The Mass Communication students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) 1994/1999 have consoled wife and family on the passage of Prof. Lai Oso whose death occurred over the weekend on the Ijebu axis of Benin-Ore road.
A statement by Mr. Oludayo Idowu, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the set described death of Oso as a huge loss to the academic world, especially to the communication students and practitioners.
The statement regretted that the auto crash abruptly brought an end to the 39 years of exemplary leadership and unparalleled contributions to the communications industry in Nigeria by Oso.
According to the statement, Oso was the Head of Department (HoD) of Mass Communication, MAPOLY when the set gained admission into the higher institution at Ojere, stressing that he later rose to become the Deputy Rector of the school.
The statement further hinted that Oso ended his career as the immediate past Dean of the School of Communication, Lagos State University (LASU) ahead of his 60th birthday celebrations in 2015.
The statement added: “Until his death, he (Oso) was the President, Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN). Late Prof. Oso was a mentor and father figure to many who had passed through his tutelage as students and journalists across the nations of the earth.
“His death has been described as a blow to Nigeria’s academia and to several generations of communications graduates across Africa.”
Mr. Olanrewaju Oyegbola, President, 94/99 Alumni Set in the statement, described his death as a rude shock to the entire MAPOLY family.
Oyegbola declared that the contributions of Oso to academics would not be forgotten in a hurry and called on the Federal Government to immortalise the late professor.
Oso had his BSc in Mass Communications at the University of Lagos and his MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife.
In 1977, he went for his Ph.D. in Mass Communication as a Federal Government scholar at the University of Leicester England. At various times, he had worked as a reporter both in radio and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while he also spent some years teaching courses at graduate and undergraduate as well as, Post Graduate levels.
“He has taught courses in journalism, media and governance, political communication, development communication and theory; to which he was fondly called ‘Oba Theory’ (King of Theory) by his students at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.”
