Remembering a former Lagos History Teacher, Prof. Kunle Lawal.
DEATH AND THE SCHOLAR: Reminiscences on Kunle Lawal 1959 - 2013
By Professor Siyan Oyeweso, FHSN
Introduction
Kunle Lawal, distinguished Professor of History, former Dean, Faculty of Arts and former Honourable Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, would have been 57 today, May 9, 2016 but Angel Asarail, the messenger of death, snatched him away before his allotted time. The Holy Quran and Hadith contain several verses which indicate that the life span of a man is between the age of 63 and 70. Kunle Lawal changed mortality for immortality at the age of 54.
Friends, Great LASUITES, Historians, Lagosians and Nigerian countrymen, lend me your ears. At exactly 2:00pm on December 25, 2013, Kunle Lawal was swallowed by the mother earth. However, his academic vision and mission, his good deeds and his influence on a generation of scholars remain with us to ponder upon and be inspired by.
Professor Kunle Lawal earned for himself, national and international acclaim as a first class scholar, dogged politician, consummate administrator and a great Lagosian. With over fifty-one publications to his credit, he was an established authority on the Decolonization Process in Africa, Urbanization in Lagos, as well as American Foreign Policy in Africa. His contribution to the Culture History of Lagos is also a testimony of his intellectualism. The depth and universality of his scholarship was evident in the J. William Fulbright Senior African Research Fellowship he won in 1993. Between 1990 and 1991, he was a consultant to the National Electoral Commission. He also served on the Accreditation Panel of the National University Commission in 2002. Between 2003 and 2006, he contributed his quota to the educational development of the nation through his membership of the National Council on Education. During the period, too, he also served Lagos State as the Honourable Commissioner for Education and later as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Kunle Lawal’s inspiring academic contributions
My first contact with Kunle Lawal was on November 10, 1985 when I assumed duty as an Assistant Lecturer in the then Department of History and Religions, Faculty of Law and Humanities, Lagos State University, Ojo. The Department was then under the headship of late Prof. Gabriel Ogundeji Ogunremi, a distinguished Visiting Professor of Economic History. Prior to my assumption of duty, the pioneer Dean was Professor Ishmael Babatunde Balogun, but by November 1985 Prof. Oladele O. Arowolo, a Professor of Sociology, had succeeded him in office. The pioneer Vice-Chancellor was the world-class surgeon and first class scholar, Prof. Folabi Olumide. Kunle had earlier assumed duty in October 1984 and also had the honour of being the first full-time academic staff to be appointed in the Department. Thus, Professors Deji Ogunremi and Kunle Lawal could be rightly described as the founding fathers of the Department of History and Religions, Lagos State University.
Kunle Lawal shared with Professor Ogunremi the burden of fashioning out a B.A. History Programme that would meet the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC). At that time, he insisted that the Department should have a bias towards the study of history of the peoples of Lagos State. Subsequently, the history programme included four Lagos-focused courses, which, before 1984/85 session, were not taught in any other Nigerian University. The courses are: “Lagos up to the 18th Century”; “Lagos in the 19th Century”, “Lagos in the 20th Century” and Economic History of Lagos. Today, the Department of History, Lagos State University is keeping faith with the vision of the founding fathers of the university and as conceived by late Professors Ogundeji Ogunremi and Kunle Lawal.
At the inception of LASU in October 1984, the History programme started as a unit in the then “Department of Religions and History” of the defunct “Faculty of Law and Humanities”. Following the establishment of the “Faculty of Arts” in 1989, the “Department of History” acquired an autonomous status. In the 1996/1997 academic session, the Department under the leadership of Kunle Lawal, broke new grounds in the context of Departments of History in Nigerian Universities when, with the approval of the University’s Senate, it reviewed its curriculum and changed its name to reflect the new challenges and focus as, the “Department of History and International Studies”.
Apart from the regular degree programme, the department also mounted three new programmes, viz: Master’s in History and Diplomatic Studies, Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations and Strategic Studies and Master’s in International Relations and Strategic Studies.
As part of the restructuring process, new courses were introduced: International Relations; Defense and Strategic Studies; Public International Law; International Economic Relations; Civil-Military Relations; Theory and Practice of Diplomacy; Multinational Corporations and the Third World; Philosophical Issues in War; United Nations and World Security; Arms Control and Disarmament; Nuclear Strategy; Law of Armed Conflicts; Foreign/ Military Policies of Great Powers; Law of the Sea; Peace and Conflict Studies, History of the Commonwealth; African Union; and Nigeria in International Institutions and Organizations, among others.
This trans-disciplinary orientation, paradigm convergence, methodological unity and syllabi shift in the discipline as pioneered by Lagos State University, has become an issue for national emulation. In fact, many History Departments nationwide have now adopted new nomenclatures such as, “Department of History and International Affairs”, Abia State University, Uturu; “Department of History and Diplomatic Studies”, University of Port Harcourt; “Department of History and Strategic Studies,” University of Lagos, Akoka; “Department of History and Diplomatic Studies”, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye and “Department of History and International Studies” Adekunle Ajasin University, Akingba Akoko. For record purpose, this innovation took place during the tenure of Dr. Kunle Lawal, as the Head of Department.
While at LASU, Kunle supervised several undergraduate projects and Master’s Dissertations on diverse aspects of Lagos history. Today, the department has a rich collection of original data on Lagos, which need to be digitalized, most urgently, for record purposes and for possible use by future researchers. LASRAB should please take note.
