The passage of the late Professor Emeritus of History, Venerable Professor Obaro Ikime was on Saturday night announced by his family.
The remains of the academic guru are to be laid to rest in Ibadan, Oyo State where he made his great academic sojourn on Friday 19 May 2023.
The announcement said Prof. Ikime who passed on 25th April at the age of 86 would lie in state at the Trenchard Hall of The University of Ibadan where he delivered his inaugural Lecture decades ago on the Friday at 8 am.
A Funeral service will be held for the Cleric Historian of note at the All Souls’ Church, Bodija Ibadan at 11am. Prof. Ikime is a cleric of the Anglican Communion fold and a graduate of The Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan here he obtained the highest degree in Theology.
According to family sources, a reception would be held for guests at the Manhattan Hall opposite All Saints’ School Junction, Jericho Ibadan after the interment.
Academic gurus worldwide; colleagues and students of the eloquent scholar most of who are Professors themselves will gather at the Quadrangle of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ibadan on Wednesday 17 April 2023 at 3pm for sessions of Tributes and Odes.
On Thursday 18th May at 5pm, a service of Songs will be held at the Chapel of Resurrection Hall of the Premier University where he was an active member and prominent Committee Chairman in his days as a Lecturer in the Institution.
The Ikime Family will hold a thanksgiving service for THE CELEBRATION OF A WORTHY LIFE at the Anglican Church of the Messiah, Bodija Ibadan on Sunday 21st May at 10am.
Prof. Ikime obtained his PhD Degree at 29 and at 37 had become a Professor but was forced to retire at 54 in 1990.
He was head boy at his secondary school, Federal College, Ugheli. He was Hall Warden of Kuti Hall and played football, Cricket becoming the Badminton Champion of UI from his undergraduate days at the Premier University.
Prof Ikime was Chairman of the Chapel Committee who read the communiqué on an impending religious war in the famous Cross versus Crescent crises at UI. The Sculpture of the Risen Christ at the Chapel was burnt in the following crisis and the Crescent damaged.
Prof was in the Ibrahim Bademosi Babangida’s military detention for 96 days. The IBB junta was not ready for anything anti-Islamic. Prof was not allowed a change of dress for the 96 days. The IBB government felt Prof Ikime was a danger to the unity of the community and ordered the highest body of the University to retire him at 54 not at 65 that was for Professors then.
His wife, a Princess of Warri and an astute Evangelist, Hannah Oritsegbubemi Ikime nee Arubi-Etchie who he married Aunty at age 20 when he was 26 will lead the family and the children in all the activities during the passage which will be on Zoom on each occasion.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
*Rev. Olatunji (formerly Yomi Kassim) is a journalist with wide experiences in Publishing, Radio and Newspaper media working in various capacities for over 45 years.
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