The University of Ilorin has described the death of Pius Adesanmi as a colossal loss to the country and humanity in general.
Adesanmi, Canadian-based professor of African studies and critic who graduated from the university in 1992, was killed on Sunday in a plane crash in Ethiopia.
In a statement on Saturday, Sulyman Abdulkareem, vice-chancellor of the university, said Adesanmi was “a true nationalist, a rare patriot, a humanist and indeed an embodiment of all the ideals that Unilorin represents.”
He said faculty of arts of the university will be organising a candlelight procession in his honour by 2pm on Tuesday.
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He said Adesanmi’s death came at a time when the nation needed his robust intellectual and incisive contribution to her development most.
He said that the country had benefitted immensely from the late professor’s dispassionate interventions through well-researched social commentaries on national issues at critical points of its socio-political and economic development.
“Being a committed nationalist, the late Prof. Adesanmi was never happy at the state of rot in critical sectors of the nation, and he never kept quiet nor indulged in complacency, as many of his colleagues who had found comfortable solace abroad are wont to,” the statement read.
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He added that less than 24 hours before Adesanmi’s demise, the patriotic zeal in the late social critic was evident on his Twitter handle where he was still discussing the then ongoing governorship and states house of assembly elections in the country.
Commiserating with the nation and especially the immediate family Adesanmi left behind, the vice-chancellor urged Nigerians not to allow the don die in vain but emulate his patriotic zeal towards taking the country to greater heights.
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