MINDSCOPE: Adeyinka Adebayo

MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT ADEYINKA ADEBAYO (1928-2017): A SALUTE

Seye Adetunmbi, 9/3/17

I still recall joining other primary school pupils to line up the street in the late 1960s and early 1970s to wave at the Military Governors either visiting or passing through Ifaki-Ekiti. For me it was an opportunity to catch a glimpse "LIVE", the very important personality that one had heard older ones discussed or talked about, the military governor I have seen his pictures in the newspaper or heard his voice on the radio. Ifaki being a nodal town, may not be in the schedule of the august visitor yet often fell within the route, the school authorities would arrange for students to be on standby which involved a long wait in those days. My last experience in this regard was during the tenure of Brigadier Oluwole Rotimi.

All my desire to catch a glimpse of Baba General Adebayo in the late 1960s did not materialise. One of such was when Bishop Osanyin was buried at Ado Emmanuel Cathedral Church, it was my older sister who went with my parents. An opportunity came during the commissioning of the National High School, Aye-Ekiti in early 1970s a special school for the displaced children of military officers after the civil war. By the time the news of his arrival got to Ifaki, the man had departed with the chopper that brought him. The closest one was when he actually visited Methodist Girls High School, Ifaki-Ekiti for the commissioning of science laboratories in 1968, see the picture in the accompanying set to this tribute. It was during school hours, I couldn't see him like most people except the students and workers of the girls' school. Thank God for Ekiti Anglican Diocesan Synod sessions. Thereafter his retirement from the army, the annual synods afforded me the opportunity to see Baba General for real, the few times he attended the opening sessions, whenever I went in company with my very beloved venerable father in the late 1970s/1980s during the tenure of Bishop Adetiloye.

Col Conrad Nwawo NA 10 , Major-General Adeyinka Adebayo NA 7,Chief (Mrs) Felicia Adebayo, Chief Hector Omooba

I went through all that to reiterate how my generation innocently admired the regional or state number one citizen in those days. This of course contributed to my natural inclination to be friendly with some of his children that I met along the line. Also to buttress my joy for those of them that survived their elder statesman father.

I remember that General as he was popularly called, remarked during his 80th birthday celebration in 2008 that God had been so kind to him. Indeed looking back at his military career, to God be the glory for a fulfilled life as evident in all his children that have excelled in their various callings.

The very caring distinguished Ekiti man invested in his children and one of his rewards is a most befitting 80 birthday ceremony they put together for their beloved father 9 years ago, while state funeral awaits the 2nd regional governor of the old western region of Nigeria.

On many fronts he was the last man standing until his time came on 8/3/17. For instance in the military corp, he was (Nigeria Army) NA 1 (formerly NA 7) and since over 10 years ago he was the oldest living army officer. In Ekiti, he belonged to the 1943 set of Christ' School, Ado-Ekiti with the school number 43/005. His classmates that turned out to be prominent people included Chief J.M Akinola, Samuel Kila, Chief Alfred Asebiomo and Emmanuel Osanyintolu. While in the immediate set after him that made Hall of Fame list and contemporaries/friends were Chief Sam Asabia and Justice Olatawura. His other notable buddies from Ekiti were, Most Reverend Abiodun Adetiloye, Chief Ogunleye of Ara, HRM Oba Adetunla Adeleye, Elekole of Ikole and the Paramount ruler of Egbe-Oba Land. He was the only one standing, alas, they have all gone home!

Baba Robert Adebayo was what Yoruba people call gbajumo enia and he was a jolly good fellow. I recall his well attended 80th birthday bash, as it was expected the ceremony paraded his peers, royalty, professional colleagues, government officials and wide range of family friends with King Sunny Ade on the band stand. The aged Most Reverend Abiodun Adetiloye delivered his sermon extempore at Archbishop Vinning Memorial Cathedral Church, Ikeja. My best best shot of photograph was when the all the retired Generals at the reception lined-up to give the oldest living officer and a gentleman, number NA1 salute in their mufti. Major-General Jemibewon was the parade commander and no doubt it must have been one of the happiest days of the elder statesman.

I noticed something about him and people of his generation. They were disciplined, committed and very professional in their dealings with people. Whenever he was invited to an event through a formal invite, he would reply you in writing if he was not to going to attend. Also if he was able to attend, be assured that Major-General Adebayo would get there on or before the appointed time. He made the honor's list of Christ's School Alumni Association when Dr U.J Itsueli was inaugurated as the President of the alumni body which made me to contact him on few occasions. Baba was simple and approachable, he picked his calls. He commended the Ekitipanupo Legacy Book which I gave to him and appreciated other published books that I took to him at his Ikeja GRA home. I admired him so much.

Major-General Robert Adeyinka Adebayo was born on March 9, 1928 in Oketoro quarter of Iyin-Ekiti by an industrious mother and public works employee father. Had his early education at at All Saints Primary School, Iyin-Ekiti, secondary at Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti and Eko Boys High School.He joined the West African Frontier Force in 1948 as a regiment signaler and later completed the Officer Cadet Training Course in Teshie, Ghana from between 1950 and 1952. He was commissioned as an officer in the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) as the 23rd West African military officer with number WA 23 and 7th in the Nigerian Army subsequent to passing the War Office Examination for Commonwealth cadets in 1952 as well as the West African qualifying examination in 1953. He became Nigerian military officer with number NA 7 after completing the War Office Cadet Training in Eaton Hall, England. He later attended the Staff College course in Camberley (Surrey) in 1960 and the prestigious Imperial Defence College, London in the late 1965 where he was the only African officer.

His military postings include: Platoon Commander, 1954-1955; Regimental signal officer, 1955 to 1957; Between 1957 and 1958, he was an aide-de-camp to a British Governor-General (the last British Governor-General of Nigeria- Sir James Robertson-1957); Company and Detachment Commander, Ikoyi, 1958 to 1960; First Nigerian General Staff Officer, Grade 2 (Intelligence) at the United Nations Headquarters in 1961; First national general staff officer, Grade 2 Nigerian Army Headquarters, 1961-1962; First Nigerian to be appointed general staff officer Grade 1, 1962–1963; Commander, Nigerian contingent in the Congo, 1963; He served as staff officer in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force during the Congo crisis, 1961–1963; Chief of staff, Nigerian Army Headquarters, February 1964 – November 1965 (He was the first indigenous Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army); Chairman, Organization of African Unity (OAU) Defence Planning Committee, 1963–1965; Head of Nigerian delegation to the OAU Summit in Ethiopia, November 1966; Military governor, Western Nigeria, 1966–1971; Commandant, Nigerian Defence Academy, 1971–1972; Ceremonial military duties, 1972–1975 and retired from the Nigerian Army with Major-General rank in July 1975.

As a politician he was one of the founders of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Vice-Chairman in 1979 to 1983. He served as the chairman of the Yoruba Council of Elders

On behalf of Ekitipanupo Forum, I sympathize with the noble Adebayo family. Ehin Baba a dara o, amin