Molara Ogundipe-Leslie: Goodnight my teacher

Professor Omolara Ogundipe-Leslie. lived life on her own terms. I first encountered her as a 2nd year student at the Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye as an English student. I will always remember her and the memories we shared. She taught me or better to say didn’t teach me Poetry. Dr Leslie did not teach her students; according to her she gives you the “tools to learn and you do research on your own”.

She was ahead of her time as a teacher also apparently because of her exposure to western way of teaching. Dr Leslie as she was called at that time was a hard scorer. She called my name in class because I had the highest score of 52% in the assignment she had given. Once she called my name and I stood up she retorted “so you are the one who have the audacity to bear my name.” that threw the class into an uproar of laughter.

Despite the fact that students didn’t like her initially she had a knack for saying things that just made everyone laugh. She asked to meet me in her office and from then a guarded respectful lecturer-student friendship was borne. Soon enough she thrusted me into “Graduate Assistantship” for the Poetry class. I was assigned the task of giving assignments to my peers, reading and discussing the poems with the class and reporting back to her which sometimes were done at her home. I did my best with the responsibility but back then I felt it was a case of the blind leading the blind.

In hindsight, I appreciate cutting my teeth at that early stage of my life in some sort of leadership and tutelage as it has served and continues to serve me in my journey. Dr Leslie believed and invested in young people, in spite of my protest as a result of my feeling of inadequacy she refused to relieve me of the responsibility.

Dr Leslie was quite different from any lecturer. She mixed freely with some of her students and took us as protegees. I recall countless visits by her to my little room off campus. I recall our trips alongside my friend Sola Adewunmi to University of Ibadan, Guardian Newspaper and NTA at Victoria Island where we met the likes of Dr Victoria Eze-Okoli? former Director of Productions NTA and all her efforts to get us into media outlets so we can have some experience in the Broadcasting Industry.

Dr Leslie’s carefree attitude which was termed extreme by some could be seen by all at Ogun State University as she would sometimes show up at students’ parties with no care about what anyone thought of it. She was a feminist who believed in the independence of the female gender.

Dr Leslie was extremely prudent with money” she was an Ijebu woman to the core. Her request at every visit to my room was for a bottle of 7 up. I finally asked her one day why 7Up and not Coke or Fanta? She quipped “because it contained more than the rest for the same price.”

Dr Leslie was a Pan-Africanist who believed so much in Africa, promoted African culture, books written by African authors and ideology. Dr Leslie can often be spotted wearing Adire or Ankara and mostly adorn African hairdos.

My last physical contact with her was at the Marriot Hotel in Washington D.C where she was a participant in a lecture series. By this time, she had dropped the Leslie, ended her Professorial job at Arkansas and was heading to Europe for another Professorial appointment. We exchanged a few emails after that.

I remember her as a mother who loved to work, travel and spoke fondly of her daughters. I am privileged to have known her closely and to proudly say good night to my teacher, friend and mentor.

As I look back I appreciate the enriching experience of travel, of exposure, the political talks and debates that ensued among us; the disagreements over faith and feminism during those visits, trips and encounters with you, they are in part the reason I am who I am today.

Thank you for the impression you left on my mind as an activist, speaker and writer and may your soul rest in peace Dr Omolara Ogundipe Leslie.

*Omolara Akin-Taiwo belonged to 83/87 set ENGLISH DEPT, Ogun State University, now Olabisi Onabanjo University.