairman, Chiefs, elders and good people of Odimodi community, I extend my warmest congratulations to Professor Chris O. Ikporukpo, former Vice- Chancellor of Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, on his retirement after his meritorious service to the University of Ibadan in particular, and the global academic community for 43 years. It is an honour to attend school, and even a greater honour to become a professor, but it is a supreme honour to become a vice –chancellor – head of academics and administration- a professor of professors and most importantly, to inspire education and scholarship in society. It is a joyous spectacle to retire successfully and gloriously. Not many can cross the river Prof Chris Ogolo Ikporukpo has crossed.
The educational history of Odimodi is made visible and prominent by several professionals, such as Healthcare professionals, Education professionals, justice and law enforcement professionals, Business and finance professionals, skilled trades, technology and IT, arts and entertainment Professionals, Government and Public Service professionals, architects and engineers. But from the dawn of the Odimodi educational Odyssey, teaching and the law professions are linked. Thus, it is expedient to honour the late Chief Barrister Ernest Ikime Iseru, a pre-independent lawyer, who himself was a trained grade one teacher, a head teacher at the Native Authority School, Okrika and later went to Northern Nigeria where he taught at a college, he proceeded to the United Kingdom to study law between 1955 and 1958. He returned to Warri as the most senior lawyer in the then Warri province. He made history as the first lawyer from Western Ijaw Division, preceding Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, and Broderick Bozimo. What is more, his legacy lives on through two of his children and ground children who followed his footsteps in the field of law. His first daughter, Anne, the queen of Professor Chris Ikporukpo’s dynasty, a 2011 Doctor of philosophy holder from University of Ibadan, whose daughter is a lecturer of law at University of Lagos, soon to earn a PhD in law, thus, going beyond her models. You can see that Professor Ikporukpo’s home is an educational confluence powered by the teaching and the legal professions. Barrister Ernest .K. Iseru was a great teacher and lawyer. The law foundation laid by Barrister Ernest. K Iseru has since attracted a legion of legal experts in Odimodi like Barrister Sam Ikporukpo, Austine Igbapike and his granddaughter, a teacher of law.
My warmest posthumous congratulations to a profound scholar of mathematics, our own Richard Ogoja Angiama of the University of East London, with broad knowledge and expertise in academic fields such as applied economics, marketing and Industrial Administration. A trailblazer who ignited a passion for scholarship, a pillar of inspiration in the pursuit of knowledge. Let us also welcome Henchard Bibi Erezene, a scholar who has over 50 local and international publications, a member of several learned academic societies and Associations including the historical society of Nigeria. Professor Henchard Bibi Erezene is the Chairman, Ijaw National Congress(INC) National Committee on Environment and Biodiversity, and a member of the Board of Governors(BOG) of the Assemblies of God Nigeria Pentecostal Theological Seminary at Eleme, Port Harcourt, A Professor of African History, first Professor of History in Western Ijaw and former Head, Department of History and Diplomacy, Faculty of Arts, Niger Delta University, Jude Iyabrade Ikporukpo, from the Ikporukpo natal and academic dynasty, a university Administrator, a highly effective leader and scholar with impressive national and international publications. A Professor of Development Studies in Political Science and former Head, Department of Political Science. Let us also welcome Dr. Bryan Oweilayefa S. Gere, a PhD Holder in Rehabilitation Services from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a recipient of academic awards, an author of several book chapters, journal articles and a principal and co-investigator on some competitive grants. He is a member of The National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE) and the American Counselling Association (ACA). An Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Services, University of Maryland, Eastern Shores, USA. As we celebrate their remarkable career, we recall the wisdom of Aristotle, who said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit. Their career has been a rich tapestry from threads of dedication, expertise and compassion. They are great sons of Odimodi who unlocked the treasure chest of knowledge and discovered earlier, that education is a heroic quest for self-discovery, overcoming challenges and emerging victorious.