Kunle Lawal’s scholarship and contributions to knowledge
Kunle Lawal was a leading interrogator of the history of Lagos and the decolonisation process of Nigeria; and his contributions and influence in these areas were profound. Significant among his works in these areas were The United States and the Decolonization Process in Nigeria: 1945-1960 (1996), Britain and the Transfer of Power in Nigeria: 1945-1960 (2001), and Urban Transition in Africa: Aspects of Urbanization and Change in Lagos, 2ndEdition. Lagos, Longmans (2005). He blazed a trail in the examination of specific aspects of Lagos history. This he did with his works like “The Awori Factor in the History of Lagos State”, 1987 (which he jointly authored with Kehinde Faluyi) and “The Ogu-Awori People of Badagry before 1950: A General Historical Survey” (1990) in a book which I co-edited with Deji Ogunremi and M.O. Opeloye. These were followed up in 1991 with “Mahin and Early Lagos”. The Role of the Ilu Committee in the politics of Lagos Society 1900-19...; “The Oloru Institution of Ojo, Lagos State; A Traditional Institution for Social Security”; “Dr John Randle: Medical Practitioner and Controversial Political Activist”; “Islam and Colonial Rule in Lagos” among others. However, it was in his Urban Transition in Africa: Aspects of Urbanization and Change in Lagos that he was able to comprehensively address some of the major themes in the history of 19th Century Lagos. In this edited book, Kunle Lawal contributed the chapter on “Background to Urbanization” but jointly authored “Politics in an Emergent Urban Settlement: The Eleko Affairs, 1915-1950” and “A Viable System of Urban Administration: The Era of Mayoralty in Colonial Lagos, 1950-1953.” Additionally, Kunle Lawal wrote A History of the Lagos State University, 1984-1994 Lagos, (with I.A. Ogunbiyi) (1995),
Kunle Lawal was a pioneer in the study of Adamu Orisha Worship and Eyo Festival. In this regard, he was able to identify four Orisha in the Eyo play; Adamu Orisha, Oniko, Ologede and Elegba Opopo. He also conducted admirable study on the Osugbo cult, Akala cult, Reformed Ogboni Fraternity, Awo Oga cult and Tawakalitu Reformed Ogboni Society. He also conducted extensive study of Elegba Ejiwa (Agemo Eko), a cultural heritage of the Idejo class, particularly Oniru, Ojora and Oloto chieftaincy families. In the same vein, he also carried out study on the Agba festival, a festival peculiar to the Oloto family and one which involved only the Oloto and the Oba of Lagos.
Kunle Lawal, in his lifetime, deepened our understanding of the culture and history of the peoples of Lagos. He extended the frontiers of knowledge beyond the works of such traditional historians as J.B. Losi, A.B. Laotan, Kunle Akinsemoyin, Takiu Folami, Adekunle Alli, H.A.B. Fasinro, and such academic writers as Michael Echeruo, A.B. Aderibigbe, P.D. Cole, Sandra T. Barnes and Ruth Watson, among others. In fact, sequel to the pioneering works of Kunle Lawal, Siyan Oyeweso, M.O. Ajetunmobi, Hakeem Ibikunle Tijani, Mushin Adekunle Balogun, Lateef Adetona, Habeeb Sanni and Bashiru Animashaun have shown keen interest in the history of Lagos. Yet, in most of his works on Lagos and decolonisation process, Kunle Lawal acknowledged the pioneering role of late Gabriel O. Olusanya B.A. Agiri, Ade Adefuye, Jide Osuntokun, Obaro Ikime, A. E. Afigbo and Hakeem Olumide Danmole.
His interrogation of the decolonisation process of Nigeria remains a major contribution to historical scholarship in Nigeria. Particularly, he examined the transfer of political power from the colonising power, Britain and the influence of a global power like the United States on the emerging Nigerian state in the comity of nations. In this, he underscored the changing dynamics of Nigerian politics within the context of globalisation.
Indeed, Kunle Lawal remained active in intellectual engagement till death. Some of his very recent publications include:
- Kunle Lawal (2012), “Britain, decolonisation and the construction of foreign policy for Nigeria in the era of the transfer of power, 1958-1960” in Revue Francaise de Civilisation Britannique (RFCB), Autumn.
- Kunle Lawal (2012), Anglo French rapprochement and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria in the 1950s” in Intellectual Discourse, Autumn, 2012.
- Kunle Lawal (2011), “From colonial reforms to decolonisation: Britain’s Transfer of power in Nigeria 1947 – 1960” in Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria (JHSN).
At the time of his death, Kunle Lawal served as member of 35 distinguished academics involved in a festschrift to celebrate the distinguished historian J.F. Ade-Ajayi. He has a chapter titled The Scholarship of Ade-Ajayi which he co-authored with Professor Obaro Ikime. The project being coordinated by Professor Michael Omolehinwa has contributions from J.D.Y. Peel, Toyin Falola, Jide Osuntokun, and Ayo Banjo among others.
Kunle is not dead as he lives in his works on Lagos and Nigerian history. Any contemporary or future researchers on Lagos history would have his works as an indispensible road map and companion. Scholars of Nigerian history in the era of anti-colonialism and decolonization process must also certainly read and re-read Kunle Lawal’s original contributions in this area.
Kunle Lawal’s involvement with Lagos History Project, Yoruba Academy and Yoruba Culture
As part of his contributions to the History profession, Prof. Kunle Lawal served as a leading member of the Lagos History Project Team. The Project Team which had Hon. Muhammed Oyinlomo Danmole as the Chairman was charged with the responsibility to research, retrieve archival materials and gather relevant data and information towards the publication of an authoritative reference book on the History of the people of Lagos prior to 1851. Other members of the Team include Mr. Supo Shasore (SAN), Mr Bolaji Uthman, Prof. Hakeem Olumide Danmole and Prof. Kunle Lawal. The group was charged to visit local and global archives in London, Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro. In September 2013, the team visited the United Kingdom and while on another intellectual engagement, I had the privilege of meeting some members of the team at the University of Birmingham Library, Cadbury Special Collection (Missionary Records). Kunle had the vision of deepening our understanding of Lagos History, particularly before 1603 but death, the enemy of all mortals, has robbed us of his intellectual resource, abiding commitment to knowledge and Service to Humanities Scholarship.
