By Rotimi Fasan
It’s not every day that academ-ics celebrate their birthdays. But it was an occasion for celebration a fortnight ago when Bashiru Okesina, medical doctor, professor and current Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, marked his birthday.

It was his 60th milestone and one that friends, colleagues and relations of the professor of medicine thought should be celebrated in a modest way. And so it was that they came together to celebrate the life of a man they agreed has impacted on them in very different but positive ways.

By virtue of his professional background as a teacher and medical doctor, Professor Okesina seems naturally programmed to be conservative. He looks it and plays the part. But his faith must also be a factor in his conservatism. Okesina is a muslim with a capital M. He makes no bones about this but doesn’t wear this on his sleeves either. O yes, he dresses and looks like a committed Muslim but even this does not have that in-your-face quality that some give to it. He seems content to ‘live and let live’.

Bashiru Adekunle Okesina

It must therefore have been quite an effort for him to be part of the event organised for him, modest as it was. He nevertheless enjoyed himself. That much was clear from the way he danced to the music of the five-man live band that ushered him into the league of sexagenarians. But for the fact that they were introduced by the master of ceremony, the bit known about his immediate and extended family would probably have gone unremarked. He did not seem eager to publicise their presence even when there can be no doubt that he is proud of his achievements in that regard.

I can only move in the realm of conjecture based on observation when I comment about Prof. Okesina. I know him, but only from a distance. But even the bit I know of him confirms my perception of his person as a man not given to elaborate displays and noise-making. I first met him in close proximity about a year ago, during a visit I made to his house with the former Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, now Provost of Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo, Prof. Olukoya Ogen.

His part of town is within walking distance of but separate from the part of the rich and well-to-do of the area. He lives, so to speak, on the fringe of wealth. His house, a medium-sized one storey affair, was nested in the midst of houses you would see in any other part of town. There was nothing to suggest it was the home of a Nigerian big man.

If the house looked modest enough from the outside, the interior itself proclaimed quiet modesty and dignity. It was entirely unpretentious and uncluttered with the gaudy ostentation typical of the homes of people of his status.

When he spoke, he did so without a conscious attempt to make an impression beyond, perhaps, that which showed him as stating nothing but the truth as it comes from within him. Same was his laughter- deep and entirely heartfelt. He didn’t appear to mind a good laugh at his own expense. These are the more obvious qualities to be seen and admired in him.

It is this apparent simplicity of personality that might make the casual observer not to take note of Okesina in a gathering. But this could be easily checked by his grandfatherly beard which commands instant attention. Not even his beard, though, could conceal the fact of his simplicity and obvious contentment with life. This quality has no doubt stood him in good stead and must have contributed in no small terms to his present status in life.

A 60th birthday is surely something to celebrate in a country where life expectancy is just over 40 years. And for a man whose rise from the relative obscurity of Okuku must have been no less heroic than his desire to become a medical doctor, a 60th birthday is indeed worthy of celebration. Yet, this celebration is also a reminder that a lot still needs to be done and achieved.

As the guest lecturer at his birthday, professor of history at the University of Ibadan, Charles Adesina, asked rhetorically, “What would Bashiru Okesina be remembered for in the years to come?” History must surely have a lot more to report about him than the fact that he distinguished himself as an academic and medical professional who once had the privilege of heading a higher institution as vice chancellor.

This fact cannot be lost on the professor. In just about a year and half on the saddle of vice chancellor he has demonstrated the right drive and will to succeed. But beyond the will to succeed, Prof. Okesina cannot be said not to have seen the need for improving on what he met upon appointment. Critical areas for intervention include improvement in the quality of students offered admission.

There has been much talk about a general drop in the quality of graduates from Nigerian universities. That problem often begins from the primary and secondary levels. While universities may not be in the position to intervene at these lower levels, they can at least do something by way of ensuring effective gate keeping in terms of candidates offered admission.

Staff training and development is also an area that cannot be discounted. Many universities in Nigeria today are poorly resourced in terms of qualified manpower and personnel. The minimum threshold for teaching qualification, a doctor of philosophy degree, is one most Nigerian universities fall far short of. Osun State University has a well-oiled staff training programme.

But this programme can be made more aggressive by quick provision of additional support for lecturers in training positions. Lecturers, especially those in training, ought not to be overburdened with lectures.

Also not to be discounted is the issue of staff sponsorship for local and international conferences. Many university lecturers are today intellectuals in name alone. This is not for want of talent or intellect. But there is little or no avenue for sponsorship to attend conferences. Where this is available, as with the bit that is being provided by TETFUND, the process of accessing fund for conferences has been grievously politicised and corrupted. A world class university is not just a matter of sloganeering. It calls for active commitment on the part of its managers.

True, the university carries more staff and student portfolio that requires far more spending than was necessary in the first five years of its existence. But rather than being a matter to cause discouragement, the advantage that comes with that has been mentioned by the Vice Chancellor and should be harnessed. Happy birthday, Mr. VC Sir!