FEATURE ARTICLE

Sam AwedaFriday, November 4, 2016
[email protected]
Lagos, Nigeria

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PROF. GEORGE ADEBISI ADEBIYI (03/1947-10/2016)
- ONE BRAIN SO SAD & SORRY TO MISS

Late Prof. George Adebisi Adebiyi (03/1947 - 10/2016)


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March 30 1947 -Arrival- Igosun, Oyun LGA, Kwara State

October 8 2016 -Departed -Starkville, MS, USA.

October 22 2016-Layed to rest-Starkville, MS, US

Parents---Late Rev. J.A. Adebiyi (Baptist Minister & Educationist) & Late Ma. Elizabeth Adebiyi (nee Olaniyi, ile Agbopa, Offa).

Spiritual life- -Born again i.e. became a Christian in 1960 at Government College Keffi. Nasarawa State

An Accomplished Musician.

Organist-

(1973-1975) New Estate Baptist Church, Surulere. Lagos State

(1975-1979) Zion Baptist Church, Adewole Estate. Ilorin. Mother was the organist of Ilorin 1st Baptist Church, the mother Church of Zion Baptist Church for many years till she slept in 1984.

(1975-1979)- Co pioneered a Christian band led by the maestro Christian guitarist and baritone singer, late Dr. Henry Jackson, a mathematician.

(Mid 80s till he slept)-1st Baptist Church, Starkville &1st Baptist Church, Columbus, both in MS, USA & Sunday School Teacher.

Education/Achievements:

2004. Fulbright Scholar

1977. Advanced Diploma in Further Education, UNESCO Fellowship to Huddersfield Polytechnic (a University of Leeds Award)

12/1972- University of Manchester, UK. Ph. D. Mechanical Engineering.

07/1969-University of Manchester, UK. B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering 1st Class

Mr. Olusola Oduko wrote about George Adebiyi and I quote:

This tribute was added by Sola Oduko on 19th October 2016

"TRIBUTE TO A GENIAL GENIUS - GEORGE ADEBISI ADEBIYI PROFESSOR EMERITUS

eptember 1967, William Adelekan and 'Sola Oduko arrived in Manchester to read Mechanical Engineering on Shell-BP scholarship. George Adebiyi was a Shell scholar a year ahead of us. George gave us a soft-landing starting by taking us to the theatre that first night. He and William had been schoolmates in Keffi and King's College, Lagos. So was David Balogun; I believe he was at Nottingham. The Christian bond between us flourished and, on return to Nigeria, we were all actively involved in New Estate Baptist Church, Surulere (NEBC) for considerable periods of time.

George and I shared a Tutor at Manchester - Dr (later Professor) Annand. When in July 1969 George sat his finals, I asked Dr Annand "How did George do?" He replied: "As well as expected!" That summed up the undergraduate feat of the engineering genius. I believe his record in Mechanical Engineering at Manchester will be hard to beat; in just about every test, every assignment every exam, every subject, George scored no less than 90%. Indeed several of his students at Mississippi in their Evaluation of their Professor described him as a genius or very brilliant.

George was a genial genius, very friendly, very helpful and very humble. He also served the Lord with his musical talent, playing the organ at NEBC and other congregations in which he worshipped. During his stint as NEBC Youth President he spearheaded the compilation of a Song Book of modern pieces.

Highly recognized and honoured in the USA where he was a Professor and latterly a Professor Emeritus, yet he did not forget his origin. For a good many years he was returning home to teach in Nigerian universities. Upon retirement he has been on the faculty of the Nigerian Baptist Convention's 'Bowen University' at Iwo. I have heard that, in consonance with his passion for Solar Energy exploitation, his Quarters at Bowen if fully solar-powered.

For details of Mr. Sola Oduko's comment on Prof. Adebiyi, refer:

https://dr-george-adebiyi.forevermissed.com/

I want to believe that this is same Mr. Sola Oduko who was, the Head of Data Processing & Computer unit of Nigerian Electric Power Authority (NEPA), Marina, in the mid 70's. My apology sir if I am wrong.

Education/Achievements (contd)

(1964-1965) -Higher School Certificate (HSC)- Kings College, Lagos

(1959-1963) General Certificate of Education O' level-Government College Keffi. Nasarawa State.

(?-1958)-Primary School Education-Constantly moving with father, a Baptist Minister and educationist. Started at Baptist Primary School, Ejigbo, Oyo State. Later,1955 to 1956, Senior Primary School at Laminga (midway between Keffi and Nassarawa) and (1957 to 1958) Senior Primary School, Bauchi.

As can be observed, Prof. Adebiyi had attended at every stage, the Schools, which were reserved for the best brains of his time eg Government College, Keffi after graduating from primary School; Kings College Lagos for HSC, after the O' level School Certificate at Keffi Government College.

