By Is’haq Babatunde
To say that the news of the demise of the late Director of Audit, Kwara State University, Alhaji Oba Akanbi Wahab came to me as a rude shock is to say the obvious. I was far away in Abuja when a colleague of mine dropped an unsolicited message of his demise to me at 7:07 pm on Thursday (May 18, 2023). “I have just been informed that Auditor is dead”.I was devastated by the message.
But as a Muslim, we are made to believe in the fact that it is only Allah that gives and takes and He does that without any further delay anytime He wishes, Qur’an 63 verse 11.
Late Alhaji Wahab was a very diligent and hardworking staff of the Kwara State University. He was known by everybody that had cause to come his way in KWASU, as a very brave and courageous staff officer who worked so hard for the progress and development of the institution. As an Ag. Auditor, a position he assumed in 2020, late Wahab was reputed to be an outstanding staff as he was very professional in the discharge of his duties as the number one man in the Audit unit of the University.
He joined the service of Kwara State University, Malete as Senior Accountant in the year 2012 and rose through the ranks to the position of Chief Accountant in charge of Annual Budget and Acting Director of Audit in the Audit Department in 2020.
He was a very brilliant Accountant, very jovial, kindhearted, loving, resilient, generous, and God fearing. His contributions in any meeting he had cause to be part of had been very useful and helpful to the University. He had served in many capacities as Chairman/member to various Committees in the University. He would be sorely missed by the entire University community.
He donated the sum of N50, 000 to the ongoing late Prof. Muhammed Mustapha Akanbi Masjid project located at KWASU Business School, Ilorin. As a matter of fact, he sent his donation at exactly 3:19 pm on 13th of January, 2023. May Allah count it as an act of Ibaadah for him.
Mr. Wahab was a member of various Professional bodies including Fellow Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Fellow Chartered Institute of Taxation (CITN), CIPDM, and Qualified Accountant Member of Chartered Institute of Finance and Accountancy London (CIPFA).
The young Wahab attended Alore Primary School, Ilorin Kwara State between 1985 and 1990 from where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1990.
He proceeded to Mount Carmel College, Ilorin, Kwara State from 1991 to 1996 from where he obtained his Senior School Certificate (SSCE).
His thirst for further education propelled him to further proceed to the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, and where he obtained National Diploma (ND) in Accountancy in the year 2003.
He also bagged a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy at Kwara State Polytechnic in the year 2006, and subsequently obtained Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Accounting from Kwara State University, Malete in the year 2017.
Late Oba Akanbi Wahab was privileged to participate in the 2022 Hajj exercise. He died on Thursday, 18th of May, 2023, May Allah make him a dweller of Jannatul Firdaus, aameen.