Professor Chris Ikporukpo walked through the iconic gate and attended the University of Ibadan in 1970, full of dreams powered by a heart of curiosity. He earned a degree in Geography in 1973. The eagle sees clearly and properly only when it flies higher. The courage to reach greater heights is an inner energy of vision. Following his National Youth Service, he returned to the University of Ibadan on scholarship to pursue his doctoral research, skipping the master’s degree and earning his PhD in 1977.
Chris Ikporukpo rose rapidly through the academic ranks, becoming a substantive professor of Transport/Industrial Geography on October 1, 1991. Between 2008 and 2010, he served as a member of the Governing Board of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. Professor Chris Ikporukpo was appointed Vice- Chancellor of Niger Delta University, Wilberforce, Island Bayelsa State, in 2005 by His Excellency, late Chief Dr. Diepreye Solomon Peters Alamieyeseigha, a position he held until 2012. Chris Ikporukpo is a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Geography. An earlier teacher of Professor Idowu Olayinka, who was the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, when he retired in 2020.
He served as Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, and after his Vice-Chancellorship at NDU, he accepted leadership role as Head of the Department of Geography. An acceptance characterised by humility, profound commitment and strong sense of allegiance to the academe. Prof Chris Ikporukpo published in peer reviewed papers and a number of high impact national and international journals. He has been published in a variety of subjects, within the disciplines of geography and science, a distinguished academic that journeys along the coast of environmental studies and urban planning within Nigeria and the African landscapes. His scholarship is a merger of thoughts from urban development, environmental policy, geography and environmental science. His research dovetails into social and economic dimensions of natural resource management, urbanisation and environmental change issues and the complex relationship between human and natural systems. He has taken scholarship to urban development in the Lake Chad and the evaluation of urban green infrastructure in Ethiopia. Professor Chris Ikporukpo’s scholarship has addressed topical subjects such as land use change, oil resource management and the interlock of federalism and economic power in Nigeria, and without doubt his intellectual radar also captures the challenges of urban mass transit and rural transportation.
Remarkably, our honoree has collaborated with researchers and institutions from around the world, displaying a robust research capacity across cultural and geographical frontiers. He has received sponsorship from great institutions such as the Deanship of scientific research at Kings Khalid University and the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan. Chris Ikporukpo has researched on environmental planning and management in the Nigerian context and the development of innovative frameworks and models for analyzing and addressing environmental challenges in the Niger Delta. He possesses a repository of knowledge and his works have been extensively studied, deeply recognized and broadly cited in the fields of geography and environmental science. Professor Chris Ikporukpo has supervised many graduate students, helping to build capacity in geography and environmental science. He gave his inaugural lecture, titled “Spatial Engineering and Accessibility, 2002 at the University of Ibadan, from the Faculty of Social sciences. A lecture predicated on design and implementation of systems, products and environments that are accessible, usable and safe for everyone. A first-rate utility lecture.
Today, we are gathered in a colourful way to celebrate a luminary whose radiant intellect and generosity of spirit have illuminated the lives of countless students, a man with the shoulder of a giant whose academic prowess and pedagogical passion have inspired generations, we celebrate the retirement of this great father, mentor, and academic hero-general, the Funpere and Fun Agele Sibewei of Iduwini, Professor Ikporukpo, and the recent promotion of three other academics of Odimodi to the professorial cadre.
The noble Odimodi Community of Iduwini kingdom is one of the highest producers of professors and other academics in Burutu local Government area. Only a community that knows the value and power of education can achieve this feat.
Professor Chris Ikporukpo is known for his frank and sociable personality within and outside the university environment. If you want him to listen to you, be reasonable, show preparedness and capacity for what you want him to do for you. Make no foolish and impossible requests from him. Many would think he is a difficult man, but he is not difficult. He is only principled. He appreciates family, friends, and well-wishers. He is one man who wants the best for his society.