The best of graduating of all HSC (Advanced (A') level) students, nationally, were awarded Shell - BP Scholarships to pursue first degree courses overseas. He used the Shell scholarship to pursue his 1st degree in Mechanical Engineering at University of Manchester, UK and later Ph.D.

Career

(1969 to 1970 Research Associate at the Central Electricity Research Laboratories in Leatherhead

01-12/1973. Shell-BP -It was normal for him to return to his sponsors after the degrees in UK. But he had passion to impact knowledge, so he abandoned all the fringe benefits of Shell to join the University of Lagos as a Lecturer in December of 1973

12/1973-07/1975-Lecturer, University of Lagos

07/1975- 1978-Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin

1978-07/1979-Director, School of Technology, Kwara Polytechnic

07/1979-1985---Pioneer Rector, Bida Polytechnic. Niger State

1983-Established the Solar Energy Research Centre at Bida Polytechnic.

1984-(Sabbatical)- Rust College, Holly Springs, Mississippi, USA

05- 07/ 1985) Solar Energy Centre University of Sokoto.

08/ 1985-1991 Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Mississippi (MS) State University

1991-2010 Full Professor with tenure, Mississippi State (MS) University

2010-2016 (till he slept) Professor Emeritus, Mississippi State (MS) University

(2011-2014)-i. Head of Dept, Computer Information System (CIS), Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State Nigeria.

                ii. Established Solar Energy Laboratory in the Physics Dept.

My Personal Knowledge of Prof. Adebiyi.

I married his younger cousin, Late Victoria Oluranti (nee Adebiyi). My wife grew up in Papa, late Rev. J. A. Adebiyi's home. In essence, the Prof. and my wife had the same up-bringing with momo Florence Adegboye, who I will refer to shortly. Momo Adegboye was pa Rev. Adebiyi's niece

Prof. Adebiyi was completely a gentle, simple man. He readily came down to the level of anyone; educated or not very educated and uneducated. He was a very humorous man.

I always put pressure on him whenever we met in Nigeria to worship with us at the Peoples' Church, where I pastor. He injects so much life into our worship anytime he did with his skillfulness on the Keyboard.

You can imagine the reaction of my congregation when I announced to the Church on Sunday Oct. 9 of his home calling the very previous day.

One other thing that marked him out was his humility. Normally for such a brilliant fellow, one might expect some sort of arrogance or pomposity in him even if by mistake. I did not find any of those in him all the years of my association with him. He simply came down to the level of an infant to associate and he meshed well. He was a gift to mankind.

I listened to him in one of our discussions one day saying that Lecturers and Students alike normally thought highly of his contributions in class, when he would not even consider the contributions as anything. This kind of his behavior made me wonder whether he knew his value, let me put it this way "Whether he knew he was brilliant" And I took this up with his widow when I went to pay her my condolence on Oct. 28-29 at Starkville MS. She responded that he knew he was brilliant but not once did it attribute his brilliancy to himself but to God. Then I remembered his usual saying, that there is nothing anyone is capable of doing without God's enablement.

I learnt that his jotter was for many years used by subsequent Students of Kings College, Lagos.

He was a complete family man. He and his wife came from their home in Starkville, MS to visit us in Nashville, TN the weekend of April 25-27. My wife (His younger sister) had taken ill and it was becoming worrisome.

Suddenly they surfaced again two weeks later on Sat. May 10. Watching the situation of my wife, he left his wife behind to pass the night in a hotel. A thing I do not recall he ever did anytime they visited. He always slept in our house as unfurnished as it may be.

Who wants to watch his younger one in such a condition? One always pray to precede his younger one and not the other way round. He returned in the morning and late in the afternoon, they departed for MS. The wife should be at work on Monday morning.

They were just stepping inside their home, I was told, when I rang them at about 900pm that it was over; her sister had breathed last. His wife told me during my visit, last weekend, Oct. 28-29 that the antie Ranti they knew would not want them to hear such news when they were still driving and that was why she hung on till they reached home.

Reference to his brilliant resume above, his passion for alternative supply of electricity in Africa with the use of solar energy is unsurpassed.

Without the input of the government, without announcing himself and without parading the corridors of power in Nigeria, on his own, he went about encouraging people to install solar energy in their homes. He had done it in many homes, including my home in Ilorin and in most cases, charging no fee except for the workmanship of his technicians and cost of materials. He said it many times that he considers installation of solar energy in homes as a missionary work. And that is really what it was.

His has printed and painted his name in the numerous homes, which are meanwhile enjoying solar lightings, solar freezers, refrigerators and fans.

You can be sure I was not exaggerating when I described him as a very simple man if I tell you that he had made Iwo, Osun State, his home in Nigeria, not Igosun, Kwara State, his father's and his birth place. Remember his last appointment was at Bowen University, located in Iwo. He built his home in Oluponna in Iwo area with no trace of Nigeria Electricity Board. Every damn thing in the house is Solar powered. Water in his bore-hole is also drawn by Solar power.

