Asiwaju Of Ogbomoso, Former IG of Police,Sunday Adewusi, dies at 79... His Full Profile

FORMER Inspector General of Police, Chief Sunday Adewusi, on Tuesday, died around 8.30 p.m. at the National Hospital, Area 11, Abuja.
Adewusi, the Asiwaju of Ogbomoso, born on December 6, 1936, succeeded Adamu Suleiman as the Inspector General of Police between 1981 and 1983.
According to the former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, who confirmed his death, the late police chief was a gallant offcier who served Nigeria with commitment and dedication.
“The Asiwaju of Ogbmosho, Chief Sunday Adewusi, is a father who, in no small way, contributed to my success in life.

“He is a rare officer and boss who served Nigerian police force gallantly. His contribution to the image of police is still a reference point up till today. He will be sorely missed by the police, Ogbomosoland, Oyo State and Nigeria in general,” he said.
The Asiwaju of Ogbomoso, Chief Sunday Adedayo Adewusi was of humble parentage and background. Born in the Eggon LGA of Nassarawa State to the family of Pa Abraham Ishola Adeyinka Adewusi and Princess Eyiolawi Abeje.
It was at Mada Station that the Asiwaju Sunday Adewusi began his educational career. He attended both the Church Missionary Society and Roman Catholic Mission Schools from 1944 to 1948 where he demonstrated his unparalled academic prowess. He proceeded to Baptist Day School, Jos between 1949 and 1950 to complete his Standard Six education.
The Asiwaju later continued his educational pursuit, this time around; his secondary education was at keffi from 1951 to 1956. there, he showed was and demonstrated his strong moral discipline and leadership potential coupled with academic excellence. All these contributed to his being made a school prefect. He discharged his duties as a prefect with a very high sense of justice to such an enviable extent that one of his teachers advised him to consider a career in the police since he is a highly disciplined individual and the Police is known to be a disciplined force.
He joined the Nigeria Police Force and had his basic police training at the Police College from 1957 to 1958 as a cadet sub-inspector.
While in training, he distinguished himself very outstandingly and upon completion of the course, he won the cane of Honour. He proceeded to the Man O’ War Bay course in Southern Cameroon in 1958 and graduated as the overall best police officer.
He continued his various trainings in police duties, and at the same time, gamering experience, so also he was being appointed and elevated to higher positions in his high qualification, seriousness of purpose, strong sense and dedication to duty, when the position of the ADC to the then Governor-General of Nigeria, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, was to be filled, he was among the fourteen (14) outstanding police officers short listed to be interviewed and considered by the Governor-General himself. He came out tops and was subsequently appointed ADC to the Governor-General.
He once again, demonstrated his uncanny expertise and dexterity with strong Organizational capability to the extent that he was asked to anchor the State Banquet Ceremony on the day Nigeria became a Republic. (It is worthy of note; to say that the job has always been the exclusive preserve of the Federal Director of Information). As the Master of Ceremony for the occasion, he performed so brilliantly to the admiration of all the invited guests and won himself a standing ovation.
It must be emphasized that Chief Adewusi had always had the ears and respect of his bosses, such was the closeness between him and the farm ‘Zik of Africa’ that years later, Zik remarked, on a visit to Kwara State, while Brig. Theophilus Bamigboye (rtd.) was in charge “ If you had been with the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello. They were known to have shared many ‘confidences’.
He continued his upward climb to the top echelon of the Police Force through various opportunities for training and appointments. Another opportunity presented itself for him again, when in 1964, he had to go to the police Staff College in Scotland for another advanced training to qualify him for top management positions in the Force. He was also opportuned to study the operation of Force at an advanced level at East Ridding Constabulary, Lancashire, Yorskshire
He was equally positioned to study practical policing and the structural administrative, political and policing system in various overseas countries. He also attended seminars and undertook study visits to countries in Europe, Asia and America. His disciplined approach to matters and careful attention to details earned him frequent, rapid and well-deserved promotions as a career police officer. He was a sub-Inspector of Police in 1957.
Chief Adewusi was elevated to progressive positions in the Nigerian Police Force:
Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1959
Deputy Superintendent of Police in 1962
Superintendent of Police in 1963
Chief Superintendent of Police in 1967
Assistant Commissioner of Police in 1969
