Oluremi Atanda

Oluremi Atanda (22 September 1939 – 4 March 2024) was a Nigerian agricultural scientist, administrator and holder of the Nigeria's Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). Quotes Ah! I’m sorry for you. That’s a story that many haven’t heard before. That’s why I’m going to the press to publish my story. I never had an official birthday until I was 60. It was a very brilliant boy, now a professor, Olatoye Ojo who insisted I had a ceremonious 60th birthday. Maybe I was shy; maybe I was afraid that many people would see it as show-off. I usually forgot my birthday. When I was 60 and said I never had a birthday before it felt like I was joking; they thought it was a lie. It was in 1999. That was when Ojo said whether I liked it or not, we were going to celebrate. He relates very well with my children and he made a ceremony, calling people; he went round everywhere in my hometown. He had gone every where even in Iwoland. He went to Osogbo, then Osun and Oyo were together. He met with chiefs and people I never imagined and ironically this people happened to know me very well. I recall that in 1953 I, surprisingly and unexpectedly was unanimously accepted to be secretary general of the whole of Iwoland. And that was my second year in secondary school. There were men and women more qualified and older. It was unanimous. How it happened I don’t know. As if they were promoting me for more places of fulfillment in future. Whenever we had an occasion, they would say secretary general, organise. In those days up to Gbogan, Ilao, I became very popular. I went through school flawlessly. I found it very convenient to lead the class. I would say from nursery and primary two up to Standard Five. Our headmaster, an Ijebu man, who was watching my set, said a person who was leading should not be allowed to stay to standard 6. I went to Molusi College, Ijebu Igbo. I was good in sports, specifically the 100 yards. I would run for the school for 100 and 200 yards, high jump and I don’t remember anyone teaching me. That’s why I want to publish a book too in honour of my parents, their memories. To make it easy, let me say I came from a polygamous home. My father had four wives at a time; he was very handsome. Wherever he went, he was the center of attraction. Maximum of four at a time. He was handsome; he was usually the centre of attraction. In those days, when they wanted to select someone to represent the community at the Ibadan council, he would be the chairman of about a selected group of five or six representatives. I think I will say my daddy. He tried heavily to get me to be a true Muslim. I went to Islamic school when I was younger. I believe if my dad had gone to school, he would have been a scholar; he was very brilliant. My mother was an excellent entrepreneur and a scientist of her own making particularly in preservation. For instance during the glut, my mom would go to the farm and buy kola, palm oil at rock bottom price and she would look for preservation. She used the kolanut leaves to preserve the kola for almost nine months. At the end of those months, when she wanted to sell, she would open them and the kolanuts would look as fresh as ever. I remember how calm he was in going about it. He rarely got annoyed but if provoked, his tongue twisted, a trait I inherited. I don’t think I could have managed a polygamous home the way he did. When his wives quarreled, he would listen and not say anything. He passed judgment as the last resort, not minding whose ox was gored. In my most cases my mother was the culprit because she was hot tempered. She was the third wife and hot tempered. My mother grumbled after such judgment but that would be the end of it. She then would go to the market to get bush-meat and prepare it beautifully and neatly; she would call me; I am her first child; she then would tell me to call my father and serve him the meal she had prepared and that would be the end of the matter. I had another double promotion but let’s leave that alone. When I got to class five, I had a fracture; you will see it in the autobiography. Then, Tai Solarin was going to leave and one young man came. After we finished the exam, he called me and another boy, the late Banjoko; he was very brilliant and he was never second or third. He was always second after me. The principal called us and told us to take an exam to get into Government College and he should go to Abeokuta Grammar School. I thank God I went to Government College. The facilities were so amazing. Well, honestly speaking, the cardinal program of Obafemi Awolowo was education. In the old Western Region for instance, ask me who were those governors that were popular and whose names continued to be celebrated? Awolowo built cocoa house and many others but the education policy stands out. Then, Bola Ige, I served under him as chairman public service commission and I had the opportunity to advise him. Again this is why I will never forget Baba Awolowo. It was not my choice, it was him. After these men, who again? I feel grateful. Ask me why? Despite all betrayals and all obstacles and challenges, from very close friends I could go on naming them. When I was moving faster than them, they became enemies. I was already a director before they did; I was acting director, Federal Department of Agricultural Research Institute; I was substantive director of National Cereals Research Institute and director and executive officer of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria. External Links