The academic veteran, Chis Ikporukpo, when he was a university administrator, projected a heart decorated and populated with university transformation and sophistication. During his tenure as Vice-Chancellor at Niger Delta University, he caused an educational revolution. The quality of lecturers at the time was very poor. The university was populated with junior faculty members or Assistant lecturers. To change the narrative, Professor Chris Ikporukpo gave an order to lecturers without PhDs to enroll in PhD programs at accredited universities to further their academic careers. As at the time he was leaving as Vice-Chancellor, the university recorded over three hundred PhD holders. It was during his tenure that the university started producing professors, associate professors, and senior lecturers.
Today, the Niger Delta University is a self-governing institution known nationally as the Most Efficient University in Nigeria during the recent reign of the late Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samuel Gowon Edoumiekumo. A foundation laid by Professor Chris Ikporukpo and Professor Humphrey Anthony Ogoni who succeeded him as Vice-Chancellor.
We gathered deliberately to celebrate because the academic and intellectual tidal muses of Iduwini vibrate melodiously in harmony, from the distant past and the heroes have emerged, with hearts forged in the crucible of curiosity, ablaze with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and excellence. They descended, armed with the armour of wisdom and the spear of innovation, driven by the fire of their passion, they embarked on their epic quest, conquering the realms of knowledge and emerging victorious. Today, the professors we celebrate appear as guardians of the sacred flames of knowledge and excellence in their various fields of pedagogy and erudition. They have transcended their fields by making significant contributions to the broader social and cultural landscapes. They are important for the advancement of knowledge in Odimodi, Iduwini, and the wider Ijaw setting by promoting social justice and advancing the well-being of humanity. The achievements of Professor Chris Ikporukpo and the professors of honour today, attest to the fact that excellence is achievable, innovation is possible, and learning is a life-long journey.
A majestic and venerable great and aging tree may slow its growth, but its roots remain to nourish the soil for future generations. Professor Chris Ikporukpo’s legacy will continue to inspire and nurture our academic community. Our father, our mentor and “mega academic hero”, is a confluence of intellectual merit and activism and a transporter of rising scholars finding voices. His Ikporukpo-centric rationalization and academic attributes have helped to build a fertile tide of intellectuals within Odimodi, Iduwini, Ijaw land in the Nigerian academic estate and the global arena. He represents a historical force for fashionable erudition, in the Nigerian intellectual and social history.
Our dear father, throughout your active years in scholarship, you assisted Odimodi community and the Ijaw nation in countless ways. We urge you to continue to provide assistance in community development, particularly, developing programmes to address community needs, deploying your expertise and experience to advocate for essential needs, such as funding for education and healthcare, leading community initiates, providing free consulting services and establishing community libraries or resource centres.
It is only fitting to remark that this reception ceremony is just the official commencement of celebrations honouring Professor Chris Ikporukpo’s retirement. The celebration continues even after today. Thus, in my opinion, a legendary scholar of this magnitude deserves to be documented in a book etched from the intellectual womb of Iduwini scholars. Hence, I propose, under the leadership of Professor Henchard Bibi Erezene, we have an academic and historic duty to write and document the legacies of Professor Chris Ikporukpo, the academic whale of Iduwini in a book of honour to celebrate his heroism. I call on the Odimodi Community to take charge of the funding of this project. The Odimodi community is also urged to float an Education Fund in honour of Professor Chris Ikporukpo. It is a financial resource set aside to support the educational pursuit of children or students to enable them have access to quality education and secure a brighter future for beneficiaries.
Mr. Chairman, who coincidentally is the Executive Chairman of Burutu Local Government Council. Congratulations on your election as Chairman of Council. I am happy to state here that in the history of Burutu Local Government, two illustrious sons have become Vice- Chancellors. Professor Chris Ikporukpo, Niger Delta University and Professor Solomon Ebobra, University of Africa, Toru-Orua Bayelsa State. Professor Ikporukpo has retired, Professor Solomon Ebobra is still serving. There are more than ten ways in which a local Government Council can support a retired professor not to talk of a Former Vice- Chancellor. But I will request for only three. A certificate of appreciation to Professor Chris Ikporukpo for his massive contribution to education, additionally, provide financial support, a one-time grant or annual allowance support to cover his living expenses, moreover, invite him when the need arises to share his expertise, through public lectures or mentorship programs.
