General News
A cleric, Rev. (Dr) Joseph Afolayan, has called on Nigerians to live an impactful live that add values to other people’s existence.
Afolayan of ECWA Church, Mushin, Lagos, made the call at the final outing and thanksgiving service for the late High Chief Olaniyi Ajide Adebayo, the sixth Eesa of Omu-Aran, at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Omu-Aran in Kwara.
Adebayo, a former acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), died on Nov. 4, 2021 during a brief illness.
“Some people came to this world and impacted negatively on people. God is not happy to those people.
“But, some people impacted positively on the welfare and wellbeing of others and God is pleased with them, that is the category Chief Jide Adebayo belonged to.
“Let us make sure we maximise our living to do the right thing so that people can give positive testimonies on our deeds,” Afolayan said.
He described the late Adebayo as a pillar of the church, whose selfless contributions to its growth, progress and development could not be over- emphasised and forgotten.
He, however, commended Adebayo’s family and the people of Omu-Aran community for their dedication and commitment toward upscaling the legacies he left behind.
“Late Adebayo is a pillar, who devoted his entire life to the service of God and humanity.
“He did his best for the church, while alive and more importantly seeing to the welfare and wellbeing of the choir members was his priority as their patron.
“We pray that God will repose his soul, be with his family and give the community the fortitude to bear his irreparable loss,” he added.
In her remarks, Mrs Omobola Akanfe, daughter of the late Adebayo, who spoke on behalf of the family, assured the gathering of the family’s commitment toward upscaling the legacies left behind by the deceased.
Akanfe said that Adebayo’s family would not only be committed to uplifting the church morally and financially, but would continue to support the church choir and the annual service of songs championed by her father, as the Choir Patron while alive.
She thanked the church members and officials and more importantly, the Olomu-In-Council and members of Omu-Aran Traditional Council for their support to the family.
Also, Mr Buki Ponle, the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in his tributes entitled: “When Goodbye is Not Good”, said: “For almost 40 years, we looked inseparable!”
According to him, we shared moments of joy and sadness as part of our sojourn in life, but overall, we were happy!
“Death is never considerate, otherwise, it wasn’t Jide’s turn. He was too young to have died; it was too sudden to have lost such a good man among his friends and his Omu-Aran Community.
“The consolation, however, is that true friends are never really gone as their memories endure in our hearts
“It will remain evergreen the life we shared together in a professional career, as well as the great moments we created in Lagos, Abuja, Omu-Aran and Osogbo.
“My relationship with you was particularly about brotherhood and family ties. I can attest that my life was also blessed through our friendship.
“May you find blessings in the next life, dear friend, and if we shall meet again, I’ll be your brother and friend afresh without hesitation.”
Also, a tribute by NAN management stated: “As we celebrate the life and times of High Chief Olaniyi Ajide Adebayo, we cannot but reflect on those virtues that stood him out as a journalist par excellence.
“An outstanding administrator, as well as community leader of great distinction. In the over three decades he spent as a member of staff of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he brought to bear on his job uncommon diligence, immense organisational skills and infectious passion for target delivery.
“Rising steadily on the career ladder as Reporter, State Correspondent, Editor, Executive Director (Marketing) and finally Acting Managing Director of NAN, the late Eesa was highly respected for his calm and steady leadership as well as depth of experience.
“In his professional life, he was awarded the highly coveted Fellow, Nigeria Guild of Editors (FNGE).
“As a labour activist, he was a former Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council, as well as Chairman of Niger State Council.”
It said that in 1999, Adebayo, as the Commissioner for Information, Youths, Sports and Culture in Kwara, also initiated daring policies aimed at strengthening the information machinery in his home state in spite of the short stint.
“To many of his colleagues in the workplace and those whose paths have crossed with his, the late Adebayo could be particularly protective, lively and relentlessly loyal to a cause he believes in.
“This was the quintessential Adebayo and it was no surprise that laurels and high office trailed his career path.
“The reverred title of Eesa (second in command to the Olomu) conferred on him marked a fitting tribute to a man of his people, breathing his last, serving the good people of Omu-Aran.
“For the management and members of staff of NAN, the L
late Adebayo is not gone from our midst. A beautiful soul is never forgotten. His memories would continue to linger on in our hearts,” it stated.
In a tribute by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), signed by its President, Mustapha Isah and Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren respectively, extolled the virtues of the late Adebayo.
According to NGE, one year after the demise of our dear esteem Fellow, Nigerian Guild of Editors (FNGE), Chief Jide Adebayo, the deep pain created by the loss still lingers in our heart.
“Chief Adebayo, who until his death was the Eesa of Omu-Aran, that is, second in command to the traditional ruler of the community, contributed immensely not only to the development of the community, but also to Journalism nationally and Internationally.
“He was a peacemaker and as a good umpire, he had a high sense of resolution of disputes,
Most of his friends described him as an epitome of a good leader, a honest and God-fearing fellow. Chief Adebayo’s death signified the fall of an Elephant in the forest.
“He was a community leader par excellence who we greatly missed. His generosity knew no bound as nobody went to him with a problem without finding solution.
“He was brilliant and could be described as an encyclopaedia who knew something about all subjects. He was always armed with details of every discussion, even at a short notice.
“He was the generalissimo of journalism who worked for three and a half decades with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after working briefly with the Herald Newspaper.
“Chief Adebayo rose through the ranks from Sports Editor to attain the position of Executive Director, Marketing and the Acting Managing Director of NAN.”
Isah and Uwugiaren said that a glimpse into Adebayo’s biography would throw more light on the giant strides he made while alive.
“Chief Adebayo was a former Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture in Kwara State in 1999.
He was a one-time Secretary General, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council (1981-1983) and Chairman NUJ, Niger State (1985-1987).
“Chief Jide Adebayo served the people of his community meritoriously. His immense contributions to the growth of his last port of call, NAN, was remarkable.
“The story of Journalism in Nigeria wouldn’t be completed without a mention of Chief Adebayo. The Nigerian Guild of Editors will miss you dearly,” they said in the tributes.” (NAN)
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Tags: Chief Jide Adebayo Chief Olaniyi Ajide Adebayo ECWA Iyobosa Uwugiaren Mr Buki Ponle Mrs Omobola Akanfe Mustapha Isah Nigerian Guild of Editors Rev. (Dr) Joseph Afolayan
