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Foremost Nigerian physicist, academic administrator and professor of Geophysics at the University of Ibadan and later University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Cyril Agodi Onwumechili, died on May 2023 at the age of 91. In his death, Nigeria has lost a brilliant scholar, great mentor and an astute manager of men and resources.
Born in Inyi, Oji River on 20 January 1932, in the present Enugu State, Onwumechili attended King’s College Lagos. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of London in 1953 and a master’s degree in Physics from the University of Ibadan in 1954. In 1960, Onwumechili was at the International Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering; Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Later, he got a doctorate degree in Geophysics from the University of London.
The late professor started his academic career as a lecturer in the Department of Physics, University of Ibadan in 1958. He rose to the rank of a professor in 1962; Ibadan Observatory, 1960-1966; Prof. Physics, University of Ibadan, 1962-1966; Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, 1965-1966, among others.
He was the first Nigerian Geophysicist as well as the second President of Nigerian Academy of Science to deliver the Ahiajoku Lecture on 20 November 2000, entitled “Igbo Enwe Eze: The Igbo Have No Kings,” wherein he argued persuasively that the saying “Igbo Enwe Eze is a reference to the characteristic traits of the Igbo. It should not be taken literally as a total denial that any king ever existed anywhere in the entire Igboland. There was at least one exception. The Nri people had pre-colonial kings. Nri is part of Northern Igbo.”
He was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, from 1979-1982. He took over from Prof. Ojetunji Aboyade. He was succeeded by Prof. Wande Abimbola in 1982. During his tenure as the VC of University of Ife, he did a lot to ensure academic excellence and overall development of the institution.
Onwumechili ran an all-inclusive administration at the university, which attracted world-class scholars such as the American Prof. Robert Fox, the Ugandan poet, Okot p’Bitek, Malawian poet, David Rubadiri, Greek philosopher, Prof Chatalian and German theatre guru, Prof. Joachim Fiebach and others. He was a great humanist and the father of all.
It is so sad that the appointment of university vice chancellors has been ethnicised and politicised in recent times. A return to the former model of choosing the best from any part of the country or even the world can help to deepen the culture of academic excellence in our universities.
The exceptional scholar was the former President/Vice Chancellor of the Anambra State University, Enugu from 1983 to 1986, when it transformed to the now Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu; the now Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and now Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
In his tribute to the late academic, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, stated: “Under Professor Cyril Onwumechili’s leadership, the university experienced remarkable growth and advancement in various fields of study, research, and outreach as he spearheaded strategic initiatives that fostered interdisciplinary collaboration, established partnerships with renowned institutions worldwide, and ensured the university’s relevance in ever-evolving global landscape.” He co-authored Physics of Geomagnetic, Academic Press, New York, 1967; co-author Magnetic Observations Under Total Solar Eclipse in Chad, Report of Observations of Solar Eclipse, June 30, 1973, National Science Foundation, USA; Possible Asymmetry in the Daily Range of the Geomagnetic Equator, Nature, London, 1951, among others.
In his academic career, which spanned several decades, Onwumechili groomed many scholars and contributed immensely to the development of research in Physics, a field he dedicated his entire life. No doubt, his contributions to educational development of the country are indelible. We urge the younger generation to emulate his shining examples. He was a patriotic and highly detribalised Nigeria. For his outstanding achievements as a great scholar, researcher, iconic leader and university administrator, the federal government should honour him by naming one national edifice after him.
Similarly, the governors of the South-East region should commence the practice of honouring heroes and great achievers in diverse fields of human endeavours from that part of the country. We commiserate with his family, the academic community and the people and government of Enugu State over the irreparable loss. May God grant his soul eternal repose.
