By Banji Ayoola
Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State is drawing erudite scholar and Vice Chancellor of the reputable Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife, Prof Eyitope Ogungbenro Ogunbodeede, into the murky waters of politics.
His choice as the Returning Officer for the election, which promises to be one of the keenest conducted recently in Nigeria’s electoral history, is having incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Eyitayo Jegede of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and incumbent Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi of Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, as front runners.
Both Ogunbodede and Akeredolu hail from the same historical city of Owo,
Already, the PDP has rejected Ogunbodede on the ground of his shared kinship with Akeredolu, which it believed could work against its interest in favour of the ruling APC.
Specifically, it alleged that Ondo people cannot get a free and fair election with the present composition of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
In fact, Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who spoke at a briefing in Akure on Thursday, said Ogunbodede is a known crony of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and All Progressives Congress, APC candidate, and hails from Owo, hometown of Akeredolu.
Makinde, who insisted that Ogunbodede would not be a fair umpire in the proceedings by virtue of his association with Akeredolu, called on INEC to immediately replace him.
Makinde said OAU Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Prof. A S Bamire, who conducted the training of Returning Officers was not a neutral party for the purpose of Saturday’s election.
The Oyo Governor threatened that anybody that attempted to rig Saturday’s election would be reported to the internationalcommunity.
He said they were crying out because once the Returning Officer made a pronouncement, it would resort to the going to the tribunal.
“Why did INEC bring somebody from Owo? Why go to OAU? Are there no other universities? We don’t want Ondo people to be cheated.
“We also take this opportunity to call on all lovers of democracy around the world to pay attention to what the APC led administration in the center is trying to do in Ondo State.
“We call on the United Nations, the European Union, the United State and the United Kingdom and indeed all allies of democracy to call INEC to order.
“We call on all security agencies in Ondo State allow themselves to be used as a tool against the will of the people.
“We commend you for all you have done so far providing the needed support and security for our candidate and our people.
“We urge you to do more. Don’t forget that history and posterity have never been kind to anyone who allow themselves to be used as a tool for injustice.
“We urge you to read the mood of the people and act accordingly. Politicians may come and go, but the people will always remain. Remember, the world is watching.”
Who really is Prof Ogunbodede?
The profile of the accomplished scholar as displayed on the website of Obafemi Awolowo University, is as follows:
“Professor Eyitope Ogungbenro Ogunbodede was born on the 23rd of January, 1957 in the ancient city of Owo in Ondo State. He obtained his Bachelor of Science Honours in Health Sciences in 1981, following it up with the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BCHD) in 1985. He bagged a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in 1989 before proceeding to the Royal College of Surgeons, England, where he obtained a Dental Diploma in Public Health in 1992.
“Not satisfied, even fourteen (14) years after his promotion to the rank of a professor, Eyitope Ogunbodede bagged a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa in the year 2014.
He joined the services of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria as a Medical Training Fellow in March 1987 in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, where he rose to become a professor in the year 2000.
“For twelve academic sessions (1989 – 1991), 1993 – 1998, 2002 – 2007), Professor Ogunbodede served as Head of Department. He later became Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, functioning for three (3) sessions (1999 – 2002). Between 2007 and 2009, he was Provost, College of Health Sciences.
“Professor Ogunbodede was elected an internal member of Governing Council of the University in 2009 and he served in this capacity till 2011. Before this period, he was a member of the Governing Board of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, (2007 – 2009). For eight (8) years (2003 – 2011), he served on the Strategic Planning Committee of the University.
“Also between 2004 and 2007, he chaired the College Alumni Relations Committee of the College of Health Sciences. In 2004, he was appointed member, National Universities Commission (NUC) National Curriculum Committee for Medical and Dental undergraduate curricula.
“Professor Ogunbodede served as Chairperson, Ethics and Research Committee of the OAUTHC from 2004 to 2009. Similarly, for five (5) years (2006 – 2011), he served on the Central Monitoring Committee for External Grants and Sponsorships in the University. He represented the University on the Joint Management Committee of the OAUTHC from 1999 to 2002. His exemplary understanding of fund raising for institutional development earned him the Chair of the Gifts and Donations Acceptance Policy Drafting Committee between 2010 and 2011.
“Professor Ogunbodede envisioned and set up the DEMA Foundation Dental Museum, the first Dental Museum in Africa and the first specialised Museum in Nigeria, commissioned on September 18, 2015 in Ile-Ife. He also established the Community Dental Clinic at Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government Area which is the first dental clinic to be established under a local government council in Nigeria.
“An accomplished academic, Professor Ogunbodede has published 98 full-length peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, 2 books, contributed 3 chapters to books, 3 monographs, 1 technical report, 1 Inaugural Lecture and 48 Conference abstracts. He has attended over 140 scientific conferences and personally presented papers at over 40 of such conferences.
“He has also led many outstanding Research projects within and outside OAU including the Community Oral Health Projects sponsored by the Carnegie/Obafemi Awolowo University/Ife North Local Government from 2003 to 2006, the 3-Country Development Partnerships in Higher Education (DelPHE) Project involving Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and the University of Southampton, United Kingdom between 2007 and 2010 and the multicountry Consortium on Advanced Research and Training for Africa (CARTA) for which he was the Focal person for the University.
“Professor Ogunbodede was the Foundation Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Oral Health (AJOH), a publication of the Nigerian Division of IADR, and reviewer for many professional journals. Presently, he is on the Editorial boards of four (4) leading international dental journals and (2) national journals.
“He has held positions in numerous professional organizations and academic establishments in various parts of the world and has won many distinctions and awards.”
