Prof. Oluwalana, a mobile laboratory and core welfarist bows out of service meritoriously at 70 – Kayode Ogunjobi

It is not everyone that starts a journey that gets to the end of the journey. It is equally not everyone that ends a journey that ends it meritoriously. It is a different ball game to end and to end well in good health and sound mind. Little wonder the scripture sounds it loud and clear ” it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

God in His mercies has helped His humble son to start and finish strong and an inspiration to others. Definitely not because he was perfect as perfection itself is an exclusive preserve of the Almighty God but because he found mercy.

Professor Samuel Adeniran Oluwalana born on June 29, 1953 retires officially June 29, 2023. He is retiring but refiring with unalloyed commitment to the development of humanity. He is a man who has invested so much in the use of nature to solve human problems as encapsualted in Genesis 1: 29 ”And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree. His methodologies have helped many for both physical care and emotional care leveraging on 2 Kings 20:7 and Genesis 43:11.

He joined the services of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in 1983 and has spent forty eventful and significant years as a lecturer in department of Forestry and Wildlife Management . He has successfully produced Professors, who are equally contributing meaningfully to human capacity development.

The soft-spoken Oluwalana is a mobile laboratory who has assisted many in solving health- related challenges using his vast knowledge of the plants. His strength has been to remain different and he has successfully carved a niche for himself as a lover of God, lover of humanity and a problem solver.

Aside from being a mobile laboratory, he is a core welfarist who believes in the principle of universal happiness, touching and impacting lives positively.

Living out the tripodal mandate of teaching, research and extension services, Prof. Oluwalana for years have been guest lecturers at various fora , providing information for the development of humanity. He is an eminent member of the Full Gospel Fellowship, Priesthood Leadership Developmet Initiative among others. His presentations have held many spell bound on the abundance of resources enveloped in our forests.

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Professionally, he is a member of the umbrella body for all Foresters in Nigeria which is Forestry Association of Nigeria. He is also a member of the Forest and Forest Products Society of Nigeria and Commonwealth Forstry Association, Nigeria Chapter among others. He is a Professor of Professors and a Teacher of Teachers who is unrelententing in impacting knowledge and solving problems. He is a classical example of town and gown, maximising the link between the science of plants and native inteliigence.

His commitment as a lover of humanity and children in particular manifested maximumly when he served as the Dean , Student Affairs of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta earned. He earned for himself the acronym ” Baba Ewe” meaning lover of children. It is a known fact that out of his meagre salaries, he provided sponsorship for many students and played his mentorship and pastoral roles to give his students the best. There have been tremendous testimonies of his love, passion and commitment towards wiping away the tears of others.

He was a father who earned the respect of a father not because he was perfect but because of his genuineness of purpose and determination to provide succour for many. Among the students and staff of the University, he earned the status of ”Baba” as he is generally known as ” Baba Oluwalana”

We can only begin to wait for what our country will do with a healthy, strong ‘mobile laboratory’ who statutorily is retired but as elegant as a Toyota and as strong as a Mercedes Benz. His office apparently did not prepare for the retirement and his collection of plants which litter everywhere were oblivious that a new season is around the corner. Will the mobile laboratory be left idle with the avalanche of information at his finger tips. Definitely there are destinies that are still attached to this retiring but not tired laboratory! Definitely the Nigeria system require a repository of knowledge in plants to solve the myriad of health challenges facing us as a people. Shall the mobile laboratory be left idle and unfuctional just as many of our physical laboratories. Only time shall tell.

Prof Samuel Oluwalana is happily married to his beautiful wife and support mechanism , Prof.(Mrs.) Elizabeth Oluwalana and they are blessed with wonderful children.

Lovers of Prof. Samuel Oluwalana all over the world have been enjoined to link up with a meeting celebrating the erudite scholar using the link below :

Topic: Prof Sam Oluwalana’s Birthday & Retirement
Time: Jun 29, 2023 09:00 AM West Central Africa

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89681722572?pwd=dXlwRE5EejdTNE0yVlRMQ0RLN1Rhdz09

Meeting ID: 896 8172 2572
Passcode: ProfSam

As Professor Samuel Adeniran, the mobile laboratory and core welfarist retires, I join numerous of his students and beneficiaries of his kind heartedness to wish him success in the next face of his sojourn on earth.