He had just completed a Solar Energy Institute, also built at Iwo to educate people in Solar Science and train people in Solar Energy installation. He named the Institute "Lawrence & George Adebiyi Solar Energy Institute" in memory of his elder brother, Lawrence Adetunji Adebiyi, a Medical Doctor who had preceded him in 2001.

This man was so simple that he had instructed that his earthly tent should be buried in Nigeria if his spirit was withdrawn in Nigeria and in the US if it happens in the US. Further that it should be dropped in the seas if it happens in the air since he travels very frequently. Only Prof. Sola Adeyeye, a senator I have read, said a similar thing if it happens in the air.

He arrived Nigeria on Thursday Sep. 15 2016 while I arrived the following day, Friday Sep. 16. He was with me at Ilorin on Friday Sep. 30 2016. Not in my wildest thought could I have imagined that the banters we exchanged as he pulled out of my compound (Ilorin) in an American made jeep, borrowed him by a friend was going to be our last on earth.

He left for Iwo where he inaugurated the Lawrence & George Adebiyi Solar Energy Institute on Monday October 3. On Wednesday he jet out of Lagos, arrived Starkville MS on Thursday October 6. On Saturday the 8th, he proposed driving his wife, a nurse to work. The wife objected, asking him to rest from jet lag. He then decided to go and buy some grocery and left for the Kroger store. He left Kroger, stopped at the red light. The green light turned on, precisely what happened, only he can tell us when we join him beyond in future. All we understand is that he hit the car in front of him and his spirit was already gone by the time help reached him.

Here is a bad coincidence. He was so intimate with his elder cousin, Mrs. Florence Adegboye, a teacher, turned nurse, who I mentioned earlier who was raised in the home of late Pa. Jacob Adebiyi. He had been concerned about her troubling arthritis. He would call me to ask when last I checked on "Sister" as he used to call her. I call her "mummy" She had been admitted at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital that Saturday Oct. 8. At about 8.30pm, I called Prof. Tanimola Akande, the son in-law of mummy to check on mummy's condition. "Momo is still not responding" was his answer. In under ten minutes, Prof. Akande called back. I thought he wanted to tell me that momo had responded when he told me that Remi (his wife), momo's elder daughter just received a call from the US that uncle Prof. Adebiyi departed to home above. Prof. Adebiyi departed at about 10.30am (Central US time), which was 4.30pm Nigerian time. Momo (12/1937-10/2016) departed 5 hrs later (9.30pm) same Saturday October 8.

On Saturday October 29, his wife took me to his grave side at Starkville MS, not far from Mississipi State University, where he spent the chunk of his life, to bid his earthly tent, good night.

Has the Bible not said it all "13 Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog-it's here a little while, then it's gone (James 4: 13-14)

For He knows how weak we are;
        He remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
        like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone-
        as though we had never been here. (Psalms 103: 12-16)

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (Matt.25: 13)

Premonition of Departure

Had he one?

He went off track with the lesson he was supposed to teach at his Sunday School class at Columbus Baptist Church, MS on Sep. 11, few days before he journeyed to Nigeria. He started, I understand to talk about death and home in heaven. On the midnight of 3-4 Oct. at Iwo, after the Inauguration of the Adebiyi Solar Energy Institute, his youngest sister, Mrs Bose Famisa, told me that he invited her to his bed room, gave her a copy of his will and told her where his carcass should be buried whenever he slept; US if it happened in the US, Nigeria if it happened in Nigeria.

We are sad at his brief life (69 years). He is one brain so sad and sorry to miss so soon. My consolation, however in all these is that Prof. Adebiyi lived a godly life. He served humanity in totality and he has entered his rest in heaven with God. Just like the popular saying, it is not how long we live that matters but how we live our life and the legacy we leave behind.

Sir, I am proud of you in life and in death except that you gave us no opportunity to bid you good night while you still had your breadth. Now that you have become like the angels, watching us from the gallery, I believe you can hear me say "Good night" my brother. You will already have been met by my wife (your younger cousin). Continue to enjoy your fellowship together in the company of mummy Adegboye (alias mummy Shiroro) till the rest of us join you, where we shall part no more. Good night. Mummy Adegboye will be laid to rest on Friday Nov. 11 at Ibadan.

I know it is through this publication that many of his associates and students at the University of Lagos, Kwara Polytechnic, Bida Polytechnic etc will be hearing of the departure of their beloved Prof. George Adebiyi. I invite you to write your tribute through a web site already created for him

"https://dr-george-adebiyi.forevermissed.com/


Commendation Service organized by the Bowen University, Iwo Osun State on Monday October 17

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