Kunle Lawal’s sojourn in historical scholarship was rooted in his desire to preserve the knowledge of the traditional. This attracted him to the establishment and development of the Yoruba Academy, a body established to preserve and promote the language, cosmology and the overall heritage of the Yoruba people; particularly to save the extinction of the Yoruba language and elevate its status as language of the everyday among the new generations of the Yoruba within and outside the shores of Nigeria. He was a member of the Governing Council of this Academy and shared a pride of place with such renowned scholars as Prof Wole Soyinka, Bolanle Awe, Wale Omole, Babalola Yai (Benin Republic), Justice Bola Babalakin. The Chairman of the Governing Council is Prof. Wale Omole while members include; Dr. Wale Adebanwi, Dr. Tunde Adegbola, Alagba Adebayo Faleti, Tunde Kelani, Mr Dipo Famakinwa, Mr Tola Mobolurin, Dr. Charles Diji Akinola, Engr. Francis Ojo, Dr. Sola Olorunyomi, Prince Oye Oyewunmi, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, Mr Kayode Samuel, Dr. Iyabo Basir, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, and Ms Yetunde Sekoni.
Kunle Lawal’s interest in Yoruba Music and Culture
Kunle Lawal’s training and skill as a historian endeared him to local and indigenous music. On February 8, 2013, the inaugural edition of Barry Day: a celebration of the life and times of the Fuji Legend Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister was held in Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja. Kunle’s address titled “Music as Commentary on the Society: The life and times of Sikiru Ayinde Barrister” reflects his strong interest in and commitment to local music culture.
He was a good lover of Sakara music, particularly the genre practiced by Abibu Olatunji Oluwa of Onisemo/Oluwa chieftaincy families of Lagos. He was particularly fond of the music of such maestros as S. Aka and Tunde Nightingale. He loved Abibu Oluwa as a philanthropist, historian, praise singer, moralist and teacher. One of his favourite lyrics from the several songs of Abibu Oluwa is:
Bi eba gbele ola sonu If you disregard the heritage of honour
Omo yin gbe o Your children will suffer
E o sa’abamo You will regret
Ile ti won ba fi ito mo A House built with spit
Eri ni o ma wo danu To pieces the dew splits it.
Kunle Lawal was a Lagos patriot of the deepest dye. He was ever ready and willing to confront any person or group of persons who sought to undermine Lagos heritage and culture. Yet, he had a firm commitment to the greatness of Nigeria. Kunle served Nigeria’s academic community, Lagos State, Nigeria and the entire humanity with all his strength and might.
Kunle Lawal was an epitome of sartorial elegance and when in suit, his preference was always the bow-tie, you would never see him wear an off the peg suit. He loved Dodo Ikire. Whenever he visited me at Ikire, Osun State, Dodo Ikire was his favourite delicacy and I always ensured that he got the best from the ones prepared in Ile Onikiniun (Kinihun’s compound), the specialist and the best. He was a large man with a large heart. His sense of humour was great and had a large repertoire of jokes, mostly derived from Yoruba Language and Culture. Kunle was a great communicator. He communicated with precision and utmost clarity. He was, indeed, a very fluent speaker of English and Yoruba languages. His life has taught us to be learned and yet humble, simple and yet firm, disciplined and yet fair and just.
His sojourn in governance
When Kunle Lawal was first appointed the Hon. Commissioner for Education in 2003 by Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I had the honour and privilege of organizing a befitting reception for him at AQUATERA EVENT CENTRE, a Lagoon pool-side event centre located on 1st Avenue, FESTAC Town and owned by the Onilado of Ilado. The occasion provided an interactive session of the town and the gown as well as a forum for agenda setting for the new Hon. Commissioner. It is therefore not a surprise that Kunle Lawal made a success of the appointment as Commissioner for Education. First, he re-introduced Qualifying Entrance Examinations into Model Colleges and ensured that admission into these model schools was strictly based on merit and competence. Secondly, he introduced a Performance and Reward Template in the assessment of secondary school teachers. Teachers who performed exceptionally in the discharge of their duties were duly recognised, acknowledged and appreciated.
In 2003, Lagos State Ministry of Education in collaboration with Action Health Incorporated (AH) provided a framework for the implementation of FLHE in Lagos State. Starting with about one third (1/3) Junior Secondary Schools in 2004, Lagos State was able to reach all the 300 junior secondary schools by 2007. In September 2003, the Lagos State Ministry of Education launched the FLHE programme in Junior Secondary Schools. It had four key goals: to increase the age of first intercourse, reduce rate of teenage pregnancy, increase the age of marriage, and reduce rate of HIV infection. During Lawal’s tenure, LSMDE began implementation of the Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education Curriculum.
Remarkably, Kunle Lawal developed a strategy for the professional uplift of teachers in Lagos. He restructured the Teaching Service Commission into six Education Districts to be manned by Permanent Secretaries from the Teaching Profession with the creation of positions of permanent secretaries to man them. In this way, a teacher with years of professional training and experience could rise to become permanent secretary within the Education ministry. This enhanced the career prospects of teachers in the state. It is apt to observe that the full implementation of this took place during the tenure of his successor in office Dr. Leke Pitan.
Hall of Fame
As the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University, in January 2007, I had the singular honour of inducting Prof. Kunle Lawal, former Dean of Arts and the Honourable Commissioner for Education into the Faculty of Arts Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to Humanities Scholarship and the field of education. Others who were similarly inducted included Professors Christopher O. Oshun and M.O. Opeloye, all former Deans of the Faculty. They all worked very hard to put the Faculty on a very strong footing and this attests to the quality of professors that the Faculty parades today.
Exit from LASU and return to Ibadan
It is an irony of history that Kunle Lawal was hounded from the Lagos State University by a past administration, a University he toiled and laboured, along with others, to build. After series of harassments, intimidation and coercion, Kunle Lawal disengaged from the employment of LASU and subsequently took appointment at his Alma Mata, the University of Ibadan.
