I rejoice with the ninth Vice Chancellor of this University; Emeritus Professor Ayodele Falase {FAS, NNOM] and a Cardiologist of the first Order. My path crossed with him long before he became the VC, unknown to many people, he was not lucky to have attended Ilesa Grammar School.
Some time in 1983, my late mother was down with illness and UCH was just the hospital that I thought we should go to. As we walked down the length and breadth of the hospital, I saw my senior at Ilesa Grammar School who is also a doctor. He was rushing to another appointment but decided to take me to his older brother. He was Senior Falase and his brother was Professor Falase!!! Professor Falase attended to my mother with the highest professional conduct and efficiency and kept her heart functioning well until she breathed her last at 96!! From that 1983 experience I became attached to Professor Falase medically till today. He also takes care of my heart.
Falase is always ebullient, cheerful, and ever willing to help others. I recall that he physically accompanied me to another specialist when I needed to see one.The story of how he became the VC in the year 2000 after the third attempt has been told by him. He is very firm focused and highly disciplined. He instilled discipline in the mind of both staff and students. At the SSDC sometime in 2004 I watched with fear, trepidation and consternation how he handed the maximum conviction to his friends that ran foul of the University regulations. After a long and thorough investigation he didn’t wait for the members of the SSDC to be sentimental and lured him to soft landing or no sanction at all. His philosophy was that the University must be clear of indiscipline staff and students. He did his best in that regard. He equally embraced modernisation of our activities. The MacArthur grant was one of his legacies in which virtually ALL parts of the University benefited from. He was very fearless and courageous and obviously received threats. He was however very humane and considerate when it was necessary. When a large number of staff from a particular unit presented fake certificates at the twilight of their career some haven spent 29 years in service he recommended retirement instead of dismissal. Emotions took a better part of him at SSDC that very day. He was supported by a most competent and trustworthy lieutenant with whom he had absolute confidence. Lest I forget, my Faculty had a running battle with him over the payment of our special allowances as Veterinarians and I had to look at his face!!! In the end the issue was amicably resolved. This is just the little bit about Professor Falase, a good man and a politician in his own right.Many happy returns of the day long life and sustained prosperity igba odun odun kan sir. ire o.
Dr. Adeniran writes Ajangboju Akobo, Ibadan