Netizens have been celebrating to mark the 89th birthday anniversary of one of Africa’s most brilliant scholars, Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo.
The internet came alive early on Sunday morning as different reports about the former governor of Old-Oyo State took the front burner.
Of course, the most viewed report came from zynga-news that gave a paraphrased biography of the great African scholar and mathematician.
Check out a part of the report here:
Check out some of the academic achievements (and other honours) of Engr. (Dr.) Victor Omololu Sowemimo Olunloyo:
-B.Sc. (Gen. Engineering) (Civil/Mech);
-B.Sc. (1st Class Hons),
-Mech. Eng.;
-Ph.D. (App. Maths);
-D.Sc. (Honoris Causa) LCU.
-MNSE, COREN, FNIST, FPI, OON.
-A Five-Times Gold Medalist out of a possible six (Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mathematics);
-British Association (1939) Prize for the Advancement of Science,
University Prizeman (1958),
-University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
-He is a(n) Public Administrator, Engineer, Mathematician, Polymath, a moving encyclopedia and a man of many parts.
In terms of background, Dr Victor Omololu Sowemimo Olunloyo was born in Ibadan on 14 April 1935.
His father, Horatio Olunloyo, was a Christian and his late mother, Alhaja Bintu Tejumola Abebi Olunloyo, who died October 2013 at 102 years was Muslim.
Engr. (Dr.) Victor Omololu Sowemimo Olunloyo had his primary education in;
-Lagos (Holy Trinity, Ebute-Ero, 1939;
-Methodist School, Olowogbowo, 1940),
-Ibadan (St. Peters, Aremo, 1941 – 1946) and
-Gbongan (St. Paul’s School, 1947).
He hails from the famous Olunloyo family of Ibadan, the first family to imbibe western education from the missionaries, a century and a half ago in 1853.
His father, Horatio Vincent Victor Sowemimo Olunloyo, was administrator of Mapo Council between 1944 and 1948.
He was a scholar, statesman, organist of Saint David’s Anglican Church Kudeti, Ibadan, and an Ibadan aristocrat of Owu Ancestry.
As the administrator of Mapo Council, he was in charge of the Agodi Prisons, Adeoyo Hospital, Eleiyele Water works, and the Controller of Mapo Taxes, which went as far as Iwo, Ede, Osogbo then.
Haratio built his house in Molete, Ibadan, moved into his house on the 28th of December, 1948 and died the following day on the 29th of December, 1948, at the age of 42 years.
A child prodigy, he took first place in examinations held for Standard IV and V pupils in all the schools in Ibadan Province in 1946 and 1947.
He was an entrance scholar and the youngest boy in his class at the prestigious Government College, Ibadan.
He came out with a Grade I School Certificate in December 1952.
He also distinguished himself in sports, winning the school athletic and cricket colours, being the school’s opening bowler with a record haul of wickets.
He entered the University College Ibadan in 1953, secured his A-levels privately in 1954 and went on to the University of St. Andrews, Scotland’s oldest University, now 600 years old, where he was from 1955 – 1961.
His star shone there most brilliantly.
He took a Civil/Mechanical General Engineering Degree in 1957, then a first in First Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering in June 1958 and a Ph.D. in Mathematics in December, 1960.
His thesis was on the “Numerical Determination of the Solutions of Eigenvalue Problems of the Sturm–Liouville Type.”
He published several other papers on the number theory and applied mathematics.
He was the winner of five undergraduate class gold medals out of a possible six and the University Prize as well as the British Association for the Advancement of Science Prize.
Shell appointed him for an oil job in Holland in 1957, which he declined.
The Queen invited him to Buckingham Palace as a Distinguished Commonwealth Student.
He taught at various times in Nigeria and Britain, particularly University of Ibadan and Ife.
His academic publications are in the areas of Numerical Analysis, Number Theory and Engineering Field Theory.
Olunloyo was appointed Commissioner for Economic Development for the Western Region in 1962 at the age of 27, in the cabinet of Dr. Moses Majekodunmi.
He was re-appointed when Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo was appointed military governor of the Western State.
Other positions he occupied included Commissioner for Community Development, Education (twice), Special Duties, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
He was once appointed Chairman of the Western Nigerian Development Corporation, the precursor of the present Odua Group of Companies.
In 1983, Victor Olunloyo ran for Governor of the old Oyo State on the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) platform, and defeated the incumbent, Bola Ige of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), assuming office in October, 1983.
His term ended three months later when General Muhammadu Buhari took power and dismissed the elected government on December 31, 1983.
Even, despite advanced age, Doctor, as he is called at home is still absolutely, mentally alert.
Media men from all corners of the world still romance him because of his sense of humour, accuracy and history.
Victor Omololu Olunloyo, may you continue to enjoy further long life in good health and prosperity. May your spectacular knowledge be continually useful and relevant to the society and mankind.
Packaged by Olayinka Agboola with additional reports from zynga-news.blogspot.com
