NIMechE PAYS GLOWING TRIBUTE TO LATE ENGR, PROF (CHIEF) VINCENT ALABA AKINSETE, FNIMechE, FNSE, FAEng.
The NIMechE National Chairman was on hand at the Evening of Tributes organised in honour of memory of the iconic legacy of LATE ENGR, PROF (CHIEF) VINCENT ALABA AKINSETE: The Mayero of Ondo Kingdom. The event which took place at the Chapel of Christ Our Light, University of Lagos, Akoka Campus on Thursday, September 20, 2018, attracted several dignitaries and ‘hard hats’ from the Nigerian Engineering Community, and the friends of the deceased.
Engr. Prof. Akinsete was born on March 25th 1937, and lived to the age of 81 years. The pensive and emotive evening of tribute was organized to celebrate his life while he was physically with us and from the perspectives of some of the many friends and people he interacted with and impacted upon during his sojourn here on earth.
Prof Akinsete obtained B.A. (Mechanical Science Tripos) in 1960 from the St Catherine’s College, Cambridge University, United Kingdom. He completed a Diploma of Imperial College (DIC) course in Heat Transfer and combustion under the tutelage of Prof. D.B. Spalding in 1961, and later in 1963, he proceeded to McGill University, Montreal, Canada where he obtained an M.Eng and PhD degree in 1968.
Until his passing, he was a great family man, Fellow, Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Engineering, District Governor of Rotary District 9110, Partner FINCO Engineers, Registered Engineer of Nigeria (COREN Reg. No. 0293), and Chartered Engineer of the United Kingdom.
As part of his service to Nigeria, Prof. Akinsete was a participant, member and or/chairman of several committees, amongst which include: Federal Government delegation to the 9th Biennial meeting of the Common wealth Science Council held in Colombo, Sri Lanka; International Advisory Committee for the first International meeting on ‘Pollution Engineering and Scientific Solution’ held in Tel Aviv in 1970; Chairman, Technical Committee on Air-conditioning, Refrigeration and Ventilation of Standard Organization of Nigeria; Technical Secretary and member of Council, Nigerian Society of Engineers, and Editor, ‘Nigeria Engineer’ (1974-1978); Member, Standing Committee of the OAU/STRC Inter-African Committee on Solar Energy, and member of an Advisory Panel to the Honorable Commissioner for Mines and Power on the on the Restructuring of the Electricity Supply Industry in Nigeria.
During his tenure as the National Chairman, Mechanical Division of NSE in the 1980s, he mooted and championed the idea of building a Nigerian automobile car. This resulted in the funding by Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI) under the leadership of AVM Larry Koinyan and the Consulting Director, Prof. Gabriel A. Makonjuola, of components parts in Ahmadu Bello University, and Kwara State Polytechnic with a prototype motorised tricycle vehicle produced by Addis Engineering in Lagos.
In his tribute on behalf of the Council and entire members of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the National Chairman, Engr. Dr. Robinson I. Ejilah, expressed shock over the demise of the distinguished gentleman, Engineer and member of our great Institution. He acknowledged that the ‘Mayero’ is as an accomplished academic and Mechanical Engineer who lived his life for service and engineering professionalism. He also added that ‘the iconic Engineer deserves our glowing tributes on account of the selfless and visionary leadership he provided during his active years of service to NSE as NSE Technical Secretary in the 1970s and National Chairman of the Mechanical Division in the 1980s’.
For the records, the Chairman further reiterated that, as a forerunner in mechanical engineering leadership, Prof. Akinsete ‘laid the tracks’ for the eventual institutionalization of the mechanical division which today has transmuted into the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), and this too is considered a landmark achievement for engineering professionalism in Nigeria.
Dr. Ejilah lamented the sudden demise of Prof. Akinsete, a sad event that occurred at a time his fatherly advice would be most needed. He prayed for the repose of his gentle soul, and condoled his family and friends.
