AJAYI CROWTHER UNIVERSITY SPECIAL MARSHAL (ACU MARSHAL)

Commencement

The first attempt to bring a unit of Special Marshal to Ajayi Crowther University made some current members to identify with Atiba Unit 40 of Special Marshall. Some of them then were, Engr. A. Obanisola, Mr. Abayomi Oduntan, Revd. Yemi Ayeni, among others.  This preceded another attempt in 2017 by the former Vice Chancellor, the Rt. Revd. Prof. Dapo Folorunso Asaju. Mr. Amos Oloye and Mr. Paul Ademowo were saddled by Bishop Dapo Asaju, with the responsibility of compiling a list of interested members of staff. This list was collated in 2017 and 2018. One of the prime reasons was the sad experience of many members of staff who were stopped and booked on many occasions by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps near the University gate. Members of staff wanted to show that they are responsible road users and were willing to contribute their quota in ensuring that road users act in a responsible way. The foregoing constitutes some of the reasons for the preliminary attempt to form a unit of Special Marshal in the campus.

First hand experience

Ven. Dr. Ayodeji Ogidiolu narrated how his interest was ignited thus:

In June 2018, my wife was heading to work when she was booked by an official of the FRSC, and my Old Audi car was impounded. The reasons for booking the old car were, expired worn out tyres, cracked wind screen, among others. The penalty for all the offences, according to Marshal Officer amounted to a sum of N87, 000 (Eighty seven thousand naira), but a plea to mitigate the financial burden of the offence got the amount reduced. I coughed out N13, 500.00 (Thirteen thousand five hundred naira) almost from nowhere. After the payment, I confronted the officer who accosted my wife, for reasons behind such situation early on Monday morning. He responded that ‘Ajayi Crowther University is our pot of soup’. Old Staff of the University who witnessed same bad scenario can witness to this. My interest in joining them was ignited, hence, my determination was that, whatsoever it will cost, I will support the drive of the University in joining the Special Marshal to ensure that I understand  what constitutes an offence on the road and ensure that our people become responsible road users. Also, to disallow my colleagues in the University from falling prey as pot of soup through booking. I had to sell off the car.

Collation of another list

The responsibility of collating another list of interested members was given to Dr. Ayodeji Ogidiolu by the former Vice Chancellor, the Rt. Revd. Prof. Dapo Asaju.  Between June and December 2018, a list of 63 members of Staff was compiled. Members of staff expressed their interest and readiness to be inaugurated as Special Marshals. Four attempts were made to bring about the inauguration of the unit, initially but to no avail.

There was attempt of affinity and friendship with Command Office of Special Road Marshal, under Unit Commander Isaac Adebayo. He was invited thrice for lectures and preparation for inauguration. The third lecture was held on 26^th March 2019 in St. Andrew’s Chapel, Ajayi Crowther , University, Oyo. We realized that some people in Oyo were determined to obstruct and frustrate the inauguration. All the struggles went on till January 2020.

Intervention from Abuja

In January 2020, Dr. Ayodeji Ogidiolu contacted Comm. Abayomi Olukoju, through Hon. Mrs. Adenike Fatogun, who was University Registrar.  Comm. Abayomi Olukoju, who was a Senior Officer of Special Marshal in Abuja, requested the Sector Commander for Oyo State, Comm. Uche W. Chukwurah, to consider the inauguration of Ajayi Crowther University Special Marshal. Hon Mrs Nike Fatogun helped a lot by mounting pressure on her nephew, Abayomi Olukoju for intervention. Thereafter, the Kits for the inauguration was ordered from Abuja.  The executive members of the Special Marshal under SM. (Alhaji) Adepoju obeyed the order from Abuja for the Inauguration. There were two major challenges at this stage:

1. The interested Candidates were each, asked to pay a sum of N40, 000 ( Forty thousand naira), which was difficult to get then amidst many individual responsibilities. The intension was to scare off people and reduce the number of intending members. This dropped the interested members from 63 to 27. We convened a meeting on this as Pastor Reuben Ayanwale suggested a need for interested members to ask for loans from the University Cooperative, which is to be paid back in instalments in four months. This was deducted from source and was paid back in four months.
2. ACU Marshal was the dream, but the nomenclature was denied. The authority of Marshal in Oyo felt that instead of creating a new Unit, the upcoming unit should be used to resuscitate the weak Unit 6 which officially consisted of 6 Special Marshal members. Then the Coordinator of Unit 6 and his Secretary, SM. Lucas Aluko and SM. Lekan Animasaun, respectively, were constantly in Ajayi Crowther University Oyo to specially persuade the interested members to come into Atiba Unit 6. We did all under our strength to reject going with Unit 6, but were persuaded to start from there, given reasons that new Marshals cannot be left alone without old and experienced members of the Corps.

Inauguration on Wednesday 16^th September 2020

Ajayi Crowther University Oyo witnessed the visit of both Regular and Special Marshal on the morning of Wednesday 16^th September 2020. This was graced by the Zonal Commander ACC G.O. Ogagaoghene and Sector Commander Uche W. Chuckwurah with Oyo State Coordinator of Special Marshall SM. (Alhaji) Saka Adepoju and his executive members. The then Vice Chancellor, the Rt. Revd. Prof. Dapo Asaju, was decorated as the Patron of Special Marshal in his office. After this, the inauguration of 27 Special Marshals followed at Olajire’s Hall in the University. It was a colorful event.   The under-listed names were inaugurated.

