The Nigerian Village Square - An African Neurosurgeon- Remembering E Latunde Odeku

An African Neurosurgeon- Remembering E Latunde Odeku

Friday, 22 July 2005

31 years ago almost to the date Nigeria's first Neurosurgeon E Latunde Odeku died from complications of Diabetes Mellitus. The author of his authoritative biography which forms the basis of this article is none other than his friend,colleague,fellow Neurosurgeon and collaborator on many academic papers Professor Adelola Adeloye. On friday August 2 1974 while on ward rounds with medical students Prod Adeloye heard the buzz of the Airplane overhead taking his friend from the now defunct Sango,Ibadan Airport on what would be his last journey to England, Adeloye paused momentarily and reflected because he knew he would not see his friend again.

Lest i leap ahead of myself i will now go back to the beginnings of the life of this great man who was like a shining star but left too soon.E Latunde Odeku's father Deacon Odeku was born in Awe near Oyo in 1894 while his mother Madam Regina Odeku was born at Idumagbo street Lagos to parents who were natives of Oyo. They got married in 1921 and had their first child a daughter in 1922. On June 29 1927 a Male Child was born he was called Emmanuel Olatunde Alaba Olanrewaju Odeku who would later be known as E Latunde Odeku. E Latunde Odeku attended St John's Aroloya School Lagos for his elementary education starting in 1932. One of his contemporaries was T Olufemi Dada who later in life became Professor of Neurology at Lagos university.

In January 1940 he proceeded to the famous Methodist Boys High School in Lagos whose other famous Alumni include the Right Honorary Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe otherwise known as Zik of Africa. Till his last days he remembered fondly his teachers in Methodist Boys. Some were Mr Oshinowo the geometry genius who had the uncanny ability of solving geometrical puzzles in Yoruba. He was of course nicknamed by the students '' Angulu Be'' which from Yoruba to English means'' this angle''. He also met Mr Akinnifesi a harsh disciplinarian who hailed from Ondo province who was nicknamed by the students'' Olu we'' meaning ''You do not have your books''. During this time he came under the influence of none other than the legendary Sanya Onabamiro who taught virtually all Science subjects in the school with his specialty being Biology.He later in life became a Professor, Action group politician and together with Chief's Obafemi Awolowo, Samuel Ladoke Akintola,Bode Thomas and others did a lot of work on establishing Free Education in Western Nigeria.As an anecdote a Mollusk( snail) is named after him Genus Onabamiroid.

Fellow students in Methodist Boys high School included Gottlieb Money later Monekosso who became Professor of Neurology at Ibadan then University of Doualla in the Cameroons.He later retired as Chief of WHO- World Health Organisation African zone based in Congo, Brassaville. In 1945 E Latunde Odeku Odeku passed the London Matriculation Examination.This was phenomenal because some of his teachers also sat for the Examinations. However only 3 students passed Gottlieb Money, E Latunde Odeku and Olayeni. Odeku led his class in English,History,Geography,Chemistry and Biology.After graduation as was common in those days jobs were readily available.

In 1947 Odeku left for the United States and studied at Howard University in Washington DC. Howard University is named in honor of Otis Oliver Howard a Union officer during the American Civil war who was deeply interested in Education for the recently freed Black American Slaves. In April 1950 he placed first in his undergraduate class in the College of Liberal Arts graduating Summa Cum Laude.He also won to the bargain a 2000 dollars per year scholarship for his medical education in Howard from 1950 to 1954.In his senior year in medical school he was a medical intern at Washington's Freedman's hospital.

From July 1954 to June 1955 he did a rotating internship at the University Hospital of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where he came under the tutelage of Dr Edgar Kahn the Chief of Neurosurgery who told him when he wanted there would be a place for him to train as a Neurosurgeon in Michigan. From August 1955 to June 1956 he was in Nigeria and worked as a Medical Officer at the Lagos General Hospital.In the fall of 1956 he moved back to the United States and did his general surgery rotation at the University of Michigan.From 1957 to 1960 he remained at Michigan for his Neurosurgery residency.Later in 1960 he moved from the Mid West back to the East coast for Neuropathology training under Dr Wess Haymaker at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington DC. Incidentally this venerable institution is one of the military facilities scheduled to be closed down in the next few months according to a committee set up by the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. This institution has been around for about 200 years and has produced many medical innovations and Physicians particularly in the field of Military surgery. 1961 saw Odeku in Philadelphia the City of brotherly love where the United states Constitution was framed. There he studied pediatric Neurosurgery under Eugene Spitz who together with holter invented the Holter Spitz valve for treating Hydrocephalus. By 1961 to 1962 with JF Kennedy in the White House, the Russian Sputnik space innovation and a year before the Cuban missile crisis E latunde Odeku had moved almost full circle and was back at Howard as instructor in Neuroanatomy and Neurosurgery passing the American board of Neurologic surgery examinations while on Faculty at Howard.