Distinguished guests, as we honour and welcome our other professors to the pantheon of academic excellence. The supplication to make is, may your minds be sharpened as the blade of Professor Chris Ikporukpo, if not more, may your hearts be brave as the whale that swims across the Atlantic Ocean, and may your spirits be lifted by the wings of the eagle that soars to great heights. As you ascend this glorious academic height may the gods of knowledge guide your steps. Be endowed with the wisdom of the ages and the passion of a true scholar. May you carry and spread the torch of knowledge and excellence. May your names become synonymous with wisdom, innovation, and leadership. May the great gods of academia smile upon you. May your academic regalia be a cloak of honour, a badge of distinction, and a symbolism of the noble traditions of scholarship. Odimodi, Iduwini, Ijaw nation and the rest of the world look up to you for role modeling, mentorship, community engagement, capacity development, and giving back to the community. We are proud of your academic height. Mr. Chairman of our local Government, also begin to think of assisting serving professors of the Local Government area on researches that will bring value to the area. Scholarship is based on teaching, research and community service.
Ladies and gentlemen, the metaphor of my narration here illustrates the transformative power of education. Education is the most cardinal and central energy of production, it is the swivel of economic prosperity, the strength of nationalism, and the voice of the downtrodden. It highlights the ability to open doors, illuminate paths, foster growth, connect people, shape societies, unlock our potentials, break circles of poverty, challenge inequalities, transform environments and create possibilities. Education is the golden seed that blossoms into a tree of wisdom and growth. It is a canvas that paints the glory of a society. Education is a never-ending ocean of opportunities that stretches as far as the eyes can see and the brains can reach. Education moves mountains, shatters bad dreams and barriers and transforms lives forever. The Odimodi example of educational consciousness and achievements is worth emulating. It acknowledges education as a special gift that keeps giving.
Significantly, leaders of a society in search of knowledge take the responsibility of getting society involved in their own enlightenment, empowerment and achievement. They have a responsibility to persuade the self to participate in dreams and actions as well as resources in social construction. In the past, coastal communities started with blue economy which is today damaged by pollution through the pursuit of the present oil economy. Today, the conspiracy of yahoo and ritualism is destroying human life. They call it a new economic wave. But it is all, blood economy. People kill people to make money. They sacrifice human life to feed their wicked fame, their hearts rejoice in darkness, they create a legacy of pain, sinister forces that weave and unleash destruction. They are emperors of a world enslaved to a demonic heart. And now digital economy is fast occupying the world’s economic space”. We need also to give education to our children to participate in digital economy, the new direction of world economy. Dear children of Odimodi and Ijaw nation, I implore you as future leaders, to think well when you read, read well when you think and then school well. Acquiring education is a large world of possibilities. Find good knowledge, leave bad knowledge. Embrace good training and separate yourself from bad awareness. Let the exemplary lives of the Professors we are celebrating today guide you.
Odimodi has an impressive array of accomplished individuals, with numerous first- and second-degree holders, PhD holders and a growing number of aspiring PhD candidates. The groundwork is laid for a future crop of professors. As we nurture the next generation, we call upon our fathers, professors, and community leaders to lend their support. To keep the fire of educational legacy of the land burning. The man of the land must sing the song of the land and dance the dance of the land to keep the land happy. When opportunities arise, let us help our young scholars secure lecturing positions in universities. To the future leaders of Odimodi, who are children today, I have unwavering confidence that your young minds hold the promise of tomorrow’s statesmen, sages, and professors of distinction. Let us proudly affirm that education is the cornerstone of the identity of Odimodi, the foundation upon which our community’s strength and resilience are built. May you inherit the courage, resilience, and determination of our honorees. May you carry the torch of knowledge, innovation and progress. Remember your roots, honour your heritage, and strive to make your community proud. The future belongs to you. Shape it with wisdom, compassion, and strength.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to the visionary organisers of this Grand Reception and Odimodi community, the community of our noble ancestry and the rare honour of addressing you. I am deeply grateful for the privilege to share my thoughts with you.