At the University of Ibadan, he was treated with great respect and courtesy by other distinguished professors, academic colleagues and the student populace. He was particularly active in the Master’s and PhD programmes. In fact, he took on the supervision of five M. A. and three Ph.D students prior to the 2013 GREAT STRIKE by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. At Ibadan, I understand that the authorities of the University of Ibadan were in the last stage of regularization of his appointment at the time he breathed his last.
Kunle Lawal’s humanity like all else
Like many of his friends and colleagues, Kunle Lawal was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was, however, conscious of his origins and proud of his ancestry. He was born on 9th May 1959 into the Awori Clan of Ojo and Lagos Island by the late Harun Ayinde Lawal of Ita Faji and Epe and the late Kehinde Lawal (Nee Idowu Esho). He worked his way up the social ladder through hard work, dedication and commitment to creative scholarship to break the jinx of social stratification as a proletariat and becoming a man of means and social relevance.
Primary school for Kunle was challenging as he was sandwiched between two traditions – the morning primary school and afternoon Arabic school classes. He attended Jama at-Islamiyya Primary School, Ebute Elefun, Lagos, between 1965 and 1971 and received his secondary school education at Lagos City College, Sabo-Yaba between 1972 and 1976. He also attended Federal School of Arts and Sciences, Victoria Island, between 1977 and 1979 for his Higher School certificate (HSC). Kunle Lawal graduated from the University of Ibadan with B.A Honours degree in History, Second Class Upper Division, (1982), M.A History (1984) and Ph.D History (1991). His Ph.D thesis was titled “Decolonization/Transfer of Power in the British Commonwealth since 1945”. He joined the services of Lagos State University as an Assistant Lecturer in 1984 and rose through the rank till 2004 when he was appointed a full Professor of History. At the University, he served on the Senate and Governing Council and also distinguished himself as Director, General Nigerian Studies, Head of Department of History and International Studies and Dean, Faculty of Arts (2002-2003)
Kunle was first married to Mojibola Mujitab. Many of his friends were unhappy when his first marriage to Bola Mujitab broke up. We had seen both of them as loving parents of Rashidat Abioye and Mujib Ayinde – both undergraduate students at the University of Lagos and Ibadan respectively. We had seen them in good and bad times. But whenever Kunle made up his mind on any matter, he actualized it. When he finally found love with this young and charming lady, Toyin, we thought we owed our friend, a great duty to stand by him in his search for enduring love and happiness. I know that Kunle was exceedingly happy with Toyin till his death. It is our prayer that Almighty Allah would continue to protect and elevate Toyin and her children – Moshood Akanbi, Aminat Abebi, Hafsat Aduke, and Latifat Abike - to greatest heights.
Conclusion
Kunle Lawal was an accomplished man, a civilized man of the Arts, a loyal friend, a great thinker and highly cerebral scholar, a happy father with his wife and children, and a citizen of the world. Kunle was a very urbane, very accommodating and a very open individual. Ibadan has lost a very distinguished alumnus, LASU a highly cerebral scholar, teacher and mentor; Lagos, a great historian, a politician-patriot and Nigeria; a concerned statesman. The University of Ibadan has lost a great alumnus and ambassador. The Ibadan School of History has also lost one of its chief promoters. The Graduate class of History 2013 has lost one of its best teachers and supervisors. In essence, a great vacuum has been created in the history profession.
As a politician and community leader, he had a distinguished career. He served on the Lagos State Productivity Committee between 1995 and 1999, while simultaneously serving on the board of the Ibile Holdings, the investment company of the Lagos State Government. Between 2001 and 2002, he was a member of the Committee for the Creation of Additional Local Governments in Lagos State. He served in the government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, first as the Commissioner for Education between 2003 and 2006. Later in 2006, he was appointed as the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
In the heat of the crisis generated by the succession to the Governorship of Lagos State in 2007, Kunle left the Action Congress of Nigeria for the then Democratic party Alliance (DPA) where he eventually emerged the running mate to the party flag-bearer, Jimi Agbaje.
Later, Kunle Lawal returned to the Action Congress of Nigeria and also played some under-ground role in the process leading to the emergence of All Progressive Congress (APC).
He was a man of many parts who had mastered the art of standing out in a crowd be it in a boardroom, senate chambers, state executive chamber, or conference hall. He was a man with his own mind. Highly urbane, he knew how to disagree without being disagreeable.
Kunle’s loyalty to his friends can hardly be beaten. Abiodun Alao, Ayodeji Olukoju, Sola Akinrinade, Kayode Fayemi, Remi Ajibewa, Leke Pitan, Kayode Alao and Akin Alao will certainly attests to this fact. He was also a mentor to several young and upcoming scholars. The list includes Hakeem I. Tijani, Lateef Adetona, Dan-Oye Laguda, Habeeb Sanni, Bashir Animashaun, Wale Lawal and Wale Adeyemi-Suenu, Segun Oriyomi, among others. He also had excellent relationship with a number of political associates whom he groomed. The list includes Cornelius Ojelabi, Akin Aina, Tunde Hunpe and Oluranti Adebule.
Before his death, Professor Kunle Lawal had grown taller and more deeply appreciated in his scholarship. He was an open-minded person, and a role model. He was a very kind, freely forgiving, considerate and generous person. Lawal combined a very sharp intellect with genuine desire to maintain excellent human relations.
With his death, the African intellectual firmament has lost one of its brightest stars; the nation has lost one of its best; Lagos State has lost one of its most accomplished sons. I have lost a dearly beloved friend and colleague.
Colleagues, friends, ex-LASUITES and Nigerians, we thank God for the life of Prof. Olakunle AbdulRasheed Lawal. His place is assured in the hearts of many, although we will not see him till the day of Al-Qiyamat.
I wish to conclude this tribute with a piece from Sandra Ohadike
May the roads rise to meet you
May the winds be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
The rain fell soft upon your field.
And, until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hands.
