Chief Akinola Akomolede: Reminiscences of 80-year-old teacher and educationist

Some months ago, Chief Johnson Akinola Akomolede, foremost educationist, teacher and elder statesman turned 80. The teacher of teachers was born in 1934; the same year that Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka was born.  Chief Akomolede was born on July 2, 1934, eleven days before Soyinka’s birth on July 13. Continue...

“I was born in Ikere, my home town on July 2, 1934,” he tells Education Review. “In 1941, I started my elementary school at St. John Catholic School, Ikere-Ekiti. I completed Standard Six in 1948. The next thing was to look for a secondary school to attend but unfortunately, there wasn’t one around here then. The only one we had then was Christ School, Ado Ekiti and it was quite difficult to gain admission into it. So I opted for the Teacher’s Training programme.

“Around 1953, there was politics and people who could not get the money to go to Christ School would manage either the Teacher Training programme or what was then called Grade III.

So I went to look for Grade III (Teacher Training Certificate).  After completing that after three years, I was privileged to go for Higher Training i.e. Higher Elementary. Then the African Church in the whole of Nigeria had only one Teacher’s Training College, and that was Ifako College, Agege. After a lot of struggle, I got into the College in 1953, and later completed the Grade III in 1954. I then went out to teach for one year as a Grade III teacher, though that was supposed to be done for two years in order to qualify for H.E (Higher Elementary). But I couldn’t wait, as my classmates then and I were not patient enough to wait for two years. This was because of poverty. My mother died in 1952, a year before I entered the college. In any case, I completed the Grade II then after that, I went to teach in a village at Ota, called Atan.  I worked there for a year after which I returned to the Teacher Training College for my Grade II. It wasn’t pleasant for people who didn’t complete the two years after Grade III. Those who completed two years were given their full salary while some of us who did not lived on allowance.

“Eventually, I completed the Grade II, after which I went to one of the African Church institutions to teach. The African Church had institutions in two places in the Southern part of the country where they posted Grade II teachers.  First, I was posted to Abeokuta but posted back to African Church in Ekiti. Later I was posted to Oka. After that, the Teacher Training College started developing in Ikere for the Grade II programme. So the Late Chief Dada who was my teacher in the African Church Grade III in Ikere asked me to come and work under him. And there I was in 1953. I started taking examinations in different places. I took the WASCCE, and I also sat for the GCE. I obtained these certificates with passes in six subjects and with these results I was qualified to teach in Teacher Training Grade II. All these certificates enabled me to gain admission into the University of Ibadan through Direct Entry. I gained admission into the university in 1962. I majored in History and minored in Bible Studies.

“As students, we respected the lecturers at that time and they too were very happy to help and support us. They were very much interested in our upbringing and our training. They were concerned as educationists. Feeding at that time meant we had to pay some money individually for us to be fed at the central cafeteria. So part of the money we received from the sponsors was spent on books, feeding and sustenance. In those days too, there were few riots by students. This is because we had a large number of adults who were admitted into the university and who were primarily concerned about their future and career. For example, I was already 28 years old when I gained admission into the university. It’s unlike nowadays when at that age you would have long graduated. Already, some of us were mothers and fathers at the time we were getting into the University, so we were attempting to build a better nation. The few riots we had were geared towards ensuring this. But today, the government hardly cares about the welfare of students, and that is why the students become unruly, restless and impatient.

“It wasn’t easy to gain admission into the University in those days. You had to complete the mandatory number of years before you were allowed to go. After I finished my university training in 1965, the voluntary agency then posted me to Teacher Training College Ifako, Agege to work. We had very limited opportunities then. There were no luxuries or advantages, as our parents were poor farmers. So what we had to do was get sponsorships from private institutions like churches and organisations. We sought help from voluntary agencies that offered to sponsor us with a promise that we would later return to serve them after the course. This required signing a bond that we would return to work for the organisations or institutions for a number of years.

“The African Churches had interest in supporting indigent students but because they had no money, they couldn’t even train their staff in the University. The church had to go through voluntary agencies which provided money for us to run the programme and we had to tell them that we’d serve them for a specific number of years after completion of the programme. Along the line, I signed an agreement with a voluntary agency- African Church Organisation. The organisation and I signed an agreement that upon completion of our studies, I would serve their organisation for at least five years. It was mandatory. Once you’ve signed a deed, it is compulsory that you fulfil it. I was equally expected to be honest and not renege on my promise.

“At the time, our schools, our colleges, our universities- were all famous for high standards. The teachers gave their best and the students too we eager to learn from their teachers. In those days too, we used canes to beat erring and stubborn students. Also we had more serious reprimands such as suspensions or expulsions. If a student refused to change from his or her known bad ways, he or she may be suspended, but if such a student was becoming a thief or a criminal, the option of expulsion may be considered by the school authority.”

At a point, the government took over the education sector from the missionaries, you reminded him, and observers say this has affected the standard of education in the country? What’s his take on the matter? For answer, he said, after clearing his throat: “the government cannot handle it alone. There must be a method for both systems to be combined in providing quality education for Nigerian youths. The government-owned schools and the ones owned and run by the missionaries can work together effectively. Government can establish and run model schools but it should also allow willing missionaries to run their own schools particularly for children whose parents belong to one faith or the other. In other words, parents and guardians should be free to choose schools for their wards, and they should do so in an atmosphere of equity and love. If this is done, many of the private schools would be forced to reduce their outrageous fees while at the same time, upholding high academic.”