At night of tributes, prominent Nigerians extol late Mabogunje’s virtues
Akin Mabogunje, Nigeria’s first Professor of Geography, died on August 4 aged 91.
At night of tributes, prominent Nigerians extol late Mabogunje’s virtues
In comforting her, Mr Ighodalo said the widow might be older than him but he is her senior “in this business of losing a spouse.”
Prominent Nigerians including the Head Pastor and Founder of Trinity House Church, Ituah Ighodalo, former PDP governorship candidate in Borno State, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, and daughter of Nigeria’s late Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Bola Ige, Funso Adegbola, among others, have extoled the virtues of Nigeria’s first Professor of Geography, Akin Mabogunje.
They described late Mabogunje as a rare breed, and congratulated his children including the former acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Folasade Ogunsola, on being fathered “by such a great patriot and integrity personified.”
The burial rites for the late scholar who died on 4 August, commenced on Thursday with a night of tributes at the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State. Mr Mabogunje had retired from the university in 1981.
The three-day burial activities moved to his countryhome in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on Saturday where dignitaries including President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Ibrhaim Gambari; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; President of African Development Bank (AFDB), Akinwunmi Adesina; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, among others, paid their last respect.
Tributes
In his tribute to Mr Mabogunje, Mr Ighodalo described the deceased as one of the best in his generation, adding that “he was a man of great humility who strived to make his country a better place.”
The pastor said one of the last conversations he had with the deceased was on the report of a committee that Mr Mabogunje headed to address the border issues between Lagos and Ogun State and how the report was neglected by successive administrations.
“The project was ignored just like most things in Nigeria but being friends with both governors, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Prince Dapo Abiodun, I thought that I could talk to them which I did but I guess the matter is not critical to them, especially at this time,” he said.
He consoled the widow, Titi Mabogunje, a retired justice, saying she did so much for her late husband and thanked her “for supporting him, caring for him, and allowing him to be himself.”
In comforting her, Mr Ighodalo said the widow might be older than him but he is her senior “in this business of losing a spouse.”
He said; “I have two years of experience above you so if you want I can give you some notes. You will keep looking out thinking they are going to walk through the door at any time.
“You surround yourself with their photographs, you keep asking why they did this to you. Even this morning I thought about my wife and I said why would she do this to me, leaving me with these children to cope with. You keep hoping that it was just a bad dream and that if you wake up, he will be right beside you.
“I read that you said you like to sleep on his side of the bed. I used to enter my wife’s wardrobe and stay there for a while. I left the last pair of socks that she wore the way she kept it and look at it from time to time and I smell it.”
King’s college reminiscence
Mr Ighodalo said although the late professor has five ‘wonderful’ children, all of them are well behaved except Seun Mabogunje, who is the husband to the President of the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Toki Mabogunje.
“I say this because I was minding my business in King’s College when Seun came to join us for A Levels. Up until that time I was a well-behaved King’s College boy.
“One day, it was time for us to go home for the mid-term and it was getting a bit late and we didn’t know what to do, then Seun came up with this bright idea that we should go to Ebute-Metta and take a Danfo to Ibadan, which we did and thank God we got to our destination in one piece,” he said.
Mr Ighodalo said he has been a member of the Mobogunje’s family since 1966 adding that he attended the same primary school and secondary schools as two of the five children, Tolu and Seun.
Adopted children speak
Apart from Mr Ibrahim-Imam, and Mrs Adegbola, another man from Borno State, Musa Kida, were recognised as adopted children of the late professor.
Speaking at the event, Mr Ibrahim-Imam said doctors had predicted that the late Mabogunje would only spend four weeks more before his death, but that he ended up spending additional 12 weeks.
“This shows that he was simply done with his assignment. He was accomplished in every sense of the word,” he said.
Mr Ibrahim-Imam said the late Mobogunje had been a source of inspiration to millions of Nigerians and has left positive marks on all those who came in contact with him.
He noted that his greatest achievement is his family as they are all well accomplished in their various fields of specialisation.
He noted that late Mabogunje was among those that a great poet, James Riley, referred to when he said, a good man never dies.
Book of tribute
On her part, the Head of the Geography Department, University of Ibadan, Ibidun Adenekan, a professor, said late Mabogunje raised the flag of the university high all over the world and that his students have done so much internationally and locally, representing the geography discipline.
She said anywhere you go all over the world, once they hear that you are from the geography department, “the first question they will ask you is if you know Prof Mabogunje.”
She formally presented a book of tribute to the family of late Mabogunje, saying it was written by the deceased’s past students, associates and all others that his life had touched “because they cannot all be here to give their tributes.”
“Blunt to a fault”
Also speaking, a former president of Nigeria Institute of Building, Babatunde Lasabi, who represented the Chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria, Samson Opaluwah, said; “When the story is told of great achievers and the roll call is made, Professor Mabogunje will make the list because he demonstrated an exemplary lifestyle, his service to humanity, he was a renowned academic, an astute and influential policy analyst and a development consultant.”
He said that late Mabogunje was not only a teacher but a father, grandfather, uncle and a friend to a generation of scholars whom he tutored. “He was blunt to a fault and highly revered by those whose path crossed his own. He was a caring man with a gentle temperament.”
He added; “The history of geography and urban and regional planning in Nigeria and Africa cannot be complete without mentioning his efforts in ensuring that the discipline is not only introduced and accepted but incorporated as a major area of scientific study.
“Part of his contribution to national development was demonstrated in the development of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”
A former Executive Director of the Nigerian Network for Awareness and Action for Environmental Health, (NINAAFEH), Allen Oyediran, also spoke glowingly of the deceased.
Final rites
Meanwhile at the final burial ceremony in Ijebu-Ode on Saturday were eminent personalities including Mr Gambari who represented President Buhari.
Mr Obasanjo, an associate of the late scholar, had also led other dignitaries to the venue of the event, even as they called on Nigerians to emulate the selflessness of the deceased.
Apart from the AfDB President, the former Governor of Ogun State and Senatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun East Senatorial District, Gbenga Daniel, was among the first set of guests on Saturday, while the pro-chancellor and the vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Lanre Tejuoso and Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, led the management and staff of the institution to the ceremony.
Source: Premium Times