Professor Siyan Oyeweso,
Former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University,
is currently affiliated with Osun State University,
Osogbo, State of Osun, Nigeria
By Professor Siyan Oyeweso, FHSN
Introduction
Kunle Lawal, distinguished Professor of History, former Dean, Faculty of Arts and former Honourable Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, would have been 57 today, May 9, 2016 but Angel Asarail, the messenger of death, snatched him away before his allotted time. The Holy Quran and Hadith contain several verses which indicate that the life span of a man is between the age of 63 and 70. Kunle Lawal changed mortality for immortality at the age of 54.
Friends, Great LASUITES, Historians, Lagosians and Nigerian countrymen, lend me your ears. At exactly 2:00pm on December 25, 2013, Kunle Lawal was swallowed by the mother earth. However, his academic vision and mission, his good deeds and his influence on a generation of scholars remain with us to ponder upon and be inspired by.
Professor Kunle Lawal earned for himself, national and international acclaim as a first class scholar, dogged politician, consummate administrator and a great Lagosian. With over fifty-one publications to his credit, he was an established authority on the Decolonization Process in Africa, Urbanization in Lagos, as well as American Foreign Policy in Africa. His contribution to the Culture History of Lagos is also a testimony of his intellectualism. The depth and universality of his scholarship was evident in the J. William Fulbright Senior African Research Fellowship he won in 1993. Between 1990 and 1991, he was a consultant to the National Electoral Commission. He also served on the Accreditation Panel of the National University Commission in 2002. Between 2003 and 2006, he contributed his quota to the educational development of the nation through his membership of the National Council on Education. During the period, too, he also served Lagos State as the Honourable Commissioner for Education and later as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Kunle Lawal’s inspiring academic contributions
My first contact with Kunle Lawal was on November 10, 1985 when I assumed duty as an Assistant Lecturer in the then Department of History and Religions, Faculty of Law and Humanities, Lagos State University, Ojo. The Department was then under the headship of late Prof. Gabriel Ogundeji Ogunremi, a distinguished Visiting Professor of Economic History. Prior to my assumption of duty, the pioneer Dean was Professor Ishmael Babatunde Balogun, but by November 1985 Prof. Oladele O. Arowolo, a Professor of Sociology, had succeeded him in office. The pioneer Vice-Chancellor was the world-class surgeon and first class scholar, Prof. Folabi Olumide. Kunle had earlier assumed duty in October 1984 and also had the honour of being the first full-time academic staff to be appointed in the Department. Thus, Professors Deji Ogunremi and Kunle Lawal could be rightly described as the founding fathers of the Department of History and Religions, Lagos State University.
Kunle Lawal shared with Professor Ogunremi the burden of fashioning out a B.A. History Programme that would meet the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC). At that time, he insisted that the Department should have a bias towards the study of history of the peoples of Lagos State. Subsequently, the history programme included four Lagos-focused courses, which, before 1984/85 session, were not taught in any other Nigerian University. The courses are: “Lagos up to the 18th Century”; “Lagos in the 19th Century”, “Lagos in the 20th Century” and Economic History of Lagos. Today, the Department of History, Lagos State University is keeping faith with the vision of the founding fathers of the university and as conceived by late Professors Ogundeji Ogunremi and Kunle Lawal.
At the inception of LASU in October 1984, the History programme started as a unit in the then “Department of Religions and History” of the defunct “Faculty of Law and Humanities”. Following the establishment of the “Faculty of Arts” in 1989, the “Department of History” acquired an autonomous status. In the 1996/1997 academic session, the Department under the leadership of Kunle Lawal, broke new grounds in the context of Departments of History in Nigerian Universities when, with the approval of the University’s Senate, it reviewed its curriculum and changed its name to reflect the new challenges and focus as, the “Department of History and International Studies”.
Apart from the regular degree programme, the department also mounted three new programmes, viz: Master’s in History and Diplomatic Studies, Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations and Strategic Studies and Master’s in International Relations and Strategic Studies.
As part of the restructuring process, new courses were introduced: International Relations; Defense and Strategic Studies; Public International Law; International Economic Relations; Civil-Military Relations; Theory and Practice of Diplomacy; Multinational Corporations and the Third World; Philosophical Issues in War; United Nations and World Security; Arms Control and Disarmament; Nuclear Strategy; Law of Armed Conflicts; Foreign/ Military Policies of Great Powers; Law of the Sea; Peace and Conflict Studies, History of the Commonwealth; African Union; and Nigeria in International Institutions and Organizations, among others.
This trans-disciplinary orientation, paradigm convergence, methodological unity and syllabi shift in the discipline as pioneered by Lagos State University, has become an issue for national emulation. In fact, many History Departments nationwide have now adopted new nomenclatures such as, “Department of History and International Affairs”, Abia State University, Uturu; “Department of History and Diplomatic Studies”, University of Port Harcourt; “Department of History and Strategic Studies,” University of Lagos, Akoka; “Department of History and Diplomatic Studies”, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye and “Department of History and International Studies” Adekunle Ajasin University, Akingba Akoko. For record purpose, this innovation took place during the tenure of Dr. Kunle Lawal, as the Head of Department.
While at LASU, Kunle supervised several undergraduate projects and Master’s Dissertations on diverse aspects of Lagos history. Today, the department has a rich collection of original data on Lagos, which need to be digitalized, most urgently, for record purposes and for possible use by future researchers. LASRAB should please take note.