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Chairman of Odimodi Community, Chiefs, elders and people, I present to this gathering attended by the creme de la creme across tribe and geography, our retired academic general, the paddler and principal pilot of education, who turns academic mirrors into social windows, a man who crafts and enjoys the journey of his teaching. Who flies the flag of geography with the blood of his flesh and with the energy of his thoughts.A creator of golden paths. A man endowed with wisdom that masters the theory of geography and the geography of theory to solve human problems, a prophet of “The Geography of Terrorism and the Terror of Geography”, the author of Academic Militancy in the Creeks… 2012, the author of The Mythology of Oil, a university lecture, 2017, a mighty voice of knowledge that resonates like the rumbles of Osuogbosu across the epistemic galaxy of the universe, whose leadership provides intellectual stimulation. He seasons and empowers his decisions with experience, rational contemplation, wisdom and logic, a scholar who makes the complex accessible and the obscure clear, his contribution to his field of epistemology presents him as a modern- day renaissance scholar who bridges disciplines and fosters innovation. He is an academic institution with seismic impact who creates a ripple effect that will be felt for generations running, a man whose sun lights up and dances upon the waters of Odimodi, producing rhythms of sublime beauty. A vessel of knowledge sailing forth, bearing the sacred scrolls of geography and natural science. In his legendary academic odyssey, the waves of complexity parted, revealing hidden treasures of clarity and insights. In this majestic Odyssey, our world finds it compass, steering humanity toward a safer, saner horizon. A scholar who merges his argument with cerebral brightness and critical wisdom, watered with the due of purity, protected from the blast of prejudice and flowered by purposeful passion in the discharge of his knowledge and experience. A master builder, whose academic edifice stand the test of time, providing foundation for future generations. A man who, in his waking dreams, tastefully steers his way from the rural rivers of Odimodi to the extreme height of an academic giant, who stands tall and proud with strength, where wind and land interweave in a gentle, tranquilizing and historic embrace, Professor Chris Ogolo Ikporukpo.
Ladies and gentlemen, forgive me for being so loquacious today. Several years ago when I was not born, I was in a large hall filled with people. I saw JP Clark, E J Alagoa, Professor Christopher Dime, Christopher Ikporukpo and many others. Suddenly, the bright weather changed. There was thunder and lightning. Then a goddess in white robe flew into the hall from the roof and stood in front of everyone. She then asked the people to choose between wealth and wisdom. Many chose wealth. When it came to the turn of Chris Ikporukpo, he remembered the ideals of Kokioko, the founder of Great Odimodi and chose wisdom. As he was leaving the hall he took along with him, Henchard Bibi Erezene, Ben Binebai, Jude Iyabrade Ikporukpo, Bryan Oweilayefa Gere and others. I didn’t know where he was taking us to. But today. It is clear. This is the destination. The destination of professorship.
We need to give glory to God for sustaining the breathe of our father, mentor and leader throughout his sojourn at the University of Ibadan. And we pray to Almighty God to give him strong health, divine protection, long life and prosperity. We honour his legacy, his excellence, his academic heroism, and his selfless service to our great nation. We salute his exemplary leadership and his resolute commitment to the academic promotion of our country and its people. We salute the academic distinction of our new professors. May their remarkable legacy continue to inspire future generations.
Distinguished ladies and gentle, the bird that flies far into the sky has his legs pointed to the ground. That means, no matter how far it flies, it recognizes Isaac Newton’s law of gravity. On this note I am done, because I have touched down.
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