Oguntoye Sodiq
Media professionals, colleagues, mentees, and students on Wednesday spoke glowingly of the late erudite scholar, Lai Oso at a special session of tribute held at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta.
The special session of tribute had in attendance of different dignitaries including the rector of the institution, Dr. Adeoye Odedeji, Deputy rector, Dr. Yetunde Iyunda, President of NIPR, Mrs. Seun Boye, President of NUJ, Wale Olanrewaju, Penpushing media, Platform Times media, OGTV General Manager, Toyin Shogbesan, HOD of FUNAAB, Prof. Dele Odunlami and others.
Professor Oso died in a car crash along the Benin-Sagamu expressway on 24 June on his way back to Lagos from Delta State University (DELSU), Abaraka, where he reportedly went to serve as an external examiner.
In her welcome address, the Polytechnic Deputy Rector, Dr. Yetunde Iyunda who represented the Rector of the institution, said “Today is not a day of mourning but a moment to celebrate the good life of our mentor, teacher, brother, father, and colleague.
“Prof. Lai Oso means so many things to many people depending on where, and when you meet him and for what purpose.
“If what we are celebrating today is his retirement and 70th birthday I would not imagine the kind of people that would be sitting in this hall but in all, there is a place for us to thank God.
“The Bible says in everything we should give thanks to God and on this occasion we are equally giving thanks to God for his life.
“Isaiah 57 says the righteous perish and no man takes it to hearts and merciful men are taken away from the evil to God. Not concerning the righteous is taken away from the evil to God this is the word of consolation that came to my mind when I sat to ask myself who Professor Lai Oso and this question helped me to analyze the personality of Professor Lai Oso to students who passed him while in school. He was a teacher and a role model
“Permit to say here that my husband was one of his students. To his colleague, he was a reference point for many glories achieved, and to the national bodies, he was a light that shows a direction. Interaction with Professor Lai Oso would give you comfort. He was open, a good listener,r and a solution provider to many problems. He was very analytical issuing to draw hold his point.
“Professor Oso started his academic career in this polytechnic in 1982 as a lecturer, he was appointed director of school, director of MAPOLY Consult, and deputy Rector before he existed from the polytechnic system. But even with his departure from the polytechnic, he had always been in close contact with the institution either for academic reasons or for advice.
“My prayer is that May almighty grant all of us the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss”.
Biography
Oso Muraino Olayiwola was born on 9 October 1955 in Sagamu, Ogun State, South-west Nigeria.
He studied Mass Communication at UNILAG between 1975 and 1978.
As a Ford Foundation scholar, he proceeded to the Obafemi Awolowo University where he bagged Masters in International Relations in 1981.
Thereafter, he got a federal government scholarship to study Ph.D. in Mass Communication at the University of Leicester, England between 1983 and 1987.
He relocated to England with his wife, Abimbola Oso, and they got their two children there, Simisola Oso, and Moyosola Oso.
The professor started his career as a journalist at the News Agency of Nigeria. He began his academic sojourn at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, and rose to the position of deputy provost of the school.
He also lectured at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Caleb University, Imota, and UNILAG before joining LASU in 2011 and became the second substantive dean shortly after his professorial appointment.
Mr. Oso was a member of APCON, NIPR, Commonwealth Association for Education in Journalism, Nigerian Association of Journalism and Mass Communication Teachers, and Nigerian Academy of Letters.
He served as a former National Secretary of the African Council for Communication Education.
For more than three decades, he taught various courses including communication for development, advanced research in mass communication, political communication, communication theory and topical issues in mass communication, international communication, and introduction to communication among others.
He became a Professor of Mass Communication in 2011 at LASU. He supervised over 15 Ph.D. theses and more than 20 Masters Dissertations.
“Encyclopedia of communication”, “The King of Theories”, “Mr. Book and Dennis McQuail of Nigeria!”.
Mr. Oso was also a Pastor at the Victory Life Bible Church.
He was a major pillar in Nigeria’s Premier School of Communication, Lagos State University, now known as the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies.