An Evening for Patrick Iyorwuese Ukase: An Evening of Mentors

Terver Adom

Do you know any historian around you? What do you think about history?  When history is mentioned, who is the first person to come to your mind or what is the first impression that crosses your thoughts? Have you ever thought of a world without historians? I think the world would have been the dumbest place to live.

Have you ever cared to give a thought to historians and their contributions to national development? Has it ever occurred to you that historians in academics are about the most intellectually sound minds on a university campus? Have you also noticed that most historians develop a critical mind with a radical disposition?

While so many questions are begging for answers, a historian, Prof Kenneth Onwuka Dike made history as the first Nigerian to be vice-chancellor of Nigerian premier University; the University of Ibadan.

Kenneth Dike, a founder of the Ibadan School is even argued to be the first professor of history in Africa. The Ibadan school dominated the writing of Nigerian history and remained popular up to the 1970s.

Have you also heard of Jacob Festus Adeniyi Ajayi? What of Tekena Tamuno? These are great historians that their dissertations have shaped a lot of things in Nigeria. You may have also heard of Akiga Sai. If not for Akiga, the history of the Tiv people of Central Nigeria would have been substantially lost. Do you remember Bala Usman, the political historian of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria? What a radical he was. Even soldiers with guns kowtow when he spoke and wrote.

At the Benue State University, Makurdi, there is no way that as a student, you would have not heard of Professor Yakubu Ochefu, a great scholar of African Economic History. You must have also heard of the erudite and eloquent Professor Armstrong Matiu Adejo. Certainly, you must have listened to Professor Okpeh Ochayi Okpeh Jnr.

Okpeh O. Okpeh now the dean, faculty of Arts, Federal University, Lafia is a former president of Historic Society of Nigeria, HSN.

A gentleman of excellence and a professor of African Economic History, Okpeh Okpeh who was mentored by Professor Yakubu Ochefu in 2007 supervised the PhD candidate whose thesis was adjudged to be the best in Nigeria by the Nigerian University Commission, NUC, in the discipline of Arts. This candidate is Patrick Iyorwuese Ukase.

Patrick Ukase is a contemporary historian who specialises in political history. A graduate of the famous Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Ukase, has demonstrated that he is a young man with a tenacity of focus, unequal determination and an unflinching commitment to academics.

Otherwise, while he was studying for his master’s degree and PhD which was awarded to him in 2008, he was a staff of the Benue State House of Assembly, Makurdi. It was only in 2012 that he joined the services of Veritas University now in Abuja as a lecturer by the invitation of the late Professor David Ker. For Ker had heard of his (Ukase’s) academic prowess.

Even as a staff of the assembly, Ukase wrote extensively and some of his works were published in academic journals. More so, he also wrote books on the Benue Assembly that hitherto had no book written about it.

From Veritas, Ukase, son of a Nigerian army captain was employed by Kogi State University, Anyigba where he has risen meticulously, painstakingly and worthily and was promoted to a professorial chair on Friday, December 17, 2021, with effect from October 1, 2019, during the 59th Regular Meeting of the Governing Council of the University.

In 2019 that Professor Ukase, who is equally the head, department of History and International Studies of KSU was assessed, he had at least eighty two (82) academic publications that have far surpassed a hundred now.

Professor Ukase, a Makurdi Old Boy, from every indication is a fast-rising academic icon who has a critical and interrogative mind; a team player with a progressive propensity.

The political historian who is an expert on executive-legislative relations is a humble man. And if professors were to be known by mere appearance, one would never know he is one owing to his calm, modest and gracious image.

The foregoing description must have given birth to what attracted him to Professor Okpeh Okpeh who despite mentoring him, consequent on his (Ukase’s) promotion to a professorial chair threw a lavish dinner in his honour on December 29, 2021.

It was a nice evening for the families of Okpeh Okpeh and Ukase Awunah. The dinner which was held at the residence of Okpeh Okpeh was scheduled for 5:00 pm.

Interestingly, Ukase who got to the venue slightly after the scheduled time had eminent scholars including Professor Yakubu Ochefu, the quintessential diplomatic historian Chris Orngu, Martin Zeka and many others waiting.

From a distance, I heard Okpeh Okpeh with a smile told Ukase that he has started behaving professorial.  I don’t know how a professor behaves but I should think the mentor was telling his mentee that he was late for dinner.

All those who spoke at the event including Professor Ochefu, Dr Jerome Andohol, Dr Naomi Doki, Dr Bem Mela all commended the commitment and zealousness of Professor Ukase.

It was a night for Ukase with a long chain of mentors. While myself and others on the occasion have Ukase as our mentor, Ukase in turn was full of praises for his mentor Professor Okpeh and Okpeh insisted that all honour and praise should be given to his mentor Professor Yakubu Ochefu. Therefore, Ochefu was declared the mentor of mentors with a standing ovation and Ukase’s beautiful wife, Patience Odu was declared a “professor emeritus.”

A vote of thanks was given by the eldest daughter of Ukase, Ngohide, a history student of Veritas University, Abuja for Prof Okpeh had decreed that his mentee, Prof Ukase should not say a word at the gathering.

Ukase has a lot to offer this country. May God be gracious and keep him to do more for Nigeria.

Congratulations sir.