Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, relives his experiences in this interview with SUCCESS NWOGU

How has life been since you retired as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin?

The truth is that I have just concluded my assignment as vice chancellor. I am still a member of the academic staff of the UNILORIN. I have no other job to do than to be an academic.  But I’m on sabbatical leave at present.  I am just having something to do with the National Open University of Nigeria in Lagos.  We meet our students in different parts of the country. We also do indirect teaching. I have a number of international commitments presently. I did not have enough time as VC to attend to them.  I have not been in active research in the last five years. So I need to go back and be deeply involved in more sub-trans national research activities.

Precisely what are your doing with NOUN?

I am serving as a professor in the School of Arts and Social Sciences.

How was growing up?

My parents are natives of Abeokuta, but I was born in Lagos. I was born on October 10, 1954. We lived in Lagos n a place called Shomolu for awhile before we moved to our own house.  My dad built his house at Akoka.  It is very close to the University of Lagos and St. Finbarr’s  College, as well as the Federal College of Education (Technical).  That was where I grew up. I attended primary school in Lagos, had my training in Arabic at Agege.  I went for Arabic training in Offa. I also went to the University of Ibadan for my certificate course in Arabic and Islamic studies, which I finished with credit and  as the best student of that course in 1976. At that time, 1976 to 1977, I had not had a credit in English.  In 1976 when I finished my diploma, I was engaged to teach at Queen’s College, Lagos. I was on Level 07 at the time. But I felt that the best thing for me was not to continue to work. Despite the kind of salary that I earned at that time and the possibility of immediately having a car loan, I felt that I should continue my education. So I decided to go back to school.  That was when I came to Kwara State College of Education to start a National Certificate in Education. I did not need an NCE, but I wanted a school environment to be able to repeat the GCE O’ level examination in English, which was the only barrier between me and getting admission through direct entry. I spent one year there. Then I proceeded to UNILORIN for direct entry because I already obtained a diploma from UI. At UNILORIN, I graduated First Class in 1981 and did my Masters and Ph.d.

What did you study?

I studied Arabic and Islamic Studies, specialising in Islamic Jurisprudence.  I also did a post-graduate diploma in Education.  But I started national youth service with the Open University of Nigeria in 1981 because the then President Shehu Shagari directed that all of us who had graduated First Class and who were serving should be drafted to the Open University of Nigeria. But the place was too comfortable for me and I started thinking of returning to Ilorin. I completed youth service in Ilorin. From there, I joined the services of UNILORIN. The rest is now history.

What memorable experience do you recall from your childhood?

I recall that one day I returned from school (I was in pre-school at the time) and I met a woman, who was wrapped up in a piece of cloth, lying on the floor. I met many people wailing. Some of them appeared to be paying attention to me. I wanted to join them, but I could not muster enough tears to cry.  So I just went to the water tap, wet my finger and rubbed it on my eyes. The weeping became louder than before because of my action. Later I realised that my mother was the dead woman. People felt that I was innocent. That was why many of my relatives gave me some names, such as: ‘Somebody that we were dying for and he appeared to be unconcerned.’ I was about four or five years old at the time.

Compared to the present day, what was school like when you were a student?

In Nigeria, people always assume that the past was better than the present. But, in reality, when you talk about the public primary and secondary schools,  I think that things have gone down today. For example, the UNILORIN that I attended was not better than UNILORIN that I left as VC. There was no aspect of life in UNILORIN that we were not able to restore. The worst will be those that we were not able to improve upon. That is why we always tell people to go and see our hostels. The hostel that I lived in as an undergraduate was not as good as the one I left for my students. So when people lament about the decay in our educational institutions, I believe that, due to general experience, there are exceptions. I make bold to say that the UNILORIN that I left was not a worse university than the university that I attended.

If you had not taken up teaching as your career, what would you have become?

I would have been a mallam. My intention was to become a local mallam. Till today, I envy those mallams that go from one place to another. There is joy in being a mallam. Although you are penniless, you have this unlimited joy that I cannot explain. I think it is contentment. The mallams that belong to the school of thought that nurtured me (the people that wear turbans) are the happiest people I have ever known. They make themselves happy by dancing and making merry. If I had not had secular education, I would have been a mallam. By the grace of God, my dream is to set up a typical traditional Arabic school where I can recreate the type of joy that I enjoyed when I was in Arabic School.

What was your experience as VC?

I was lucky because UNILORIN is an extraordinary university right from inception. I was preceded by extraordinary people. If you see what is on ground at UNILORIN, you cannot compare it with many other varsities. Right from the beginning, the founding fathers of the institution made up their minds that it would be an extraordinary university. My predecessors all took giant strides towards the development of the university. You would feel challenged when you get to that office.  No matter what you think, you feel challenged that you cannot afford to destroy your personal name because you have been preceded by great people. I believe that when people say that I have done something substantial, I just smile. I thank God. I believe we are just following the foot steps of the founding fathers. It is also a university that required minimum discretion. It does not allow for maximum discretion. We already have strategic plans and we have academic briefs. A vice chancellor can only accelerate the actions because for the next five years, what the university will do has already been mapped out. When I got there as VC, I was not thinking of what to do. My problem was how to make sure that I actualised what was on the plan. Before I left, it was also my duty to have a plan for those coming behind me. When people say that we have spent so much on planting trees, I say yes. We thank God.  But my predecessor had already spent a lot of money on some of the things that later became money for us. That is why UNILORIN will continue to grow from strength to strength because of proper planning and the dedicated staff.

