Segun is one of the children of the late leading scholar of African literature, Professor Oyin Ogunba. He talks about his father’s career and life with GBENGA ADENIJI
Tell us about yourself.
I am Professor Segun Ogunba. I lecture in the Department of Estate Management, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. I am the first professor in the university whose father was also a professor in the institution. I am the first son of the late Prof. Oyin Ogunba. I have an elder sister, Mrs. Titi Adegbile who is the Head, Legal Department of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Your father was a notable figure in the Humanities with interest in African literature, how did he create time for his family in those days?
At the time he was teaching, specifically at the OAU, he was a very busy man. At a time he was the head of department, vice-dean of the faculty of arts, dean of the faculty, provost of the college of arts and education and chairman, committee of provosts and director of the cultural institute of the institution. But he still created time for his family. He had a regular routine and when he was at home, he would tell us stories about the tortoise. He also sang cultural songs to us. His PhD was on festivals. He studied the festivals of the Ondo and Ijebu people. He was not a Christian until the last hours of his life thus he used to make fun of Christian songs and changed them to cultural songs. For instance he would sing, “Ebora ge mije loru ana ni. Ebora pupa ni lori oke.” (A monster bite me last night. It was a red monster on the mountain.) Even though other members of the family are Christians, he would sing the song to our delight. He gave all of us nicknames. He had a very rich cultural background and some of his students who took his course on oral literature told us how they used to enjoy his course. Even students who did not offer his course liked to be in his class to listen to the cultural songs he would sing to his students. My father was very responsible and full of morals despite not being a Christian. He was very tolerant and quiet. He made sure he gave us adequate attention whenever he was at home.
Where were the places he took his family to for relaxation?
My father used to take us to his house in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. He also encouraged us to visit the Staff Club in the university to play lawn tennis. He took my younger siblings and me to the club to learn the game. The club has a connotation that is it for people who drink hence our mother often discouraged us from going there. But anytime he was going to the club, he would take us along with him. There was a time he was on sabbatical at the University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom. He took his family along. I did one year primary school there. I was about four years old at that time. I recall that he took us canoeing. We travelled to and from the UK on the sea. It was in 1972.
Was he the one who encouraged you to be in the academia?
My father gave his children freehand regarding career choices. But we actually like the life of lecturing. At least three of us are lecturers. My elder sister is a lawyer but also has interest in lecturing. My father had six children but one died sometime ago. We are five now. I am the second child and the first son.
How did he relax at home?
He liked singing and would thrill us with cultural songs. He enjoyed listening to the British Broadcasting Corporation any time he was at home.
Did you have the opportunity of attending his lectures?
Yes, I attended his classes many times. Like I said earlier, many students who were not taking his course often attended his classes because they were lively and engaging. He would narrate several festivals and other oral traditions.
Were you treated specially while in the university because of your father’s popularity?
Certainly. Even my being in OAU now was partly because of his influence. There were many applications when I applied to teach in the university and I think his name assisted me too.
Why did you choose a different career path?
When I was at the Federal Government College, Odogbolu, Ogun State, my favourite subjects were Economics and Geography. When it was time to enter the university, I chose Estate Management even though I didn’t know what it was all about then. I got the admission immediately. I also did well in Literature-in-English but Economics was my favourite subject.
What was his favourite meal?
He was a very traditional man. His favourite meal was eba, amala and so on.
How did he like to dress?
He dressed traditionally. He loved wearing native dresses. It was hard to see him in English dresses. He had suits but he never wore them. He could put them on only during convocation ceremonies but it was rare to see him wear English dresses without a major reason.
How did he discipline any erring child?
He did not use the cane. It was my mother, who was also a lecturer, that used the cane. If we offended him, he would tell us to ‘go to the corner’, raise up our hands and close our eyes. That was how he corrected us and sometimes there could be verbal corrections.
Which are the ones you enjoy reading among the many books your father wrote?
My father’s major works were on Wole Soyinka. He worked with Soyinka at the University of Lagos in the sixties. People believe Soyinka’s writing is complex but my father tried to simplify his works in his publications on Soyinka.
Who were your father’s friends?
I hope I can remember their names. I recall that some of them usually visited him at home. They included Profs.Biodun Jeyifo, Ropo Sekoni, Wole Soyinka and Chima Anyadike among others. I remember one day that Soyinka came to our house and my elder sister told him, “I have read all your books.’’ Soyinka smiled and replied her, “Even your father has not despite writing books on my works.’’
What was his favourite drink?
He used to take beer moderately. I never saw him drunk. He used to tell us that beer has medicinal qualities but should not be taken in excess. He loved to take a bottle daily. He used to drink it with some of his friends in the Staff Club at the ‘Elders’ Corner’ either in OAU or the University of Ibadan.
What ideals did you learn from him?
I learnt honesty. My father was a very honest man. He never compromised on honesty which was surprising because he was an atheist until few hours before his death. He took his responsibility as a parent seriously. There were times he had to borrow to make sure that he met our basic needs. He was very morally upright. I have learnt all these from him.
How has his name helped you?
His name helped me to get some vacation jobs when I was still in the university. I also got some jobs through his name before I started lecturing. Some people after knowing I am his child would exclaim, “So you are his son, he was a good man.’’ He helped many students. When I was at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, there was a particular lady who told me that my father was her external supervisor. She said her supervisor actually wanted her to fail. She said her supervisor told my father that she deserved to fail but my father refused. There were three occasions like that where his former students told me the same thing.
How did he die?
He had a stroke. When he retired from the OAU, he became a contract professor in the Department of English, Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University). He actually started lecturing at UNILAG and UI. When professors retire, they can still take teaching contracts renewable yearly. When he got to the institution, he was really stressed there because of the jobs he handled. He had a high blood pressure which he was managing for 40 years. He took tablets everyday for 40 years. He was seriously overworked while in the institution. Many people did not even know that he had stroke. He was living alone while in the university and he had a stroke overnight. We once planned to get him a driver and a domestic servant but he refused. He said we could do all that later, saying he could cater for himself at that time. It was the next day that somebody came to visit him and called him. He was trying to reply the person from inside the room when the person heard a loud sound like someone falling from the bed. It was the person who alerted the people around who broke the door and found him on the floor. He was taken to the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State. That was where he passed on.
Was there pressure on his children to excel academically while schooling being children of a professor?
Every one of us has a master’s degree. Two others apart from myself are on their PhDs. Our parents ensured that we were educated in the best schools. We all attended Federal Government Colleges. They were the best schools then except one of us that went to Mayflower, Ikenne. The late Tai Solarin was in the school in those days. We grew up with a lot of books. My father’s library was up-to-date. We were introduced early in life to good books including encyclopedias of various kinds.
Was he into any sports?
He played lawn tennis. He bought rackets for me and my younger brother who is a doctor. He taught us how to play the game. He was a prominent member of the Staff Club Lawn Tennis Club both at OAU and UI.
How close were you to him?
I was closer to my mother. So I cannot say I was very close to him. But he was a very warm man. He was a very good father. He never interfered in our affairs even when we got married. He counselled me about marriage a lot.
How did he ensure peace with his wife?
There is no family without disagreements. My parents had disagreements but they settled them as they arose. They did not allow them to aggravate. They were compatible actually. My mother died 2005 while my father in 2008.
How does his family remember him every year?
There are plans to organise a memorial lecture in his honour. But for now, we have written his former department (English Studies) in OAU to institute a prize for the Best Student in Oral Literature. We intend to award a substantial amount to the deserving student and donate a library to the department in honour of our father.
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