From: <Steveogbonmwan@aol.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 22, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Subject: [NIgerianWorldForum] TEMITOPE ORIOLA: ANOTHER NIGERIAN GENIUS IN CANADA
To: Edo_Global@yahoogroups.com
Cc: NigerianID@yahoogroups.com, nigerian_doctors@yahoogroups.com, NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com, NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com, Edo_Youths@yahoogroups.com, Ogbakha_Edo@yahoogroups.com, UMAGBAE@yahoogroups.com
Temitope Oriola: The Nigerian genius who won the most prestigious academic achievement in Canada
WHEN Temitope Oriola was born, his parents knew that, just like their other children, they had to invest in his future through proper formal education. His father, Mr Isaac Oriola, then, a military officer and his wife, Felicia, though not rich, knew the values of formal education and both agreed to give their children the best they could afford.
A few decades later, their diligence has paid off as one of their children, Temitope, has made his parents and indeed the nation proud with his educational achievements which have been rewarded at the highest level, in faraway Canada, where he bagged the prestigious Governor Generals's Award.
Born and raised in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Temitope attended the Army Children's School, before he was transferred to the Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro, all in Ogun State. He proceeded to African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta, did his A levels before gaining admission into the University of Ado-Ekiti, where he bagged a degree in Sociology.
After finishing his first degree, he was posted to Abuja for his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). On getting to Abuja, he was posted to a bank.
"When I learnt that I was posted to a bank, I was a bit disappointed because I always wanted to be in an academic enviroment.
"By sheer luck, I was 'convieniently' rejected when I resumed at the bank and was reposted to the University of Abuja. That was a dream
come true," he said.
After his service year, he enrolled at the University of Abuja, for his Master's degree. But as fate would have it, he didn't complete his programme. This was because he was offered admission and a partial scholarship at the University of Mytoba in Canada where he bagged his Master's degree, and many awards.
"My experience abroad was unique. Before I left Nigeria, being posted to Abuja from the South-West had exposed me to the fundamentals of the humanity of our people. In the end, we were all seeking the same thing, we just wanted to be happy. I met people I knew from nowhere and we related well regardless of the language barrier. That experience gave me a different perspective of life.
"And so when I continued my education in Canada, I took this experience with me, because I really didn't know anyone there too.
"When I got to Canada, I was totally new because a certain Dr. Charles Adeyanju, whom I had never met before then, but had been corresponding with over the phone and online, had paid my application fee. He was a friend to one of my lecturers at Ado-Ekiti. And so I made up my mind to do all I could to survive. Though the scholarship was very helpful, I also worked part-time to pay for other bills.
"I had always wanted to be in an accidemic environment, though my father had other plans for me because he wanted me to join him in the Nigerian Army.
But my greatest influence to pursue my Ph.d, which got me the award that has made me so recognised today was my chance of "sighting" of Professor Wole Soyinka.
"I was at a bank one day, when I sighted Professor Wole Soyinka, descending the stairs in the bank. His general mien and aura was so captivating and I remember telling myself that I also must be a professor someday.
"My experience was great. Having schooled in Nigeria, where you have to study under duress and now studying in a place where learning is enjoyable and convientent, of course I felt good.
"But, many still look at people from our side of the world with suspicion. I remember that some people in Canada were suprised that I could speak English.
"It was a shocking experience. Thank God I didn't have academic issues, except for the weather, food, culture and the pace of things which were challenging at first. There was a point I was convinced that I had made a mistake, but then I looked back and kept striving.
"Later, I started working with a professor at the university as a research assistant. It was a worthwhile experience. I got paid every two weeks and this really helped me to pay my bills.
"After I finished my masters programme, I got several awrads and from there I was invited to continue my education at the University of Alberta, Canada for my Ph.d.
"During my time at the University of Alberta, I never thought of bagging the prestigious Governor General's Gold Medal Award which was a reward for the best acheiving student from the university every year. But as fate would have it, I won it, thus making me perhaps the only Nigerian to have done such in its history since 1873.
The award was given to me in 2011 and God has continued to bless me ever since.
In Canadian standard, the Canadian-Governor General's Gold medal award recognises a doctoral student who has achieved the highest academic standing and cumulative achievement which includes academic performance, quality of dissertation and overall scholarly record."
He was, however, sad because as he put it, "I don't think it could have been done in Nigeria on merit. You would have to know someone high up in the corridors of power to attain such a prestigious award."
On how life has changed for him, he hinted that he was to begin a job as an Assistant Professor at the University of Massechusetts, Boston, America, later this year.
Asked why he dosen't want to return home yet, he stressed that he wanted to stay abroad for a while to learn more about how their system works, before returning home.
"We lack the basic infrastructure, from good libraries to commitment from the teachers and lecturers, and we must change that.
"We, as Nigerians, must hold our leaders accountable. We must stop celebrating mediocrity and corruption in this country. While we watch, our resources are being wasted, and countries like Ghana and Sierra Leone have gone far and stabilised their economies.
I am writing two books on criminology which will be finished soon; one would be released next year The politics of kidnapping of oil workers in Nigeria, which was my dissertation for my Ph.d and the second one, which I am writing with some fellow friends, would be ready by 2013.
My books are criminology-based probably because of my father's influence, especially because he wanted me to join the army. This prompted my desire to explore criminology based-issues.
I was also picked from 93 people who studied Social Sciences across the world for the prestigious Banting Post-Doctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia, Canada. It will run for two years," he said.
Oriola is a recipient of several awards, including the F.S chia Ph.D scholarship, the Field Law Leilani Muir Graduate Research Scholarship for human rights studies and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Doctoral Research grant, among others.
He is also an Izaak Killam Scholar, 2009-2011. The Izaak Killam scholarship is the most prestigious graduate award adjudicated by the University of Alberta. Only four universities are Killam universities in Canada.
A community engaged scholar, Oriola is also the president of the Nigerian Advancement Institute (NAI), an alternative think tank group.
When asked what he missed most in Nigeria, he simply replied, "My family, the food and the Nigerian swagger."
Surely, there's more to come from this great scholar in the future for Nigerians to watch out for.
If we are only for ourselves, what are our lives for? Make a difference, make the world a better place.
Dr. SEO OGBONMWAN.
--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
No comments:
Post a Comment