FCSC Chairman pays tribute to author Wale Okediran at 70
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Professor Tunji Olaopa, on Saturday paid glowing tribute to renowned writer and former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Dr. Wale Okediran, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Delivering a keynote address titled “Writing the Public Service into the Nigerian Consciousness,” Olaopa spoke at a birthday celebration and reading/writers’ dialogue organized in Okediran’s honour by the Abuja chapter of ANA. The event was held at Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village, Abuja.
Dr. Okediran, a trained medical doctor who transitioned into full-time writing and public service, also once served as a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives. His multifaceted career, Olaopa noted, has made significant contributions to national development through medicine, literature, and politics.
“Dr. Okediran has come a long way and has blazed many trails so consistently that at a beautiful age of seventy, he has achieved a sublime legacy that embodies existential fulfilment,” Olaopa said.
The FCSC Chairman praised Okediran as a rare bridge between science and the humanities, referencing British scientist and novelist C. P. Snow’s “two cultures” thesis, which posits a divide between the sciences and the arts. “In Wale Okediran, we have a fluid and exemplary personification that firmly undermines that thesis,” Olaopa said. “He fluidly incorporates the love for science and the humanities.”
Describing Okediran as a “renaissance man,” Olaopa lauded his ability to harness diverse talents in service of both local and continental causes. “His sensibility draws on the human condition to articulate an Afropolitan ideal of compassion, strength, and empathy,” he stated.
According to Olaopa, Okediran’s work in medicine goes beyond treating illness; it engages with the psychosocial impacts of governance failure in Nigeria. Similarly, his literary output has provided platforms to tell postcolonial Nigerian stories with authenticity and depth.
Olaopa also highlighted Okediran’s political involvement and his leadership within various organizations, including the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) and the National Old Students Association of Olivet Baptist High School. He described the Ebedi International Writers Residency, founded by Okediran in Iseyin, Oyo State, as “a defining metaphor for his commitment to building a community of service.”
