By, Olawale Ogunbusola, Ibadan

From last year, I made a covenant to annually publicly celebrate my teachers in life for greater public recognition. Last year, it was Dr. Funmi Femi Oladeji, a scholar with Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo. This year, I return to the University of Ibadan where I was totally transformed into a positive life contributor. This year, I celebrate a magnanimous mother and professor, Oluwatoyin Bimpe Jegede.

Professor Jegede was born on August 14, 1958, to the family of Chief Barrister & Mrs. Lasisi Lakunle in Ibadan, Oyo State. She attended N3 Baptist Day School, Nalende, Ibadan between 1964 and 1970. She attended Baptist High School, Iwo, between 1971 and 1976. Between 1976 and 1978, she attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan for her Higher School Certificate; she then proceeded to the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. She served as Education Officer with the Ministry of Education, Ibadan in 1982, and later that year transferred her services to the defunct Oyo State College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife. In 1993, she was employed as Assistant Lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, while she furthered her studies at the University of Ibadan for her Master of Arts in 1998 and PhD in 2002, respectively. She rose through the ranks and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2010 as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ibadan, and became a Professor of Oral Literature and Gender Studies in 2013.

She is a prolific writer with over 50 articles in learned journals and edited books, within and outside Nigeria.

As we, her students, used to refer to Prof. Jegede as ‘Mama’, she never failed to live up to the nomenclature. She scolded you where necessary and rewarded you where deserved. “Mama” is a disciplinarian. A storyteller. A good-natured woman. A philosopher. A terror to the lazy. She is ever time-conscious. A fast assessor. A critic. My Academic Lord. A planter. A nurse. A valuer. A rigid trainer. A very blessed scholar and parent to countless. A core teacher who knows her students by name and by sight. A genius to the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan as a whole. An accomplished scholar. A devout Christian.

Professor Jegede taught me in 300 and 400 Levels, and eventually supervised my project as an undergraduate. Quite rigorous, but rewarding as I write this. I am who I am today because God made you cross my path, build me, and set my feet academically. You command respect from me for life, Mama. I am happy I remember you today as a great teacher worthy of celebration.

I pray that God Almighty grant you long life, prosperity, unfailing health and joy upon your biological and non-biological children. You have laboured; you will reap all with joy.

Today, I work with Silverbird Television, Lagos, Nigeria. I pledge to sustain the good values learned from you and the University of Ibadan till the end of life.

Happy Teacher’s Day to you, Prof. Ma.

Olawale Ogunbusola writes from Ibadan.