Okowa, Obaseki, UNIBEN Mourn Alele-Williams

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and his Edo State counterpart, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNIBEN branch, have condoled with the family of renowned mathematician and first female Vice-Chancellor of a Nigerian university, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, over the passing of the scholar and administrator.

Alele-Williams passed on Friday in Lagos at 89.
In a condolence message by his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, yesterday, Okowa said late Alele-Williams was a great role model to the female gender whom she inspired with her brilliance and diligence.

The governor joined family members, the academia and the Itsekiri nation in mourning the renowned scholar who, in 1963, earned a doctoral degree and became the first Nigerian female to attain such academic height.

“On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I condole with the deceased’s family, the academia and the Itsekiri nation and all Deltans on the passing of the renowned mathematician and scholar, Professor Grace Alele-Williams.

“We received the news of her passing with shock, but thanked God that she lived a life of great impact.
“She was a great role model and worked assiduously to stamp out cultism at the University of Benin where she was vice-chancellor,” he said.

Okowa noted that the late scholar’s drive and love for knowledge earned her many recognitions and awards in Nigeria and across the globe.

“Prof. Alele-Williams was an illustrious daughter of the state, and only recently, we honoured her and other illustrious Deltans during the state’s 30th anniversary celebration,” Okowa explained.

On his part, Obaseki in a statement, described Alele-Williams as an Amazon, who tread where others dreaded, hailing her unmatched devotion to national development.
“It is with a heavy heart that I received the sad news of the passing of renowned academic and administrator, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams.

The governor said Alele-Williams was a thoroughbred academic who throughout her life left an indelible mark of dutiful service, hard work, diligence and determination.
He said: “As the first female Nigerian to earn a doctorate degree in mathematics, Prof. Alele-Williams was a woman of many firsts. She shattered the glass ceiling and didn’t look back thereafter.

“When she became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin – at the time the first ever female Vice Chancellor of a Nigerian university – she shone brightly as a fearless administrator and restored sanity to the higher institution during a period of social upheaval.

“Prof. Alele-Williams will be remembered for her insight, dedication to duty and courage as well as her commitment to breaking barriers limiting advancement of women in uncharted territories.”

Also, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Lilian Salami, has mourned the passing of Alele- Williams. In a statement signed by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, Prof. Salami described the late former and first female Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN as an iconic giant who broke the glass ceiling for other women to blossom. She said having spoken with her daughter, Orode Doherty, to commiserate with the family, she was consoled that the late Professor of Mathematics is being celebrated, rather than mourned.  

On its part, the University of Benin branch of ASUU, has described the demise of Alele-Williams as saddening.
UNIBEN Chairman of the ASUU, Dr. Ray Chikogu, said the late former vice-chancellor was at the helm of affairs of the institution at the time that it was clearly in need of a direction and strong leadership, which he said she provided.

“She was an icon in the University of Benin and we missed her greatly.
“The University of Benin misses her because of the remarkable landmarks she left in the university in terms of good infrastructure and human development.

“She left an indelible footprint and we are hoping that God will give her immediate family the fortitude to bear the loss, and hope that God will grant her eternal repose,” he explained.