Prof Akinwunmi Isola

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Nigerians are still gaping with the reality that a renowned scholar, novelist, playwright, theatre practitioners, Yoruba culturalist, and actor, Professor Akinwumi Isola, has passed away. The playwright, whose wife, Adebola, 72, keeps asking symphatisers who pay visit to commiserate with the family, “Is my husband dead, actually died in his room at his Basorun residence around 9:30 last Saturday 17 February 2018.

Ever since Isola, who still has one elderly brother died, symphatisers have been thronging his residence to console the wife and children and notable individuals have been sending their condolences. Among the symphatisers were: Former Nigerian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Ambassador Tokunbo Dosumu-Awolowo, Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa in the company of his colleagues, Publicity Secretary of Afenifere Renewal Group, Kunle Famoriyo, Oyo State Chief of Staff, Dr Gbade Ojo, Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, Chairman of Oyo State All Progressive Party, APC, Chief Akin Oke, an astute Yoruba writer and Oladejo Okediji, Ropo Sekoni, a human right activist Moshood Erubami.

Speaking on his burial, Akinjide, the son of the deceased said that the family is yet to decide when he would be buried but said, “For me, I will want him to be buried as soon as possible”. There is a strong indication that the deceased, whose body is at the anatomy department of the University of Ibadan, UI, will be buried between 2nd and 3rd week of April, 2018.

Professor Isola was said to have been born in Ibadan on December 23, 1939.

He attended Labode Methodist School and Wesley College, after which he proceeded to study French at the University of Ibadan, UI. After earning a B.A. in French, he attended University of Lagos, UNILAG, where he earned an M.A. in Yoruba Literature in 1978. He started his academic career as a lecturer in Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, where he was appointed a professor in 1991. He wrote his first play, Efunsetan Aniwura, during 1961-62 while still a student at the University of Ibadan. His second novel is, O Leku and in 1986, he wrote and composed the college anthem that is currently being sung in Wesley College Ibadan. In 2000, the deceased, who was a visiting professor at the University of Georgia was awarded the National Merit Award and the Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. Isola is survived by his wife, Adebola, three children, Akinjide, first child and a son, Oluwatoyin and Bukola, two daughters and many grandchildren.