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Prof.  Adekanye:  Celebrating  a  Mentor  at  70  

 

By  

 

‘Kayode  Fayemi  

 

Last Friday was civil-military relations scholar, Professor J. ‘Bayo Adekanye’s seventieth

birthday. Unlike my Egbons who had written birthday tributes before me – Eghosa

Osaghae (The Guardian, 19 August) and Segun Ayobolu (The Nation, 20 August), I

didn’t have the privilege of being his student at the University of Ibadan. I met ‘Oga’ as I

fondly call him - first in academic journals as a post-graduate student in International

Relations at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). Having picked an

early interest in a rare aspect of International Relations – Strategic/Military Studies, a

recurring name in many of the materials I encountered in relation to Africa in one of the

leading journal in the field, Armed Forces & Society, was J. ‘Bayo Adekson/Adekanye of

the University of Ibadan.

Upon completion of my Masters’ programme in International Relations, I went to the

University of Ibadan in search of Dr Adekanye, hoping to convince him to supervise my

doctoral thesis. I met him in the Department and he was so warm and receptive to an

impressionable young man he was meeting for the first time. He however explained his

inability to supervise my proposed thesis on Defence Spending/Military Expenditure in

Nigeria, due to an already planned sabbatical at the Dalhousie University in Canada. He

 

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gave me a few ideas on how to proceed with my plans. When I

mentioned in passing that I might try the United Kingdom for doctoral studies, he quickly

suggested the name of Robin Luckham of the Institute of Development Studies,

University of Sussex, a renowned authority on the Nigerian military as a possible

supervisor. As it turned out, I ended up in the War Studies Department at King’s College,

University of London, again because Robin Luckham was on sabbatical at the Australian

National University in Canberra. But ‘Oga’ kept in touch throughout his time in

Dalhousie and upon return to Nigeria, monitoring my progress and acting as my

‘unofficial’ PhD supervisor. He could claim credit for my making as a scholar in the

same manner he could claim credit for the moulding of the Osaghaes, Ayobolus and the

Ofeimuns who were his students in Political Science at the University of Ibadan.

 

Unknown  to  many,  ‘Oga’  could  also  claim  other  credits.    Although  my  brother,  Professor  

Eghosa   Osaghae   counts   Professor   Adekanye’s   a-­‐political   nature   as   a   significant   part   of   his  

persona,   “in   the   sense   of   keeping   political   science   apart   from   participation   in   the   political  

process,”  I  am  not  sure  I  agree  with  this.  Indeed,  I  can  confirm  without  any  fear  of  contradiction  

that  his  deep  sense  of  right  and  wrong  occasioned  by  his  religious  fervour  enabled  him  to  also  

play  critical  “behind  the  scene”  roles  only  known  to  some  of  us  in  the  struggle  for  freedom  and  

democracy  in  Nigeria.    I  shall  illustrate  my  point.  In  the  heat  of  Nigeria’s  military  dictatorship  in  

the   1990s,   Professor   Adekanye  was   a   Research   Professor   and   Resident   Scholar   at   the   Peace  

Research  Institute  in  Oslo,  Norway  (PRIO).  While  it  is  no  longer  news  that  I  was  involved  in  the  

founding   and   running  of   the  opposition   radio  during  our   time   in   exile,   I   can  now   reveal   that  

Professor   Bayo   Adekanye   was   one   of   my   collaborators-­‐in-­‐chief.   In   my   shuttle   diplomacy  

between  United  Kingdom  and  Norway,  where  the  opposition  Radio  Kudirat  operated  from,  he  

was  a  key   link  between   the  democratic  movement  and  elements  within   the  Norwegian  State  

sympathetic   to  our   cause.  His   links  with   the  Norwegian  African   Institute   in   those  heady  days  

provided  us  with  a  very  critical  platform  of  engagement  in  all  our  activities  in  Norway.      

 

 

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Hence,   while   ‘Oga’   may   not   shout   at   the   rooftops   about   his  

resistance   to   dictatorship   and   oppression,   one   cannot   doubt   his   belief   that   committed  

scholarship  must  provide  the  road  map  that  will  enable  our  people  take  control  over  their  own  

destinies  and  lives.  Second,  in  everything  he  does,  he  believes  that  scholarship  must  contribute  

to   the   transformation  of   the  body  politic   so   that   it   becomes  a  useful  overarching   framework  

that   promotes   holistic   development   and   democracy   -­‐   cultural,   ecological,   economic,   political  

and   social.   In   short,   for   Professor   Adekanye   -­‐     the   scholar   must   link   scholarship   to   political  

activism,  no  matter  how  understated.    Indeed,  in  my  view  –  Professor  Adekanye’s  specialisation  

in   itself  represents  a  political  statement  about  his  subliminal  commitment  to  the   liberation  of  

citizens  from  the  clutches  of  oppression  using  scholarly  tools.  His  intellectual  demolition  of  the    

‘military  as  modernisers’  thesis,  which  was  the  dominant  thesis  in  civil-­‐military  relations  in  the  

1970s  served  the  cause  of  demystifying  the  military  in  the  eyes  of  ordinary  citizens  and  budding  

scholars   like  me   and   provided   ammunition   for   those   opposed   to   the  military   in   politics.     By  

always   insisting   on   clarifying   the   sociological   and   institutional   underpinnings   of   the  military,  

Professor  Adekanye   taught   us   early   about   a  more  nuanced   assessment  of   the  military  which  

does  not  treat  the  institution  as  a  monolith  or  defines  the  military  simply  by  the  excesses  of  its  

aberrant  officer   corps.  But  he  never   spared   those  excesses   and  his  magisterial  work  on   “The  

Retired  Military  Phenomenon”  represents  one  of  his   strongest  assaults  on   the   irresponsibility  

and  selfishness  of  the  military  caste  in  Africa  whilst  also  underscoring  how  deeply  entrenched  

they  have  become  in  the  polity.  

