Tribute to Professor Muhammed Mustapha Olarongbe Akanbi, Former Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Molete, Kwara State, Nigeria.

 By Sheu-Usman Oladipo Akanbi 

Losing your brother can be a most depressing experience. When this occurs, you experience a severe kind of shock that is never easy to recover from. And this is why it was challenging for me to pen out a tribute in respect of someone who has been such an important part of my own life. 

When my younger sister, Hon. Justice Asmau Tanwa Akanbi-Yusuf, called to inform me of the demise of my immediate younger brother, at around 9.00 pm on the 20th of November, 2022, I instantly went into shock and broke into deep sobbing. I shed uncontrollable tears. In fact, I barely slept till the next day and by daybreak, in the company of Professor Abdulkadir Abikan Ibrahim, a colleague of his, we proceeded from Abuja to Ilorin for the burial. That journey was the hardest I've ever made, because I remained in total depression. Even as I wondered why our family had to be visited with such a painful tragedy, I knew that we could not question the will of Allah.

Throughout the journey, my mind continued to stray to the good-old times we shared together, the comradeship we enjoyed over the years, and even the occasional spats that are normal within family circles. I also recalled, with deep emotions, the kind comments he made about me on the 1st of October, 2020. That was the day I undertook the public presentation of my memoirs. But perhaps the most remarkable of all the thoughts that flew past my mind’s eyes was that of my last encounter with him in the hospital at Victoria Island, Lagos. There, my brother said that fighting cancer was such an excruciating experience that he wouldn’t wish it on anyone at all. He said the pain he experienced could make one almost denounce their faith as long as it would bring them a cure. I remember that after this, we held a deep prayer session for his immediate recovery. But alas, Allah always knows best!   It is my fervent prayer that someone shall one day bring a fast end to this ugly disease called cancer. And may Allah assist in this direction!

For the rest of my life, I will no doubt have to live with the depressing memories of those last moments with my dear brother. Even there and then, he proved the depth of love he had for me and I left the facility with tear-laden eyes, hoping that he would pull through. He even arranged for the vehicle that took me down to Ilorin.

Life is about the relationships we keep and nurture. Close friends weren’t just friends to my brother; they were family.  And if you were lucky enough to be counted on that long list, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you.

Muhammed Mustapha Olarongbe Aremu Akanbi embodied so many good attributes: he was a focused, diligent and visionary administrator; he was a doting husband to his wife and a dutiful father to his children; he was also an amazing brother — someone larger than life and hard to capture within a few paragraphs. Indeed, his departure has created a vacuum that will take our family a long time to adjust to.

Our late father, Hon. Justice Mustapha Akanbi used to quote an excerpt from Henry Wadsworth  Longfellow's work to us: “The lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime and, departing,  leave our footprints in the sands of time.” This quotation definitely epitomizes the live and times of Muhammed who was taken from us too soon and in such a painful manner!

I only take comfort in knowing that my brother drank deeply from the Pierian Spring and lived an inspiring life even within the number of years he walked the earth! 

Every single day that Almighty God gifts us with is quite precious. Often, I ask myself if I have lived every passing day in the manner that Allah will be pleased with, and fear usually takes hold of me because in all truth, I don’t believe I have done enough to meet His standard! I cannot state with certainty the position of Muhammed with his Lord, but judging by the magnitude of persons that thronged the family house after his demise and indeed, the volume of positive accounts related of his exploits in life, one can safely presume that he stands in good stead with Allah. 

May Allah, Subhanah Wata’Allah, overlook his faults and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus. Aamin.

 

*44 years ago....late Prof. M. M. Akanbi, Alh Kabir Akanbi (Deputy Cheif Registrar Court of Appeal), Hon. Justice Asmau Tanwa Akanbi-Yusuf (the baby being carried by my humble self)☺