Leading Rural Surgeon, Dr. Yombo Awojobi is Dead

The Medical Director of Awojobi Clinic, Eruwa, Dr. Yombo Awojobi has died. He passed on in the early hours of Saturday.

64-year-old Awojobi was until his demise the most popular surgeon in Eruwa and by extension the whole of the Ibarapa region in Oyo State. Not a few people have benefitted from his brilliance and the selfless service offered by his clinic.

Incidentally, the surgeon who was born as Oluyombo Adetilewa Awojobi hailed from Ikorodu in Lagos State. He was born on March 1, 1951.

The Anchor Online’s findings revealed that Awojobi belonged to a generation of geniuses. His brother, Professor Ayodele Awojobi was known for his contribution in the field of Mechanical Engineering. Those who passed through him in the University of Lagos, where he became the youngest Nigerian Professor of Mechanical Engineering will remember Autonov 1; Ayodele Awojobi’s invention. The patriot in him made him refuse lucrative offers for the invention, preferring to keep the design for his country’s benefit in the future.

Autonov 1 was a jeep inn which Ayodele Awojobi invented a second steering-wheel mechanism, adjoined to the pre-existing engine at the rear end, so that the vehicle was able to move in both forward and backward directions with all four pre-existing gears thus giving it the ability to achieve its highest speeds at a moment's notice, in the normal reverse direction. In his opinion, the army would find such vehicles useful, especially in an ambush situation or when it is necessary to retreat.

Ayodele Awojobi’s immediate younger brother, Dr. Olubusola Awojobi who died in February 2015 too distinguished himself as a Structural Engineer. Back in 2012, he was inaugurated as the President of Nigerian Institute of Structural Engineers. Decades ago, some of his drawings were used in the construction of a number of bridges in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Yombo Awojobi who passed on a week after his elder brother, Dr. Busola Awojobi was buried was not so different. Like his elder brothers, he had his primary education at Methodist School, Oshodi, Lagos between 1957 and 1962 and his secondary education at Lagos Anglican Boys’ Grammar School, Barriga, Lagos and CMS Grammar School, Lagos between 1963 and 1969.

Awojobi attended the University of Ibadan, where he studied Medicine (1970-75) and between 1975 and 1976, he did his Housemanship at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.  He left Ibadan for his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Benue State in 1976 after which he returned to UCH, Ibadan for his Surgical Residency (1977-83).

An epitome of brilliance, Awojobi’s career was a journey of honours and award. He was the Best Student at O’ Level  (WASC), 1967 Principal’s Annual;  Best Student at A’ Level (HSC), 1969; Adeola Odutola Prize for the best final year student in Medicine, 1975; One of Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Nigeria (TOYPN) organized by Nigeria Jaycees, 1985; Elected Member of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1985, Oyo State Merit Award for Rural Medical Practice, 1988; British Council Travel Fellowship, 1995, Eruwa Youth Movement Merit Award for public service and job creation in Eruwa, 1995; College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Award for Contribution too sustenance of Ibarapa Community Health Project, 1997; Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) Nigeria Award for Medical Coverage during annual camping at Eruwa, 1998.

The Eleruwa of Eruwa and the community offered him the title of Baasegun of  Eruwa in 2000. In 2001, Awojobi was given a special award by the Pan-African Liberation International Project as a Defender of the Less Privileged while he was listed on the Marquis Who’s Who Biography in Science and Engineering in 2003. He was also one of the two Nigerians listed in the World Medical Association’s publication, Caring Physicians of the World in 2005. 

Follow @DAnchoronline on Twitter