 

In   his   writings   and   in   my   own   personal   encounter   with   him   over   the   years,   “Oga”  

articulates  the  need  for  democracy  to  be  relevant  to  the  masses  of  African  peoples  as  a  means  

of  liberation  from  the  scourges  of  capitalist  exploitation,  orchestrated  by  neo-­‐liberal  paradigms  

and  neo-­‐colonial   institutions.  To  date,  he  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  influential  voices  in  civil-­‐

military  relations  and  conflict/ethnic  studies  in  Africa.    He  has  also  played  some  significant  role  

in  peace  and  conflict  studies  particularly   in  divided  and  multi-­‐ethnic  societies  as  an  adviser  to  

the  United  Nations,  African  Union  and  ECOWAS.    As  a  teacher,  he  has  been  a  major  source  of  

 

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inspiration   to   a   retinue   of   younger   scholars   across   Africa   like  me.   He   has  

brought   to  bear  on   the  world  of   civil-­‐military   relations  and   conflict   studies   the  weight  of   the  

concerns   expressed  by  African   scholars   on   a   consistent   basis.   Recalcitrant   and   impervious   as  

Western   scholarship   can   sometimes  be   to   things  external   to   it,  many  of   those   concerns  now  

receive   acknowledgement   in   civil-­‐military   relations,   security   sector   governance   and   conflict  

management  in  a  routine  manner.    

 

Ultimately,  what  Professor  Adekanye’s  remarkable   life  has  proved   is   that  moral  values  

and  intellectual  ideas  remain  the  key  tools  in  the  struggle  for  democracy  and  development,  and  

until  the  battle  between  democracy  and  authoritarianism  is  won  at  the  ideological  level,  a  clear  

and  decisive  victory  will  still  elude  forces  aspiring  towards  democracy  at  the  barricades.  This  is  a  

sobering  lesson  for  the  present  circumstance  in  which  we  find  ourselves,  and  a  reason  why  we  

need  the  contribution  of  our  thinkers  to  enable  us  fashion  correct  strategies  in  the  struggle  to  

deepen  this  fragile  democracy.  It  is  clear  now  that  the  forces  that  were  responsible  for  the  crisis  

in  which  Nigeria  was  plunged  in  the  1990s  are  still  very  much  around.  They  are  perfecting  their  

strategies  for  chaos  and  re-­‐organising  their  foot  soldiers  for  yet  another  assault  on  the  forces  of  

freedom  and  democracy  in  our  land  under  the  guise  of  religiosity  and  terrorism.  While  we  must  

never  let  the  perfect  become  the  enemy  of  the  good,  we  must  also  not  delude  ourselves  that  

we  have  arrived  at  the  promise  land.      

 

One   critical   element   in   Professor   Adekanye’s   life   is   his   infectious   humility   and  

understated  elegance.  I  should  like  to  elaborate  on  this  if  only  because  it  is  a  quality  that  is  in  

dire  need   in  our  current  quest   to  rebuild  and  reposition  the  Nigerian  state  today,  particularly  

amid   current   uncertainties.   Although   far   more   knowledgeable   than   many   of   us   about   most  

things,  ‘Oga’  is  never  tired  of  seeking  clarification  on  issues  or  asking  for  insights.  He  will  knock  

on   all   doors   in   his   quest   for   knowledge.   For   Professor   Adekanye,   the   search   for   good   ideas  

should  not  be  hindered  by  age,  gender,  race,  religion,  ideology,  ego  and  all  the  other  issues  that  

have  unnecessarily  prolonged  our  underdevelopment.  This  is  the  hallmark  of  a  great  mind,  and  

 

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we   are   encouraged   by   his   example   to   be   humble   in   our   occupations,  

professions   and   in   our   relationship   with   one   another   as   we   seek   solutions   to   the   manifold  

problems  that  confront  us.    

 

Yet   all   of   what   I   have   written   relates   to   the   “Oga”   Adekanye   I   know.   It   is   not   a  

suggestion  that  he  is  blemish-­‐less  as  only  the  Almighty  retains  such  an  attribute.  But  this  is  also  

a  tribute  to  his  amiable  wife,  Professor  Tomi  Adekanye  –  my  own  political  leader  in  the  Action  

Congress  of  Nigeria   (ACN),  who  must   claim  part   credit   for  my  Oga’s   success   story.   Even  with  

what  some  might  consider  as  his  foibles  and  faults,  I  have  no  doubt  that  in  him  the  researcher,  

the  teacher  and  the  silent  activist  come  together  with  all  of  the  ideals  that  can  help  us  change  

the   way   we   think   and   act   about   scholarship,   activism   and   democracy,   social   justice,   human  

rights  and  development.    

 

It   is  a  distinct  pleasure  to   join   in  honouring  and  celebrating  the   life  and  works  of  –  an  

accomplished   scholar,   notable   mentor,   exceptional   teacher,   and   pan-­‐africanist   ideologue.  

Happy  birthday  to  a  beautiful  mind.  

 

Dr.    J.  ‘Kayode  Fayemi,  a  civil-­‐military  relations  scholar,  is  Governor  of  Ekiti  State.