Deputy Commissioner of Police in 1971
Commissioner of Police in 1872 and Assistant Inspector General of Police Operations in 1975.
In 1981, he became the Inspector General of Police which was the peak of his career in the Nigeria Police Force. By this development, he became, at 45, the youngest IGP to date to occupy that exalted position!
His career in the police which took him to practically every part of Nigeria exposed him, first hand, to the beauty of the diversity of the Nigerian nation. This exposure afforded him the opportunity to gain a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of the cultural heritage of the peoples of Nigeria. It, as a consequence, made him an elder statesman with nationalistic outlook and disposition.
He worked assiduously and maintained a very high professional standard and integrity at all his duty posts. When he was appointed the Inspector General of Police, he discharged his duties to the best of his abilities and enjoyed unfettered access and good working relationship with the then president and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Shehu Shagari.
In actual fact, the President gave him the free hand to run the force according to his judgment. This afforded him the opportunity to introduce and carry out a great number of far-reaching reforms in the Police Force.
The Force still enjoys the enormous dividends of the reforms he introduced till today. In fact, Chief Sunday Adewusi was a serious-minded and tenacious police officer who had a sound organizational, structural and administrative grasp of the police work.
He displayed this exemplary good leadership that positively re-orientated the police force to achieve its laudable goals and objectives. He was firm, bold, courageous and resolute in the discharge of his duties right from the beginning to the end of his career. His leadership style earned him the respect of all the policemen who regarded him highly and fondly even up till today.
His tenure as the IGP is still regarded as the proudest era of the force. Even in retirement, the Asiwaju has remained a force to reckon with in the general schemes of things both locally and nationally. He has contributed in no small measures to the development and empowerment of Ogbomoso indigenes at home and abroad.
He was highly instrument to the eventual location of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso. In the national arena, the Asiwaju has continued to be as relevant to the growth and development of the country as he was while in service. In 1995, he was nominated as a delegate to the Constitutional Conference, the body that was saddled with the responsibility of fashioning out the constitutional provisions for the present democratic dispensation. He has also contributed greatly to the development of various corporate institutions of the country, Especially the banking industry where he served meritoriously as the Chairman of the Board of two of the leading banks in the country. During his tenure in these financial institutions, he rewarded handwork and also accorded merit its rightful place over and above any other personal bias or considerations.
He is, today, fondly remembered for the sound administrative policies and democratic principles he instituted. In appreciation of his noble contributions to the development of Nigeria, He was conferred with National Honours of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 1981 and Grand Commander of the order of the Niger (GCON) in 1999. He was also a recipient if the Nigeria Independence Medal and the Nigeroa Civil War Medal. (Don’t forget, he was deployed to the war fronts as Assitant Commissioner of Police.)
The Asiwaju, being a man of many parts, with a generous dose of positive restlessness, has refused to be tired even though, retired. He has dabbled into various agro-based ventures that are economically viable and profitable. He is among the pioneers of animal husbandry in the country with expertise in poultry and fishing. Recently, he has even gone into manufacturing. He is a teacher, a historian, a role model, a philanthropist of repute who uses all his God-given talents and resources to bless the lives of many genuinely indigent people whether they are personally known to him or not. He supports various groups and associations both morally and financially. He also contributes positively to the spiritual growth and development of his people and community (forget the fact that his wife is an Alhaja!!) He has contributed immensely through whole or partial scholarships to deserving individuals and has positively acted as icon and model to several people too numerous to mention.
The Asiwaju of Ogbomosoland, Chief Sunday Adedayo Adewusi, has indeed, lived a fulfilled life; a life full of unparalleled achievements and uncommon success. We salute a man of honour and integrity, a visionary leader, an embodiment of peace and mutual coexistence, a democrat and a strong believer in truth, fairness and justice; a respecter of customs and tradition, a man who fears God Almighty and acts in accordance to his injunctions.

REST IN PEACE BABA