By a Grateful Admirer of His Brilliant Constellations
I. The Alchemist of Numbers
O scholar of the hidden, sacred code,
Who reads the patterns where the numbers goad
The uninitiated to despair and flight,
You turn the chaos into ordered light.
In Statistics’ hallowed, hallowed halls,
You answered probability’s distant calls,
And taught the fearful how to understand
The language of the mathematical land.
The p-value, the regression, the mean,
Became beneath your touch a living scene—
Not sterile symbols on a dusty page,
But living truths that wise hearts might engage.
You showed the student trembling in her seat,
That numbers, too, can be both kind and sweet.
And in that classroom, quiet and serene,
You built the first foundations of a scene
That would expand beyond the ivory tower,
To bloom in influence, hour by golden hour.
The Alchemist of Numbers, first you stood,
Transmuting fear into the common good.
II. The Pioneer Beyond the Border
But knowledge, like a river, seeks the sea,
And so your genius yearned to be set free.
You crossed the continent, a daring quest,
To put your wisdom to a different test.
To Botswana‘s sun-drenched, welcoming shore,
Where they had never seen the like before.
The first Professor of Statistics there,
You planted your bright banner in the air.
You built a department from the hopeful ground,
Where academic excellence was found.
You mentored minds from distant, varied lands,
And shaped them with your patient, gentle hands.
In Gaborone, your legend took its root,
A pioneer with an enduring fruit.
You did not hoard your knowledge like a gem,
But scattered it abroad, a diadem
Of brilliance that would shine for years to come,
A legacy that rendered some hearts numb
With admiration for your selfless art—
A pioneer who gave his very heart.
The Pioneer, you crossed the vast expanse,
And gave your gifts to fortune and to chance.
III. The Statesman of Many Seasons
When Oyo called, you could not turn away,
For duty beckoned, and you chose to stay.
You traded chalk and lectern for the pen
Of governance, to serve your fellow men.
Commissioner of Education, you began,
To shape the future of the state’s young clan.
You brought your systematic, careful mind,
To leave no worthy child behind.
In Science and Technology‘s vast domain,
You planted seeds of progress in the rain
Of policy and budget, plan and scheme,
To elevate the educational dream.
Then came the year of 2020’s fateful turn,
A new assignment, a new page to learn.
To Establishment and Training you were sent,
To manage human capital, heaven-sent.
You streamlined systems, trained the civil corps,
And opened yet another vital door.
Then to Public Works you made your way,
To oversee the roads and the array
Of infrastructure, bridges strong and wide,
With your unerring, calm, and steady guide.
The Statesman, you have worn so many hats,
And served in every role—imagine that!
IV. The Energy of the Realm
But lo! The greatest office was to come,
A role that made the hearts of many hum.
For Governor Seyi Makinde, wise and bold,
Saw in you a story to be told—
A man whose very name spoke of the spark,
The power that illuminates the dark.
And so you took the helm, in this new term,
To oversee a portfolio so firm:
Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources,
A title that your very soul endorses!
For are you not the Energy itself,
A dynamo of inexhaustible wealth?
You manage power, mines, and precious ore,
You open doors that were closed before.
You negotiate with giants of the trade,
With the same quiet courage you have made
Your trademark through the many years you’ve trod—
A servant of the state, and of your God.
You bring your statistical mind to bear
On energy’s complex and tangled care.
The Energy, you live your very name,
And fan the state’s ambitious, hopeful flame.
You are the current, and you are the light,
That makes the future burn so very bright.
V. The Lungs of Ojú Odò
But where does this great engine find its rest,
Its fellowship, its home among the blessed?
Where does the commissioner lay down his cares,
And share in laughter, stories, and in prayers?
He goes to UISSC‘s welcoming embrace,
A hallowed, joyful, and familiar place.
He is of Ojú Odò, that cherished clan,
A brother to the very heart of man.
For in that fellowship, he is not title-bound,
But simply Dahud (wearing no hood), on familiar ground.
He joins the banter, shares the knowing joke,
And proves that all his learning is no yoke
That weighs him down, but wings that let him fly
In camaraderie beneath the sky.
He is amiable, with a ready smile,
Who stays a conversation’s friend for a while.
He is easygoing, gentle, and so kind,
A man of generous and open mind.
He is unassuming, though his deeds are great,
A humble soul who never tempts his fate.
In Ojú Odò, he is the steady stream,
The living, flowing, interwoven dream.
The Lungs of the Family, he remains,
Through sunshine, rain, and all life’s joys and pains.
VI. The Portrait of the Man
And now we come to what we truly praise—
The man himself, through all his busy days.
Not just the scholar, not just the statesman tall,
But Professor Dahud Sangodoyin, loved by all.
Cerebral is he, with a mind so keen,
It sees what others might not ever glean.
Loyal is he, to friends and to his state,
A man whom fortune cannot separate
From his deep principles, his moral core,
The one we all can count on, and adore.
Energetic is he, a force of might,
Who turns the darkest challenge into light.
Yet with all this, he bears a gentle grace,
A warmth that brightens every single face.
He is the friend who listens, truly hears,
And calms the anxious, dissipates the fears.
He is the mentor, quiet in his power,
Who makes the darkest academic hour
A time of learning, growth, and bright success,
A testament to all that he can bless.
The Man Himself, we celebrate today,
In every single, superlative way.
No title, honour, nor official crest
Can match the kindness beating in his chest.
He is our sustenable Energy, our constant sun,
Whose race of service has been nobly run.
VII. Exeunt Benedictions
And so, dear Professor, as this day draws nigh,
We send our blessings soaring to the sky.
May the numbers always favour your design,
May peace and joy forevermore be thine.
May Ojú Odò hold you in its care,
And may your Energy dispel all care.
May your days be long, your health be strong and true,
And may the light of blessings and honour shine on you.
Bí ọjọ́ ń lọ, kí ó máa lọ pẹ̀lú ayọ̀
Kí ẹ máa tàn síwájú bí iná tí kò nìí kú.
Ekú ọjọ́ ìbí ooo, Professor Dahud Sangodoyin—Energy!
Àṣọdúmọ́dún lawo àṣọdúnmọ́dún…
Aşé Èdùmàrè ooo!
With deep admiration, love, and respect from the entire UISSC Family,
Aléandro.