LIST AND PINS OF THE INAUGURATED MEMBERS ON WEDNESDAY 16^TH SEPTEMBER 2020

1 OGIDIOLU AYODEJI OLANREWAJU         11-31710

2 ADELEKE ADEBOWALE                            11-31711

3 ADELEKE ADEREMIW                               11-31712

4 ADELEKE BOSEDE                                     11-31713

5 ADEROGBIN, JOSEPH                                11-31714

6 AJEWOLE OLOWUOLANIYI                      11-31715

7 AKANBI OLANREWAJUA                          11-31716

8 AKINOLA JAMES AKINYEMI                    11-31717

9 ALLI, K. MOSHOOD                                    11-31718

10 AMOOMI CHAELADEMOLA                    11-31719

11 ANIMASHAUN TEMIDAYO AKINADE    11-31720

12 AYANWALE REUBEN OLU                      11-31721

13 AYUN FUNKES                                         11-31722

14 DAODU FELICIA OLORUNISOLA            11-31723

15 EWUZIE ALVAN A                                    11-31724

16 FAKUNLE SUNDAY M.                             11-31725

17 MOBOLADE GIDEON O                            11-31726

18 IBOJO ODUN                                             11-31727

19 OBANSOLA OLUWATOYIN YEMI           11-31728

20 ODUNLAMI OLUYEMI OLUDARE           11-31729

21 OGUNBUNMI PAUL O.                             11-31730

22 OGUNLOLA AFOLABI A                          11-31731

23 OYEDOKUN EMMANUEL A                    11-31732

24 OYELAKIN FOLORUNSHO OYEBAMIJI  11-31733

25 OYERINDE IRETIOLUWA M                    11-31734

26 POPOOLA BENJAMIN O.                          11-31735

27 TAIWO OLUYEMI M                                 11-31736

Dual operation of ACU Special Marshal

The Marshal group in Ajayi Crowther exist within the University to control traffic. The  27 Special Marshal received two members from Unit 40 who are staff of the University. Currently, within the University, we are having 29 members. The executives are:

1. Coordinator- Dr. Ayodeji Ogidiolu
2. Assistant Coordinator- Dr. Olanrewaju Akanbi
3. Secretary- Mr.James Akinola
4. Treasurer- Mrs. Ireti Oyerinde
5. P.R.O.- Revd. Sunday Fakunle
6. Provost/ Financial Secretary- Mr. Matthew Taiwo
7. Adviser 1- Prof. Benjamin Popoola
8. Adviser 2- Pastor Reuben Ayanwale

The above arrangement has limitation within the circumference of Ajayi Crowther University for easy coordination, which has aided good performance in Atiba Unit 6.

On the second phase, ACU Marshal is part and parcel of Atiba Unit 6. Unit 6  has four executive members as two of them are from Ajayi Crowther University and the other two members from Old Unit 6. The Executive of Atiba Unit 6 is listed below:

1. Coordinator- SM. Lekan Animasaun
2. Secretary- SM. Ayodeji Ogidiolu
3. Treasurer- SM. Ireti Oyerinde
4. Financial Secretary- SM. G.M. Olowo

The merging of ACU Marshal with existing Unit 6 has aided the group as the 6 members that were merged with has increased to 12.

Relevance of ACU Special Marshal

The unit has had positive impact within and outside Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo since inception.  Some of the impact is listed below:

1. The wrong notion that made Ajayi Crowther University Staff be booked most times for traffic offence was corrected.
2. Our members, such as SM Ireti Oyerinde, has assisted to bail out impounded motorcycles of Ajayi Crowther University Staff. Dr. Ayodeji Ogidiolu has also intervened on issues that have to do with Marshals and Staff of Ajayi Crowther.
3. ACU Marshal has been active during the annual University Convocations in controlling traffic within the campus.
4. ACU Marshals has contributed to Oyo Community as members of Atiba Unit 6 in no small measure.
5. After the inauguration, the Corps has aided social assistance such as road repair.
6. We have usually been involved in patrols during festive seasons such as Christmas and El de kibir.
7. Weekly Patrols under Atiba Unit 6 has been consistent. At inception, it was held on Wednesdays, after the University Community Service. The stress of Wednesday evening made the weekly patrol to be moved to Thursday evenings.

Several other services have been rendered by ACU Marshal to Oyo Community. Some pictures of the ACU Marshal activeness are as attached to this story.

Conclusion

It is worthwhile to note that the incumbent Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University Oyo, Prof. Timothy Abiodun Adebayo, is highly supportive to the continuity of ACU Special Marshal Operatives. He gave us warm welcome when the Executive paid him a Courtesy Visit following the appointment of one of us, Prof. Benjamin Popoola, as the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University. The incumbent Unit Commander B.I. Olugbesan and the current State Coordinator, Pastor John Adegbotoluwa are highly commended for their priceless input to the growth of our Marshal Corps. I am delighted that the unit is making steady progress after two years of its inauguration. May God Almighty continue to help and sustain the ACU Special Marshal in             Jesus Christ name.  Amen.

Story by: Ven. Dr. Ayodeji Ogidiolu

Editors: Dr. Akanbi Olanrewaju, Revd. Canon Alvan Ewuzie and Revd. Sunday Fakunle

STORY THROUGH PICTURES