Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Three prominent Nigerians are to be conferred with honourary degrees at the Founder’s Day ceremony of the University of Ibadan, UI on Friday 17 2017.

The honourees are: Dr. Emmanuel Onu. Egbogah and The Right Hon. Chevaler U. J. Itsueli, (Doctor of Science, D.Sc.), Emeritus Professor Ayo Bamgbose (Doctor of Letters, D. Litt.).

Also, Fellowship of the University will be conferred on the former Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Allen Bankole Oyediran.

Dr. Egbogah, a former Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum Matters in Nigeria has over 35 years of diversified geological and petroleum engineering experience in consulting, teaching, research & development, and project planning, implementation and management in Canada, United States, Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Asia Pacific region.

He is an internationally recognised authority in the fields of petroleum policy and strategy, improved/enhanced oil recovery, stimulation procedures and multidisciplinary team approach to field development planning and reservoir management.

He is a founder and Executive Chairman of Emerald Energy Resources Limited, the operator of continental shelf block OPL 229, (Now OML 141) Niger Delta, Nigeria.

He is also the Executive Vice President & Director, Training and Technology Transfer, VRMT International Inc, Houston, Chairman, Pipeline Integrity Nigeria Limited and O & G Technologies Limited, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

He was Vice President, International Production for Niko Resources Limited, an international E&P company in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Also, Bamgbose was educated at St. Andrew’s College, Oyo, 1948-1951, University College, Ibadan, 1957-1960, and University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, 1960-1963. He graduated B.A. Honours (2.1) (London) in English in 1960 and obtained a Diploma in General Linguistics in 1961 followed by a Ph. D in Linguistics in 1963 both from the University of Edinburgh. The first Nigerian to obtain a degree in Linguistics, his thesis on Yoruba Grammar is the first to be based on a modern linguistic theory.

Immediately after taking his Ph.D., he was appointed Lecturer at the University of Ibadan in October 1963 and rose quickly to become Senior Lecturer in 1966 and Professor in 1968, a post he held until he retired in 1990.

Itsuel, born about 65 years ago, married to Bridget Itsueli, and have four children. He was educated at Ibadan, 1970; Leeds,1971, and Cambridge, U.K 1974.

Work history starting 1974 – Phillips Petroleum Company in various capacities and locations, in Europe, then Company Headquarters in the United States, and later in Nigeria, as Managing Director of the Nigeria operations, a position held for 6½ years. Retired from Phillips Oil Company in August, 1987 to form and run Dubri Oil Company Limited, Nigeria and Africa’s first, Independently owned Exploration and Producing Company; presently Chairman/Managing Director.

He has served and is still serving on various bodies in both the private and public sectors and has been honoured with the Distinguished Citizens Award of Edo State in 1992 and  Honourary Fellow of the Faculty of Petroleum Law, of the University of Dundee, in the United Kingdom since 1992 among others.

Oyediran is a professor of Preventive and Social Medicine. Between 1998 and 2001, he served as the Director, Malarone Donation Programme (MDP) based in Kenya.

He is the founder of Nigeria Network for Awareness and Action for Environmental Health, NINAAFEH.