P. O. Adewole

PATRICK OLORUNFEMI ADEWOLE (1927-2017)

By

Seye Adetunmbi, 27/9/17

When I saw "hi" on my Facebook messenger in the evening of September 26th 2017 from my bosom friend, Engineer Adekanmi Adewole, my heart skipped. Not long after I responded, he broke the news of the transition of his beloved old man to me. Having seen Baba aged gracefully last year at Ibadan during the wedding of one of his grandchildren, my immediate reaction was that the inevitable day that we always dread to come for our loved ones eventually came to pass. I felt better a bit for the brief encounter I had with him in 2016 when we held each other's hand and took photographs together.

Mr Patrick Olorunfemi Adewole was born on October 15th, 1927 in Owo. He was a product of the famous St. Andrew's College, Oyo and Fourah Bay College now University of Sierra Leone, the the oldest university in West Africa and the first western-style university built in West Africa. He came after Chief Adekunle Ajasin as the principal of Imade College. He succeeded Chief J. O. Adeoya as the 2nd school Principal of Ifaki Grammar School (IGS) in 1973.

I remember him assuming duty around the time we were taking entrance examination to Form One at Ifaki Grammar School where my beloved father was one of the founding teachers and the Senior Tutor of the school. As a matter of fact, I recall eating part of his breakfast, yam when the food was brought to him in the staff room where he was relaxing with my beloved venerable father, Chief D.O. Adetunmbi and a few other teachers in his early days at IGS.

I took special interest in him because one of his sons, Adekanmi was my classmate from Form One and amazingly looks so much like his father. We were the smallest in the class and have always been fond of each other till date to the glory of God. Baba P. O. Adewole didn't spend more than two sessions with us before he was transferred to Ise-Emure Grammar School where he succeded Chief Areola while Adekanmi relocated to Chris's School, Ado-Ekiti to complete his secondary education. Pa Adewole and my father had mutual respect for one another. They exchanged visits after he left Ifaki. Anytime my father was in Owo, he would visit him and whenever Baba P. O. was in Ekiti, he would stopover to see us at Ifaki.

It was a beautiful reunion for us at Ibadan in July 2016 when Ade's daughter got married and Baba P.O. came with Mama and some of our classmates graced the occasion and we all took memorable pictures with him. He was an easy going school administrator and the students popularly called him Imade. Pa Adewole was one of the longest serving principals of Imade College, Owo. I made sure that every time I was in Owo or passing through, I stopped over to visit him briefly. I was still hoping to visit him before his transition, alas the amiable Pa Adewole took the final bow on September 26th 2017.

Baba has gone to rest in response to the final call. The least we could do for our loved ones in their twilight years is to make every moment with them memorable, this will keep us going when the inevitable happens. May the gentle soul of the complete gentleman rest in peace, amen.