It was an evening of fun and nostalgia as prominent Nigerians including the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu came together to celebrate Professor Ayodele Falase’s 50th year as organist of the elitist All Saints’ Church, Jericho, Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State.
One of the guests, Gbenro Adegbola, who is also son-in-law to late Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige informed PMParrot that the event was held at the church on Sunday, September 26th, 2021.
High point of the programme was the special service of recitals to celebrate the Emeritus Professor.
Falase, who is a son of a priest, taught himself the harmonium as a boy, with the encouragement of his father, when he served as vicar of Our Saviour’s Church, Ikene, in Ogun State.
Gbenro Adegbola offered more information: “From his juvenile playing in Ikene, Prof honed his skills when he got into secondary school at Igbobi College and as a student at the University of Ibadan.
“He joined the church on return from post graduate training in the United Kingdom in 1971 and has been the organist of the church since then.
While speaking about Gov Akeredolu’s appearance at the event, Adegbola said “Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, himself, a member of the church is also a member of the choir, was in attendance at the service and presented the choir’s gift of a portrait of himself at the organ in his trademark Ankara Buba & Sokoto.
“Prof. Falase, a quiet, unassuming man is so organised and dedicated to all he gets involved in, whether as Provost, College of Medicine, UI, as Vice Chancellor, or as church organist, and does all meritoriously.
“Only on the rarest occasions, when things had gone completely beyond his control, has he missed choir practices or playing the organ at worship, these past 50 years.
“Falase is Emeritus Professor of medicine, a cardiologist and a thorough going academic.
“He wrote ‘An introduction to Clinical Diagnosis in the Tropics’ and co-wrote with the late Prof Ladipo Akinkugbe, ‘A Compendium of Clinical Medicine’, among much more.
“An example of dedication and personal organisation, worthy of emulation by all, especially the young”.
Packaged by Olayinka Agboola