Kunle Lawal’s scholarship and contributions to knowledge
Kunle Lawal was a leading interrogator of the history of Lagos and the decolonisation process of Nigeria; and his contributions and influence in these areas were profound. Significant among his works in these areas were The United States and the Decolonization Process in Nigeria: 1945-1960 (1996), Britain and the Transfer of Power in Nigeria: 1945-1960 (2001), and Urban Transition in Africa: Aspects of Urbanization and Change in Lagos, 2ndEdition. Lagos, Longmans (2005). He blazed a trail in the examination of specific aspects of Lagos history. This he did with his works like “The Awori Factor in the History of Lagos State”, 1987 (which he jointly authored with Kehinde Faluyi) and “The Ogu-Awori People of Badagry before 1950: A General Historical Survey” (1990) in a book which I co-edited with Deji Ogunremi and M.O. Opeloye. These were followed up in 1991 with “Mahin and Early Lagos”. The Role of the Ilu Committee in the politics of Lagos Society 1900-19...; “The Oloru Institution of Ojo, Lagos State; A Traditional Institution for Social Security”; “Dr John Randle: Medical Practitioner and Controversial Political Activist”; “Islam and Colonial Rule in Lagos” among others. However, it was in his Urban Transition in Africa: Aspects of Urbanization and Change in Lagos that he was able to comprehensively address some of the major themes in the history of 19th Century Lagos. In this edited book, Kunle Lawal contributed the chapter on “Background to Urbanization” but jointly authored “Politics in an Emergent Urban Settlement: The Eleko Affairs, 1915-1950” and “A Viable System of Urban Administration: The Era of Mayoralty in Colonial Lagos, 1950-1953.” Additionally, Kunle Lawal wrote A History of the Lagos State University, 1984-1994 Lagos, (with I.A. Ogunbiyi) (1995),
Kunle Lawal was a pioneer in the study of Adamu Orisha Worship and Eyo Festival. In this regard, he was able to identify four Orisha in the Eyo play; Adamu Orisha, Oniko, Ologede and Elegba Opopo. He also conducted admirable study on the Osugbo cult, Akala cult, Reformed Ogboni Fraternity, Awo Oga cult and Tawakalitu Reformed Ogboni Society. He also conducted extensive study of Elegba Ejiwa (Agemo Eko), a cultural heritage of the Idejo class, particularly Oniru, Ojora and Oloto chieftaincy families. In the same vein, he also carried out study on the Agba festival, a festival peculiar to the Oloto family and one which involved only the Oloto and the Oba of Lagos.
Kunle Lawal, in his lifetime, deepened our understanding of the culture and history of the peoples of Lagos. He extended the frontiers of knowledge beyond the works of such traditional historians as J.B. Losi, A.B. Laotan, Kunle Akinsemoyin, Takiu Folami, Adekunle Alli, H.A.B. Fasinro, and such academic writers as Michael Echeruo, A.B. Aderibigbe, P.D. Cole, Sandra T. Barnes and Ruth Watson, among others. In fact, sequel to the pioneering works of Kunle Lawal, Siyan Oyeweso, M.O. Ajetunmobi, Hakeem Ibikunle Tijani, Mushin Adekunle Balogun, Lateef Adetona, Habeeb Sanni and Bashiru Animashaun have shown keen interest in the history of Lagos. Yet, in most of his works on Lagos and decolonisation process, Kunle Lawal acknowledged the pioneering role of late Gabriel O. Olusanya B.A. Agiri, Ade Adefuye, Jide Osuntokun, Obaro Ikime, A. E. Afigbo and Hakeem Olumide Danmole.
His interrogation of the decolonisation process of Nigeria remains a major contribution to historical scholarship in Nigeria. Particularly, he examined the transfer of political power from the colonising power, Britain and the influence of a global power like the United States on the emerging Nigerian state in the comity of nations. In this, he underscored the changing dynamics of Nigerian politics within the context of globalisation.
Indeed, Kunle Lawal remained active in intellectual engagement till death. Some of his very recent publications include:
- Kunle Lawal (2012), “Britain, decolonisation and the construction of foreign policy for Nigeria in the era of the transfer of power, 1958-1960” in Revue Francaise de Civilisation Britannique (RFCB), Autumn.
- Kunle Lawal (2012), Anglo French rapprochement and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria in the 1950s” in Intellectual Discourse, Autumn, 2012.
- Kunle Lawal (2011), “From colonial reforms to decolonisation: Britain’s Transfer of power in Nigeria 1947 – 1960” in Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria (JHSN).
At the time of his death, Kunle Lawal served as member of 35 distinguished academics involved in a festschrift to celebrate the distinguished historian J.F. Ade-Ajayi. He has a chapter titled The Scholarship of Ade-Ajayi which he co-authored with Professor Obaro Ikime. The project being coordinated by Professor Michael Omolehinwa has contributions from J.D.Y. Peel, Toyin Falola, Jide Osuntokun, and Ayo Banjo among others.
Kunle is not dead as he lives in his works on Lagos and Nigerian history. Any contemporary or future researchers on Lagos history would have his works as an indispensible road map and companion. Scholars of Nigerian history in the era of anti-colonialism and decolonization process must also certainly read and re-read Kunle Lawal’s original contributions in this area.
Kunle Lawal’s involvement with Lagos History Project, Yoruba Academy and Yoruba Culture
As part of his contributions to the History profession, Prof. Kunle Lawal served as a leading member of the Lagos History Project Team. The Project Team which had Hon. Muhammed Oyinlomo Danmole as the Chairman was charged with the responsibility to research, retrieve archival materials and gather relevant data and information towards the publication of an authoritative reference book on the History of the people of Lagos prior to 1851. Other members of the Team include Mr. Supo Shasore (SAN), Mr Bolaji Uthman, Prof. Hakeem Olumide Danmole and Prof. Kunle Lawal. The group was charged to visit local and global archives in London, Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro. In September 2013, the team visited the United Kingdom and while on another intellectual engagement, I had the privilege of meeting some members of the team at the University of Birmingham Library, Cadbury Special Collection (Missionary Records). Kunle had the vision of deepening our understanding of Lagos History, particularly before 1603 but death, the enemy of all mortals, has robbed us of his intellectual resource, abiding commitment to knowledge and Service to Humanities Scholarship.
