By Mark Wamai
On Sunday 21st April, 2024, Professor Justin Epelu-Opio was laid to rest at his home in Ocokichan, Soroti District after a long and illustrious career as a veterinarian, university administrator, board chairperson/member of several entities, and peacemaker. Born on 20th October 1944 in Gwetom, Soroti District, Prof. Epelu-Opio passed away on 15th April, 2024 at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala.
Prof. Epelu-Opio was well-known for his accomplishments in the field of veterinary medicine. His journey in this field started at the University of Nairobi where he studied and completed his Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medicine (1967 – 1971) and Master of Science in Veterinary Anatomy (1971 – 1973). He was an ardent student who during his undergraduate studies served as research assistant to Prof. RR Hofmann and Prof. Frederick Ian Bantubano Kayanja. Kayanja would go on to serve Makerere University as Deputy Vice Chancellor from 1986 to 1988, a position Prof. Epelu-Opio would find himself serving in, years later. Prof. Epelu-Opio then served as temporary technician and demonstrator to undergraduate students in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Nairobi.
Prof Epelu-Opio (Centre) shakes hands with H.E Jessica Alupo at a Makerere University function
On 16th February, 1973, he was appointed as lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy, in the then Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Makerere University. He embarked on his PhD in Veterinary Anatomy the same year and completed it in 1976.
Shortly after completing his PhD, the lecturer found himself working in another country, when in 1977 he took up the role of Senior Scientific Officer with the Animal Productivity Research Unit (APRU) of the National Committee for Scientific Research (NCSR) in Lusaka, Zambia, until 1982.
Upon his return to Uganda, he was appointed senior lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy at Makerere University, a position he held until 1984 when he was appointed to the rank of associate professor. His rise through the ranks continued. In 1985, he was sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for a four-month course in Animal Reproduction at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden, with an emphasis on radioimmunoassay techniques for assessing reproductive performance. That same year, he was appointed Head, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, a position he held until 1990.
Steering the university during sensitive times
During his time as Head of Department, in 1989 Prof. Epelu-Opio was appointed to the rank of professor, and in 1993, he was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor, a position he held until he attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 in 2004. As such, he is the university’s longest-serving deputy vice chancellor, and the last to hold that position before the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act enacted the two positions of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration).
Prof. Epelu-Opio presided over this office during the delicate time when the university transitioned from admitting strictly government-sponsored students to accepting privately-sponsored ones. Under his supervision, many deserving Ugandans gained access to quality university education. He was not only a great administrator, but also a great academic who selflessly contributed to the university’s transformation.
The family man
Despite his busy schedule, the professor was the kind of father who purposed to leave office early and play with his children.
“We would be waiting when he got back home from work at about 4pm and he would spend about 15 minutes chasing us, twirling us around and it was just so much fun. These games extended to the other kids in the neighbourhood and we all used to look forward to it,” reminisces his daughter Mabel Epelu. His son, Mark Epelu chips in, “As a father, he was a normal guy, we used to play Monopoly and cards until past midnight when we were kids.”
His fun and jocular side notwithstanding for “he actually thought he was a comedian”, Mabel notes that her father was completely dedicated to his work and students and made it a point to show this side to his children as well. “He would take us to the labs at the School of Veterinary Medicine and on the few occasions he took me to his classes, you got the sense that he was highly regarded, and the students were in awe of him,” she recalls.
Another of his daughters, Edna Epelu, remembers her father as a hardworking man who ensured he was dressed well while at it. “I can’t remember him skipping a day of work unless he had to,” she says, adding that he cared about his professional appearance and he was always on time, in a suit and tie.
Edna equally commends her late father for instilling in his girls the belief that they could achieve anything they set their minds to. “If you wanted to be sporty, you could. He never imposed any traditional beliefs on any of us in terms of getting married or having children,” she says.
Beyond academics
Away from Makerere University, Prof. Epelu-Opio was a respected statesman and elder, whose work as the pioneer Chairman of the Presidential Commission for Teso contributed to the restoration of peace in the sub-region. “The man was a disciplinarian but very forgiving at the same time,” recollects Mark, of his father. It was probably these attributes that made him best suited to broker peace between the Peter Otai-led Uganda People’s Army (UPA) rebels and the National Resistance Army (NRA) in the Teso sub-region. Being the prolific writer that he was, Prof. Epelu-Opio documented his efforts in Teso War 1986-1992: Causes and Consequences, a book that was published by Fountain Publishers.
A person of integrity, Prof. Epelu-Opio continued to be called upon to head various commissions of inquiry and other initiatives post-retirement. These demanding duties notwithstanding, he still made time for evenings with family. “I most definitely miss sitting with him in our grown age sharing a cold beverage, not talking much but just savoring the company,” Mark concludes.
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