Were you threatened by cultism and other vices when you were in charge of the university?

I did not have that experience.

What was your most challenging decision?

Frankly speaking, I cannot remember any because I lived each days as it came. What I know is that sometimes when you want to make a decision and many people pressure you here and there and you are conscious of your training as an Islamic scholar, that you must stand for justice; it can be very demanding to stand by the rules. That is what I try to do.

How did you meet your wife?

I met her at a Muslim students’ circle. We got married in 1981.

How did you propose marriage to her?

I cannot remember. I just know that we were friends. Maybe some of my friends spoke with her on my behalf. I can’t remember. I think I confided in one of my friends that I was interested in her and he did the leg work. Eventually, we got married.

How old were you at the time?

I was 27-years-old.

What role did she play in your personal advancement?

She played a very significant role. I believe that she has been very supportive, not only in prayers; but with passion. I believe that she has been able to take care of the home front, particularly the upbringing of the children, in a way that we do not regret.

How many children do you have?

Officially I have four children, but they are many now. Three of my children are married and so, their wives and husbands have become my children.  But ordinarily I have four children and three grandchildren.

How were you able to combine your work with family life?

I believe that they are not as compartmentalised as people put them. I tell people that sometimes when I am doing what I consider as leisure, they are also service to God.  When I am acting as a family man, I also believe that if I do that sincerely, I am serving God. When it comes to work, I also believe that if I work seriously and dedicatedly, I am working for the family.  Therefore, even family must know that it is to the glory of the family. Ordinarily, without much compartmentalisation, these issues go on together. By God’s grace, we are able to achieve what we are able to achieve.

Do you watch television? Which programmes are your favourite?

I do not watch TV. If I watch any television programme, it is by accident. I do not have any favourite programme.  I hardly read newspapers before. But when I was VC, I was forced to read anything about Ilorin anywhere in the world. The office had to produce anything written about UNILORIN on daily basis.   I am happy that after my tenure as VC, I have now formed the habit of reading at least two newspapers every day. That is strange to me.  In the last 15 years, I did not have the privilege of reading much of newspapers. Now I have that privilege and I can go online to read some newspapers. But that is after office hours.

How do you spend your leisure? Do you exercise?

Yes.  I go into the gymnasium immediately after prayers.

How did you build your first house?

I bought the land with my scholarship fund.  I was a university scholar. Therefore I was entitled to N1,500 from the university.

So I bought the land. Later I built my house in Tanke with N950.00 out that money. I started building gradually. About eight or 10 years later, I was able to furnish the house. I have sold the house.

Are your children taking after your in terms of academics and religion?

I know that in terms of religion, I believe they are following me. In terms of academics, I cannot say whether they are following me or not because those of them who are engaged in graduate work are not in my field. One is studying Medicine; one is in Engineering and another is studying  Law. So they are going in different directions. But they may end up becoming academics. That is why I am saying that I cannot say precisely that they are following me.  But I believe that at the end of the day, when they become teachers, I will be happy.

What are the major differences between the Nigeria of today and the Nigeria that you knew when you were young?

The truth is that I did not know Nigeria when I was young. That is the truth.  I rely only on what I was later told that Nigeria was. But I know that we need discipline in Nigeria today. We have almost everything.  What we need is discipline.  When I say discipline, I am not talking about beating people up or things like that. It is to start with oneself.  Discipline yourself and be able to enforce rules without fear or favour.

Tell us about your experience as National Coordinator of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council

It is good working with the inter-religious body. But I must say that it has some obstacles. Sometimes you face serious obstacles constituted by bureaucracy. You are under pressure not to be misinterpreted and to be yourself. There are constraints caused by the need to bring incompatibles together. But we thank God.  We are moving on and the two co-chairmen, His Eminence,  the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji  Abubakar Saad, and His Grace, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, are moving on.  By God’s grace, I will soon seek for my exit because I am getting old. The post is too tasking for me.  I was appointed by then President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007 as the national coordinator. I believe that I have played my own role and soon I will seek to be relieved of the assignment.

NIREC was established to ensure that  there is religious harmony in Nigeria  but today, it is like the aim of establishing NIREC is being defeated as it appears that  there is upsurge of religious instability now?

NIREC was not established by the government.  It is a non-governmental organisation established by CAN and the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs. It is a joint body and it was strongly supported by then President Olusegun Obasanjo because he made facilities available to the body.  For instance, for the first meeting that we had in Sokoto, a presidential jet was made available. When he was informed about the body, Obasanjo was so enthusiastic that he made facilities available for the actualisation of that body. When we made our constitution, we said we would ask the president of Nigeria to appoint a national coordinator, whose duty is just to interface between the government and the council. For instance, I relate with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Whatever decision NIREC makes, I carry to him.  Whatever assistance we need from government, I inform the Presidency or the SGF.  I am just a liaison officer. I am ordinarily a part of the 25 Muslims in the council. But it is the president of the country that appoints whoever among us he feels that can facilitate the activities of NIREC.  You cannot impose anybody on the President.  the person to be appointed must be someone that the President wants to be the liaison officer. My duty is just to be the intermediary between the council and the Federal Government on one hand and state governments on the other hand. That is what I do.  I believe I have done very well.

What were your saddest and happiest days?

If you are talking of happiness, I cannot remember my happiest day. But when you talk of sadness, the saddest day was the day I lost my dad. It was very painful to me. He was my pillar, my brother, my adviser and everything for me.  That was in 2009.

What is your advice to Nigerian youths?

The youths should be disciplined and be focused.