At this time though he had multiple job offers in the United States he had made up his mind to go back to Nigeria. The choices were the Medical Schools in Ibadan or Lagos.The Ibadan effort was spearheaded by Dr S.O Franklin Chief Medical Officer of Western Nigeria, Dr Thomas Adeoye Lambo later Professor,Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan and Deputy director general of the World Health Organization and Dr Oladele Ajose later Professor and Vice Chancellor of the then University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University. The Lagos recruitment effort was led by 2 senior Professors who were at Ibadan but had moved to Lagos to set up the Medical school.These were Professor's Oritsejolomi Thomas Professor of Surgery and Professor Dosekun of Physiology. To show their seriousness both Universities arranged for their officials to interview him in the Unites states. Odeku chose to come to Ibadan eventually and the rest is History. Prof Thomas of Lagos was his close personal friend and actually wrote the forward to his biography written by Adelola Adeloye. At one point there was even talk of a joint appointment to both schools.

In the fall of 1962 Odeku arrived at Ibadan he brought with him several of his own personal Neurosurgical equipment with him from the United States.He immediately set to work and dispensed with the then deep seated British indoctrinated prejudice that existed in Nigeria towards American Education. He wrote a poem about this entitled ''Tell them who you are''.He had to then negotiate to get beds for his patients.The first Neurosurgical patient was referred to him by Prof Davey the Head of the surgery department on 10/23/62. The patient was a 12 year old boy with a brain tumor.Odeku excised the tumor and Prof. Davis who referred the patient to him was in the operating room with him as an observer. Thus began the neurosurgical unit in UCH.

The dean of the medical School was none other than Prof. Joseph Edozien who is now His Royal Highness the Asagba of Asaba. In October of 1963 he was promoted Senior Lecturer and also elected a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.In 1963 he toured a number of Neurosurgical centers in the U.S. In 1965 his mentor Edgar Khan of University of Michigan came to Ibadan for several weeks where he joined Odeku in numerous surgical operations and lectures.He also invited E Latunde Odeku to write a chapter in the textbook of Neurosurgery entitled Correlative Neurosurgery. During the civil war he operated on a lot of soldiers who had head injuries,by then he had been joined by Adelola Adeloye his biographer.
On friday May 3 1968 after being made a Professor earlier on he was elected dean of the University of Ibadan Medical School and in July taking over from Prof Victor Ngu became the head of surgery. During his tenure as dean the Clinical building which is perpendicular to the west wing of the hospital was built.This is where lectures,seminars and Attending Physicians offices are located. With the help of another American educated surgeon Prof. Michael Bankole later Dean and Prof of Pediatric surgery at Ife he started the public swearing in ceremony and commencement addresses which are now done in all medical schools in Nigeria. He continued to publish extensively both academic work and poems.An extensive bibliography is available at the US Library of Congress and Index Medicus.He was also involved in starting the the National and West African Postgraduate Medical Colleges.

By 1972 his health began to fail from complications of Diabetes. He died at 11.20 pm on August 20 1974 and his remains were buried at St Peter's Church Burnham England. Nigeria was well represented by physicians and other students studying or on vacation in England. Present at his burial were also Prof Toriola Solanke Prof of Surgery and head of department, Professor Ogunlana Professor and dean of Pharmacy at Ife and Mrs Ogunlana Chief Matron of UCH. There was also a later of condolence from the Head of State His excellency General Yakubu Gowon.

Neurosurgical practice in Nigeria has continued and is still progressing though limited by financial constraints.Professor Temitayo Shokunbi who is the present occupant of E Latunde Odeku's chair is a leading light. He was preceded by Professor Bayo Olumide and the grandmaster of Nigeria's medical history Adelola Adeloye.Also recently Prof Oyesiku of Emory who graduated from UCH was elected President of International federation of Neurosurgeons.

My interest in E Latunde Odeku has existed for several years and i write this tribute on behalf of his many students,peers and patients including my father Prof Olakayode Ogunremi retired Professor and Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, who was his student at Ibadan graduating with MBBS London in 1966 and who sparked my interest in Medicine and medical history

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	# 1 ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot\| 12.11.2005 14:08

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