11th E. Latunde Odeku Memorial Lecture given on 27 October 1987 by Professor R. G. Hendrickse

Abstract

To pay tribute to a man like Latunde Odeku, within an institution in which he contributed so much and loved so well, is an honourable pursuit that presents no great difficulty for almost every aspect of his many faceted life reflected something of merit. However, to pay a tribute that is worthy of the man is a much more daunting task for Lat Odeku combined the bard with the scientist, the visionary with the pragma list, the perpetual student with the eternal teacher and the common touch with the magic of Midas. Neurosurgery, medical education and poetry fore, in prosecuting research to elucidate the physiological and pathological basis of local clinical practice and urgency in developing diagnostic and therapeutic facilities to improve patient care and facilitate further research. Innumerable papers, now gathering dust on the shelves of libraries, attest the industry and success of past staff in building up the corpus of knowledge which today underpins teaching and practice, but I doubt if many here today are aware of some little verses that pay tribute (through poking a little fun) to people like Patrick Collard and David Montefiore who laid the foundations of the now extensive knowledge of Salmonellosis in Nigeria, or the late Derrick Abrahams and others who established the foundations of clinical cardiology; or Richard Batten who crusaded for a blood transfusion service; or the nurses who took the first faltering steps on the road to a Department of Nutrition. These efforts are affectionately, but somewhat irreverently, acknowledged in these limericks taken from 'Harmattan', the very first journal produced in this medical school, which lies buried somewhere in the library.