Tag: Sir Olaniwun Ajayi

With the passing of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi on November 4, 2016, a significant loss has been suffered by a wide array of people. First, I commiserate with the family he left behind – particularly my good friends Professor Konyin and his elder brother Dr Ola, and their wives and siblings-who are feeling the pain of losing their Patriarch and Guiding Light. The Methodist Church will sorely miss a revered Leader and Elder, a former Lay President, and a holder of its highest honour – Knight of John Wesley. The respected firm of Olaniwun Ajayi has lost its founder and his beloved Isara, Ogun State community is saying goodbye to one of its foremost sons. The Yoruba people will sorely miss this great nationalist, patriot and champion of federalism whose deep desire was to see a strong Nigeria play a leading, historic and exemplary role in the black world.
On a personal level, my family and I, as well as fellow-members of a commited South-West group to which I belong, will miss a man who a visit to, whether in Lagos, Isara or London was invariably rewarded with an enthralling time, listening to his patient explanations and advice, historical anecdotes and trips down memory lane; all invariably geared to illustrating the richness of the Yoruba way of life and living. Any day, any time and almost anywhere- oftentimes with me it was in the car park of the Royal Exchange building on Marina where we both once had our offices – Sir Olaniwun was always ready to encourage the younger generation to look beyond their professional lives and become involved in the discourse on governance and national development. Together with the likes of Pa Abraham Adesanya, of blessed memory, he urged and cajoled us to join the political parties at the Ward or grassroots level, and to be bold and courageous in seeking to positively affect the course of events in our country. However, it wasn’t all business and seriousness with him. One was just as likely to come away from time spent with him, still laughing and smiling from enjoying the man’s wry sense of humour, his great wit and his wonderful capacity for story telling.
The last time I had the opportunity to sit down to engage Sir Olaniwun, it was typically and fittingly in connection with his deep desire to see the leadership of south west Nigeria come together as one for the well-being of its people and the economic development of the region, in particular, and by extension, Nigeria as a whole. It was on March 30, 2016. A week before I had gone over to greet him at a function and the way he said to me: ‘Mo fe ri e’, (meaning come and see me). I knew that I was not going to dishonour his summons, neither was I going alone. Thus, in the company of a few friends, and fellow members of the aforementioned south-west oriented political forum that I chair, we duly turned up to meet Sir Olaniwun at his son Konyin’s Victoria Island home at the appointed hour. What followed was a session lasting nearly 3 hours during which Sir Olaniwun really poured his heart out about his concern for what he perceived as the lack of unity, lack of respect for time-honoured values and ways, and above all the lack of thinking and planning that he saw in the south west. No one was spared. He named names, from the executive and political leadership, even down to the likes of mere mortals such as ourselves who were sitting before him: Kini egbe yin se? (what is your group doing)? he admonished us. In his usual unhurried, even somewhat imperious, manner he shared with us his recent encounters and experiences with Governors and party leaders, including his visits to several of them. He had gone beyond mere talk, and submitted his proposals (containing his ideas and including the thinking of fellow Yoruba leaders such as Chief Reuben Fasonranti et al. Pointedly, he was still looking for a reaction or response from those in a position to implement.
Overall, Sir Olaniwun left us with a deep sense of his passion for regional development, his keenness to see the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) implemented and above all his desire for unity and cooperation among the region’s states and its leaders. In culmination of his efforts and those of others, there was a pivotal gathering of Yoruba leaders in Lagos, recently, that was essentially aimed at re-affirmation of commitment to precisely the unity the Sir Olaniwun had long advocated and worked tirelessly for.
My last interaction with Sir Olaniwun Ajayi was indeed a wake – up call, that we would do well to heed for the sake of our dear nation, as well as in honour of him and his legacy.
May he rest in peace. Amen.
Adieu!