By Collins Dupson, 14th March, 2022
It was a celebration of excellence, hardwork, punctuality as the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Akure Branch celebrated the pioneer chairman of the society, Pa Engr Joseph Adebayo Jeje at 90.
The outpoured of encomium from members of the society has no doubt shown that Engr Jeje 90 years on earth was fulfilling and well spent.
Speaking, the Branch Chairman, Engr Ezekiel Oloruntola said Engr Jeje deserved all the encomium and celebration from the body, saying he has paid his price and sacrificed a lot to formed the society with few others 43 years ago.
He commended the punctuality of the celebrant in all the activities and events of the association. ” In spite of his age, anytime we have event, he will be the first person to be on seat”.
The Chairman disclosed that, Pa Jeje has been a mentor to young engineers and rally point to the association. ” Engineering has been in his blood, he loves the profession and has been a mentor to all of us”.
Engr Oloruntola enjoined young engineers to emulate the good virtue of Pa Jeje whose punctuality, selfless service and uprightness are second to none.
On his part, the former Chairman of the branch, Engr Oloruntoba Abe described Pa Jeje as a role model to Engineers, saying his laudable contributions to engineering profession will forever stand the test of time.
In the same vein, Prof Ayodele Ajayi described him as a man who is always committed to whatever he has strong feelings and believe for. ” Once he believes in a cause, he will put his energy, time and resources into it; a very meticulous man and great inspiration to many”.
Prof Ajayi further said, timeliness is a quality attribute of Engineers which the younger engineers should emulate from the celebrated nonanegarian, instead of prioritizing money.
Thanking the leadership and members of the association for counting him worthy to be honoured and celebrated, Pa Jeje said engineering profession is the bedrock of any development.
He said for engineering profession to take its rightful position in the country, engineers must be united and support the vision and mission statement of the founding fathers of the association.
While appreciating God for sparing his life till age 90, he said it wasn’t by his doing but mercy and grace of Almighty God kept him alive.
The Nonanegarian was born on 22nd February, 1932 at Umogun Quarters, Akure. He attended St Thomas CMS school Isikan between January 1939 to December 1944, Government School Benin City from January 1946- December 1947, Edo Government College, Benin City from January 1948-December 1952. He passed the Cambridge Oversea School Certificate of December 1952 in grade one.
He trained at Yaba Technical Institute from September 1953 to June 1956 as Engineering Assistant and passed competitive entrance exams to the University College Ibadan, Faculty of Engineering. At U.C. I, he consequently studied Mathematics and Physics, sponsored by CMS mission. He obtained B.Sc in London July, 1960 in Mathematics and Physics.
He was at the University of Birmingham in England from September 1965 to June 1968, studying Civil Engineering. He obtained B. Sc. Honours in Civil Engineering June 1968 and returned to Nigeria in February, 1969.
He worshipped in St Thomas’s Church, Isikan and assisted the church free of charge on Organ. He was a committed Organist and Choir Master of his church from 1977-2003.
He was the Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Akure Branch from 1979-1980 and Fellow Nigerian Society of Engineers. He had worked in different reputable companies and between 1986 and 2005, he was the Chairman/MD JA JEJE AND SON LTD.
