By Jimoh Ahmed, Akungba Akoko

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The academic world literally stood still in Akungba Akoko on Wednesday as eminent scholars, professors and academicians converged on Adekunle Ajasin University to honour Professor Busuyi Mekusi as he attained golden age.
Mekusi, a Professor of African Literature in the Department of English clocked 50 having been born on September 22, 1971.
To mark the day, a colloquium titled, Politics, Aesthetics, and New Directions in African Literature was held in his honour. It had Professor Senayon Olaoluwa of the Centre for African Studies, University of Ibadan, as the Keynote Speaker, Prince Peters Adeniyi Adeyemi: General Secretary (NASU) and Vice President (NLC) as the chairman of the occasion.
The Vice Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University, Professor Olugbenga Ige was also the Chief Host while the Attorney-General and Commissioners for Justice, Ondo State, Sir Charles Titiloye and Professor Edward Olanipekun, Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti were special guests of honour.
The Chief Host, Professor Ige described Mekusi as a rare gem, highly principled and academic giant who has continued to impact greatly on the academic world.
The Vice Chancellor said he is a person whom our generation has to learn a lot from.
The Dean Faculty of Arts, Professor Uriel Okunrinmeta in his comments said Mekusi is one of the strong pillars that hold the Department of English Studies and the Faculty of Arts .
According to him, Mekusi is dependable, outstanding, intellectual and a literary giant.
The Dean disclosed that an outstanding aspect of the celebrant is that whatever he believes in, he will stand by no matter the collateral damage.
Dr Gbenga Abimbola, a former News Editor of The Hope Newspaper and now of the Department of Mass Communication, Adekunle Ajasin University, said Mekusi is humble, principled and highly committed to contributing immensely to the academic world.
Similarly, Professor Victor Olumekun said Mekusi is a man that pursues what he believes in to a logical conclusion.
Professor Jendele Hungbo of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, in his paper titled: Folu Master: A New Reading of Critical Engagements in Nigerian Public Intellection, stressed that organic or value oriented intellectual and technocratic intellectual are the main types of intellectuals.
Professor Jendele however said a variant of intellectual is the redemption intellectual which Mekusi belongs.
He described Professor Mekusi as a notorious intellectual whose intellectual noteriety has been shaping the society for good.
Also, Professor Sola Afolayan of the Department of English Studies, Ekiti State University, in his own paper, Why Not Bolekare If Not Bolekaja: Resolving The Crisis From The Polysemous Critical Thoughts on African Literature said it was necessary to marry some of the literary aspects of life of the foreign world which we have borrowed rather than seeking outright extinction.
Speaking with The Hope, the celebrant, who gave glory to God for the day said he decided to organize the colloquium to tell the people that the whole essence of a university is to promote intellectual capacity and not to play unnecessary politics.
Mekusi who said he will sustain this, however, advised a lot of Mekusis out there to be fearless and courageous and stand by what they believe in no matter the situation.
“What I am also doing is to encourage lots of Mekusis out there to come out. It does not matter the collateral damage that your standing by the truth may cost you. You will come out triumphant at the end of the day.