My binoculars: Posthumous
celebration of Principal Akinwale Obafunso Beckley at 94

By: Bodunrin Kayode

If he was still alive he would be 94 today having been born in February 18th 1931. He would obviously be involved in his passion of playing the organ as long as his fingers and dexterity of age can carry him. But he may not be able to stand for long before a class to teach mathematics which was his best subject. He may have completed his proposed mathematics text books which he was trying to arrange from handouts he created while teaching the subject in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It was over there he cut his teeth in the education sector as a maths and physics teacher in several schools including the Rokel, Colligate and the Freetown Secondary School for Girls FSSG where he was the Vice Principal. Born Akinwale Obafunso Beckley in the railway quarters Yaba Lagos, my father had a sound command of the English and latin languages. He was a polyglot who could speak almost all the major Nigerian languages most of which he picked while traversing the country with his father a railway clerk. His stay in Wusasa Zaria during holidays gave him and all of his siblings the opportunity to converse freely in Hausa which was the second language at home , whenever they were with themselves.

He actually traveled to the Fourah Bay College (FBC) to study after his sixth form in Ibadan Grammar school but while there he got another admission letter to study medicine at the University of Ibadan (UI) but he turned it down and held on to his sojourn in Freetown where he graduated with a double honors in maths and physics. Back then his certificate was affiliated to the University of Durham in England. FBC he told me once was affiliated with Durham University in England from 1876 to 1967. So some of his supervisors actually came down from England to see them in Freetown. But the institution is now a constituent College of the University of Sierra Leone. He met my mum in the faculty of education where he was studying and they got married and started their life’s journey by having me and seven younger ones.

On return to Nigeria in 1979, he continued his passion which was teaching. He was also a humanist and an active member of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS). A professional organization in Nigeria made up of principals of post-primary schools in Nigeria. And that made him a Comrade among older principals who he sat within usual congress meetings in Abeokuta. He was a fighter for what was right amongst teachers and his colleagues Principals then and did his best for their welfare. Some of his colleagues used to visit the principal’s house where we lived then with him and my mum growing up and concentrating on our studies. Teachers were poorly rewarded in those days but that was his calling so he was not perturbed and rather continued unhindered adding farming to put food on our table. He had a loyal partner in my mum who was also a teacher who spurred him on in their calling which was about imparting knowledge.

Contribution to MPHS and Yewaland

Baba Akinwale Obafunso Beckley was an exceptional educationist who believed in the progress of all those who passed through him. He was a fighter for education to penetrate Yewaland the way it had in egba and ijebu senatorial zones of Ogun State. And that was why he fought against the way young people were dropping out of schools due to several vices including encouraged teenage pregnancies and some parents looked helplessly.

I recall he was once commended by the then “Olokeodan of Oke Odan” who said in a commendation letter that his advent to Yewaland was a devine one and that he must keep the good work. This was because he was quite meticulous with his reforms in the young Muslim Progressive High School (MPHS) where he was posted. And this resulted in a lot of rebellion from some sections of the parents teachers association (PTA) members who were not too comfortable with some of his policies. But he kept on pushing because what he was doing was in line with the free education policy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The late sage who introduced free education in western Nigeria then warned against truancy and Baba picked up truants on the road if he catches any one. As a matter of fact this was one of the policies he used to announce himself at the MPHS when working with Baba Amousofi as Principal.

Baba Beckley earned a lot of enemies among parents because of his big stick policies of “suspension and expulsion” where necessary of students who were completely unruly in school. No student was allowed to disrespect any teacher with impunity. He made us his students to know in the morning school assembly that lateness was a big wrong which he will not tolerate. For these reasons, he was called all sorts of names by rebellious students and sometimes teachers who did not like his style some of which he carried over from good schools he had worked in Freetown. Baba actually spent the remaining of his middle age life in Yewaland contributing in transforming a lot of restless boys and girls into stable adults. He took special liking for so many students who were hard working and the entire football team which gave us balanced entertainment whenever it was time for recreational activities.
Many teachers however supported him like Mr Adeleye who was teaching Yoruba, Mr Adeshina English language and serving as one of his Vice Principals and many others including Ghanians who were in the staff room then.