Kunle Lawal’s sojourn in historical scholarship was rooted in his desire to preserve the knowledge of the traditional. This attracted him to the establishment and development of the Yoruba Academy, a body established to preserve and promote the language, cosmology and the overall heritage of the Yoruba people; particularly to save the extinction of the Yoruba language and elevate its status as language of the everyday among the new generations of the Yoruba within and outside the shores of Nigeria. He was a member of the Governing Council of this Academy and shared a pride of place with such renowned scholars as Prof Wole Soyinka, Bolanle Awe, Wale Omole, Babalola Yai (Benin Republic), Justice Bola Babalakin. The Chairman of the Governing Council is Prof. Wale Omole while members include; Dr. Wale Adebanwi, Dr. Tunde Adegbola, Alagba Adebayo Faleti, Tunde Kelani, Mr Dipo Famakinwa, Mr Tola Mobolurin, Dr. Charles Diji Akinola, Engr. Francis Ojo, Dr. Sola Olorunyomi, Prince Oye Oyewunmi, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, Mr Kayode Samuel, Dr. Iyabo Basir, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, and Ms Yetunde Sekoni.
Kunle Lawal’s interest in Yoruba Music and Culture
Kunle Lawal’s training and skill as a historian endeared him to local and indigenous music. On February 8, 2013, the inaugural edition of Barry Day: a celebration of the life and times of the Fuji Legend Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister was held in Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja. Kunle’s address titled “Music as Commentary on the Society: The life and times of Sikiru Ayinde Barrister” reflects his strong interest in and commitment to local music culture.
He was a good lover of Sakara music, particularly the genre practiced by Abibu Olatunji Oluwa of Onisemo/Oluwa chieftaincy families of Lagos. He was particularly fond of the music of such maestros as S. Aka and Tunde Nightingale. He loved Abibu Oluwa as a philanthropist, historian, praise singer, moralist and teacher. One of his favourite lyrics from the several songs of Abibu Oluwa is:
Bi eba gbele ola sonu If you disregard the heritage of honour
Omo yin gbe o Your children will suffer
E o sa’abamo You will regret
Ile ti won ba fi ito mo A House built with spit
Eri ni o ma wo danu To pieces the dew splits it.
Kunle Lawal was a Lagos patriot of the deepest dye. He was ever ready and willing to confront any person or group of persons who sought to undermine Lagos heritage and culture. Yet, he had a firm commitment to the greatness of Nigeria. Kunle served Nigeria’s academic community, Lagos State, Nigeria and the entire humanity with all his strength and might.
Kunle Lawal was an epitome of sartorial elegance and when in suit, his preference was always the bow-tie, you would never see him wear an off the peg suit. He loved Dodo Ikire. Whenever he visited me at Ikire, Osun State, Dodo Ikire was his favourite delicacy and I always ensured that he got the best from the ones prepared in Ile Onikiniun (Kinihun’s compound), the specialist and the best. He was a large man with a large heart. His sense of humour was great and had a large repertoire of jokes, mostly derived from Yoruba Language and Culture. Kunle was a great communicator. He communicated with precision and utmost clarity. He was, indeed, a very fluent speaker of English and Yoruba languages. His life has taught us to be learned and yet humble, simple and yet firm, disciplined and yet fair and just.
His sojourn in governance
When Kunle Lawal was first appointed the Hon. Commissioner for Education in 2003 by Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I had the honour and privilege of organizing a befitting reception for him at AQUATERA EVENT CENTRE, a Lagoon pool-side event centre located on 1st Avenue, FESTAC Town and owned by the Onilado of Ilado. The occasion provided an interactive session of the town and the gown as well as a forum for agenda setting for the new Hon. Commissioner. It is therefore not a surprise that Kunle Lawal made a success of the appointment as Commissioner for Education. First, he re-introduced Qualifying Entrance Examinations into Model Colleges and ensured that admission into these model schools was strictly based on merit and competence. Secondly, he introduced a Performance and Reward Template in the assessment of secondary school teachers. Teachers who performed exceptionally in the discharge of their duties were duly recognised, acknowledged and appreciated.
In 2003, Lagos State Ministry of Education in collaboration with Action Health Incorporated (AH) provided a framework for the implementation of FLHE in Lagos State. Starting with about one third (1/3) Junior Secondary Schools in 2004, Lagos State was able to reach all the 300 junior secondary schools by 2007. In September 2003, the Lagos State Ministry of Education launched the FLHE programme in Junior Secondary Schools. It had four key goals: to increase the age of first intercourse, reduce rate of teenage pregnancy, increase the age of marriage, and reduce rate of HIV infection. During Lawal’s tenure, LSMDE began implementation of the Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education Curriculum.
Remarkably, Kunle Lawal developed a strategy for the professional uplift of teachers in Lagos. He restructured the Teaching Service Commission into six Education Districts to be manned by Permanent Secretaries from the Teaching Profession with the creation of positions of permanent secretaries to man them. In this way, a teacher with years of professional training and experience could rise to become permanent secretary within the Education ministry. This enhanced the career prospects of teachers in the state. It is apt to observe that the full implementation of this took place during the tenure of his successor in office Dr. Leke Pitan.
Hall of Fame
As the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University, in January 2007, I had the singular honour of inducting Prof. Kunle Lawal, former Dean of Arts and the Honourable Commissioner for Education into the Faculty of Arts Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to Humanities Scholarship and the field of education. Others who were similarly inducted included Professors Christopher O. Oshun and M.O. Opeloye, all former Deans of the Faculty. They all worked very hard to put the Faculty on a very strong footing and this attests to the quality of professors that the Faculty parades today.
Exit from LASU and return to Ibadan
It is an irony of history that Kunle Lawal was hounded from the Lagos State University by a past administration, a University he toiled and laboured, along with others, to build. After series of harassments, intimidation and coercion, Kunle Lawal disengaged from the employment of LASU and subsequently took appointment at his Alma Mata, the University of Ibadan.
