TRIBUTE: ADIEU, MR SAMSON AYENIGBA FAGBEMI

TRIBUTE: ADIEU, MR SAMSON AYENIGBA FAGBEMI

By: Ahmed Balarabe Sa’id

I join the Kaduna Polytechnic community and the broader academic family in mourning the passing of Mr. Samuel Fagbemi, a man of rare character, deep conviction, and quiet strength.

For me, this loss is deeply personal. Mr. Fagbemi didn’t just leave a mark on the institution; he left one on my life.

It was in May 2006, on the set of a television programme marking World Press Freedom Day, that our paths first crossed. He had been invited to represent the academic voice. I, then an editor with a rising publication, was to offer the industry perspective. What I thought would be a routine panel engagement turned out to be a turning point in my journey. After the show, he came to me, gracious, thoughtful, and asked, “Have you ever thought about teaching?”

I was stunned. Teaching had always intrigued me, but this invitation, coming from someone of his standing, lit a fire. We exchanged numbers. There was no promise of money or privilege, just an opportunity to give back and grow.

When I reported for my first class at Kaduna Polytechnic, Mr. Fagbemi did the unthinkable: he assigned me to teach the most senior class. From day one. I didn’t understand the weight of that decision until much later. My age, my experience, or lack thereof, was of no reckoning . But he saw something more. He backed his conviction, even when it wasn’t popular. And he stood his ground.

That bold decision became the beginning of my teaching career. As his tenure ended, he pulled me aside and asked again: “Would you consider doing this permanently?” Through his recommendation and support to his successor, Dr. Abdulganeeyu Saleeman, the door was opened. And I walked through.

But Mr. Fagbemi was much more than a mentor to me, he was a strong pillar of Kaduna Polytechnic. A founding father of the Mass Communication Department, he helped shape its identity from the very beginning, succeeding the department’s first head, the late Comrade Hadi Awwal. His dedication never waned. Even in his final years, he was instrumental in the department’s unbundling, working at policy level with the NBTE to lay down the structures that would redefine the future of the discipline.

It is no exaggeration to say that the successful transition and unbundling of the department is a testament to his vision and unwavering commitment.

Mr. Fagbemi lived and worked with purpose. He believed in excellence, in mentoring others, in building structures that would outlive him. And they will.

In every phone conversation, he ends it with advice and prayers. It has been constant, the last of it being about two weeks ago. His departure leaves a void. But his legacy, the students he nurtured, the colleagues he inspired, the department he helped build, will remain with us, always.

Rest well, sir. Your light lives on.