Journey through the Nigerian schooling system

Education had the same challenges across the west coast of Africa so my father was not a visitor to the system. We his kids were the ones trying to assimilate. All of us his children had to miss one academic year when we returned before he could fix us up in schools after securing a fresh employment from the Ogun State government. We lived in Abeokuta for a while in the house of my uncle Akani Beckley while trying to fuse into our ancestral roots in Abeokuta. We lived with our cousins in one big house. One of them Soji Beckley has taken after him in the education sector as one of the respected Principals in Ogun State today. My kid sisters ‘Tinuke and ‘Dolapo are also teachers and musicians. They decided to teach from scratch following after his pattern. For the rest of us, teaching was a no go area.

We were resting quietly at Abeokuta one day in the house of Uncle Akani at ita Oshin area of Abeokuta when Baba returned home with news that he had been engaged in the then egbado division of the state. And he was to resume in Oke Odan as the Vice Principal of the MPHS. That was in 1981. The school had a low image problem before he resumed. So he was given matching orders by the zonal education officer (ZEO) to go work with the Principal to restore sanity and raise the standards. And that he did raising the bar for excellence very high.
On resumption as the Vice Principal, those of us kids qualified to be in the secondary school were all admitted in that school. I opted for egbado College but he said no. Coincidentally, he became my Principal in that secondary school and at home. It was not easy because we could not be found wanting for anything that was labeled wrong. He was a stickler for discipline and academics. And I was to believe that was why my uncle Akani insisted that my cousin Soji must join us. And another uncle late Pastor Adeyanju also sent his daughter to benefit from the improved standard in the school.

The very backward standard Baba met in the school then was transformed to an enviable standard and by 1983 he became the Principal after the retirement of Mr Amosofi who was from Cotonou and had to return home. “Baba” as he was fondly called resumed management of the school at a time when Yewaland was also the most backward region in the state with young people contented mostly in concentrating on making quick cash through smuggling at the myriads of border loopholes at Alari, Ilase, Tube, idiroko and even Ipokia. There was so much cash in smuggling that young people looked down on education thinking it was boring and tedious. These were his lamentations at home at times when he would spend time talking to us to conform to the right way by studying hard. He applied the same sermons at the assembly grounds. He would spend several hours at the Assembly grounds working on the minds of students to take their education seriously. I was astounded when he made me library perfect because I knew his standards were too high for me. But he talked all the prefects into the rudimentary expectations that went with the task. And became mentors to many who used to visit the house to announce their admissions into higher institutions to study. He was always sad when a student would avoid school due to any reason at all. And would always help out to ensure the student returns.

Baba de-emphasized corporal punishment a bit for seniors to working in the school farm when it was necessary. He made sure that seniors did not bully the junior classes incessantly without justification. As the principal he wanted all to learn under a conducive atmosphere devoid of intimidation which was pervasive before he took charge of the school.

For us his kids, he was Principal in school and at home. Virtually no difference between the two. Baba was compelling when it comes to the differentiation between wrong and right. Always reminding the assembly that he would be out of this world one day and we the students would be left to face the vagaries of the state and country as leaders of tomorrow.

Interactions with his teachers

As far as I could recall, he had a very cordial relationship with his teachers when he was the Principal. Of course there were altercations with one or two renegades whom I would hear him talking to my mum about after the days service to humanity while we were at home. But as an extremely exposed man he surmounted all those challenges until he was transferred to Alari in 1985 to repeat his exploits of building young people through education. He spent only two years as Principal in Alari before leaving this world through a protracted illness. Sadly he answered to the call of eternity in October 1987 at 57. For us, he may have gone to meet his creator like others before him but he lived a good life by leaving indelible marks in the education sector where he was always at his best. Hundreds of students within two countries passed through him during his lifetime and he was always pleased to say that to us at his happy times for banters and serious talks with us.

Dear Papa, it’s been a long time you left and we have not given up on anything as you always taught us. It’s been a long battle with the vagaries and wickedness of this world. But we are tugging on with the Lord Almighty with us. Your footprints are still fresh in the MPHS and all my colleagues send their regards. They are all grown up men and women now baami.

Do enjoy your eternal sleep papa till we meet to part no more. Regards to Mama and Mabinu. By now you already know Mabinu has gone before us. I did my best but God Almighty knows best. Regards to Grandpa Benjamin Akinlawon and all our aunties and uncles we have been privileged to meet before they bowed out. O digba papa. Se mu zo.

I wish you were here for me to say happy birthday as I look at your Cotton wool white hair which started while you were in your fourties. Possibly hug you now that I am a grown up man and say thanks for your investment in us.
Happy birthday anyway Bami.

My binoculars: Posthumous
celebration of Principal Akinwale Obafunso Beckley at 94