At the University of Ibadan, he was treated with great respect and courtesy by other distinguished professors, academic colleagues and the student populace. He was particularly active in the Master’s and PhD programmes. In fact, he took on the supervision of five M. A. and three Ph.D students prior to the 2013 GREAT STRIKE by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. At Ibadan, I understand that the authorities of the University of Ibadan were in the last stage of regularization of his appointment at the time he breathed his last.
Kunle Lawal’s humanity like all else
Like many of his friends and colleagues, Kunle Lawal was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was, however, conscious of his origins and proud of his ancestry. He was born on 9th May 1959 into the Awori Clan of Ojo and Lagos Island by the late Harun Ayinde Lawal of Ita Faji and Epe and the late Kehinde Lawal (Nee Idowu Esho). He worked his way up the social ladder through hard work, dedication and commitment to creative scholarship to break the jinx of social stratification as a proletariat and becoming a man of means and social relevance.
Primary school for Kunle was challenging as he was sandwiched between two traditions – the morning primary school and afternoon Arabic school classes. He attended Jama at-Islamiyya Primary School, Ebute Elefun, Lagos, between 1965 and 1971 and received his secondary school education at Lagos City College, Sabo-Yaba between 1972 and 1976. He also attended Federal School of Arts and Sciences, Victoria Island, between 1977 and 1979 for his Higher School certificate (HSC). Kunle Lawal graduated from the University of Ibadan with B.A Honours degree in History, Second Class Upper Division, (1982), M.A History (1984) and Ph.D History (1991). His Ph.D thesis was titled “Decolonization/Transfer of Power in the British Commonwealth since 1945”. He joined the services of Lagos State University as an Assistant Lecturer in 1984 and rose through the rank till 2004 when he was appointed a full Professor of History. At the University, he served on the Senate and Governing Council and also distinguished himself as Director, General Nigerian Studies, Head of Department of History and International Studies and Dean, Faculty of Arts (2002-2003)
Kunle was first married to Mojibola Mujitab. Many of his friends were unhappy when his first marriage to Bola Mujitab broke up. We had seen both of them as loving parents of Rashidat Abioye and Mujib Ayinde – both undergraduate students at the University of Lagos and Ibadan respectively. We had seen them in good and bad times. But whenever Kunle made up his mind on any matter, he actualized it. When he finally found love with this young and charming lady, Toyin, we thought we owed our friend, a great duty to stand by him in his search for enduring love and happiness. I know that Kunle was exceedingly happy with Toyin till his death. It is our prayer that Almighty Allah would continue to protect and elevate Toyin and her children – Moshood Akanbi, Aminat Abebi, Hafsat Aduke, and Latifat Abike - to greatest heights.
Conclusion
Kunle Lawal was an accomplished man, a civilized man of the Arts, a loyal friend, a great thinker and highly cerebral scholar, a happy father with his wife and children, and a citizen of the world. Kunle was a very urbane, very accommodating and a very open individual. Ibadan has lost a very distinguished alumnus, LASU a highly cerebral scholar, teacher and mentor; Lagos, a great historian, a politician-patriot and Nigeria; a concerned statesman. The University of Ibadan has lost a great alumnus and ambassador. The Ibadan School of History has also lost one of its chief promoters. The Graduate class of History 2013 has lost one of its best teachers and supervisors. In essence, a great vacuum has been created in the history profession.
As a politician and community leader, he had a distinguished career. He served on the Lagos State Productivity Committee between 1995 and 1999, while simultaneously serving on the board of the Ibile Holdings, the investment company of the Lagos State Government. Between 2001 and 2002, he was a member of the Committee for the Creation of Additional Local Governments in Lagos State. He served in the government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, first as the Commissioner for Education between 2003 and 2006. Later in 2006, he was appointed as the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
In the heat of the crisis generated by the succession to the Governorship of Lagos State in 2007, Kunle left the Action Congress of Nigeria for the then Democratic party Alliance (DPA) where he eventually emerged the running mate to the party flag-bearer, Jimi Agbaje.
Later, Kunle Lawal returned to the Action Congress of Nigeria and also played some under-ground role in the process leading to the emergence of All Progressive Congress (APC).
He was a man of many parts who had mastered the art of standing out in a crowd be it in a boardroom, senate chambers, state executive chamber, or conference hall. He was a man with his own mind. Highly urbane, he knew how to disagree without being disagreeable.
Kunle’s loyalty to his friends can hardly be beaten. Abiodun Alao, Ayodeji Olukoju, Sola Akinrinade, Kayode Fayemi, Remi Ajibewa, Leke Pitan, Kayode Alao and Akin Alao will certainly attests to this fact. He was also a mentor to several young and upcoming scholars. The list includes Hakeem I. Tijani, Lateef Adetona, Dan-Oye Laguda, Habeeb Sanni, Bashir Animashaun, Wale Lawal and Wale Adeyemi-Suenu, Segun Oriyomi, among others. He also had excellent relationship with a number of political associates whom he groomed. The list includes Cornelius Ojelabi, Akin Aina, Tunde Hunpe and Oluranti Adebule.
Before his death, Professor Kunle Lawal had grown taller and more deeply appreciated in his scholarship. He was an open-minded person, and a role model. He was a very kind, freely forgiving, considerate and generous person. Lawal combined a very sharp intellect with genuine desire to maintain excellent human relations.
With his death, the African intellectual firmament has lost one of its brightest stars; the nation has lost one of its best; Lagos State has lost one of its most accomplished sons. I have lost a dearly beloved friend and colleague.
Colleagues, friends, ex-LASUITES and Nigerians, we thank God for the life of Prof. Olakunle AbdulRasheed Lawal. His place is assured in the hearts of many, although we will not see him till the day of Al-Qiyamat.
I wish to conclude this tribute with a piece from Sandra Ohadike
May the roads rise to meet you
May the winds be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
The rain fell soft upon your field.
And, until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hands.
Professor Siyan Oyeweso,
Former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University,
is currently affiliated with Osun State University,
Osogbo, State of Osun, Nigeria
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