Get Guardian on Google
• Say deceased was frank, firm, fair, friendly
• Commiserate with Ogun govt, Afenifere, family
• ‘His courage, commitment to Nigeria’s growth unequal’
The Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, has expressed shocked at the sad news of the passage of Ayo Adebanjo.
[ad]
In a statement made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, Babalola described the late elder statesman as a legal practitioner that exhibited the four F’s: “he was frank, firm, fair, and friendly.”
Babalola, who described Adebanjo as a frontline legal practitioner, said: “I saw the departed minister in the hallowed Temple of Justice at close quarters. I have seen him at work, and I have also seen him at play.”
The ABUAD Chancellor said the Nigerian Bar and the political space have lost a rare and irreplaceable gem that stood and fought for the good of the majority.
He, however, commiserated with the good people of Ogun State, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), the Afenifere and the Adebanjo family of Ijebu land over the death of this thoroughly distinguished citizen of the world who played his part well.
SIMILARLY, the immediate past Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Sarafa Tunji Isola, has described the death of Adebanjo as a profound loss, not only to his loved ones, but also to the entire nation.
Isola, in a condolence message, said: “The death of Adebanjo signifies the end of an era, a loss of wisdom, and a void in the fabric of our society.”
ALSO, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has expressed grief over the death of Adebanjo.
In a statement, yesterday, signed by SMBLF Leader, Edwin Clark; Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Azuta Nbata; PANDEF President General, Godknows Igali; President of Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr Pogus Bitrus; and Coordinator of SMBLF, John Nnia Nwodo, the Forum said that the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation Adebanjo led in the country impacted on the nation’s development positively, while “he also co-founded SMBLF and was its Deputy National Leader until his death.”
The group, while describing the deceased as “stalwart nationalist,” said “Adebanjo dedicated his life to the advancement of Nigeria, advocating for equity, fairness, and good governance.”
