Are Musulumi of Yoruba land and
billionaire businessman, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao, is dead. Family
sources told our correspondent that the religious leader died in his
London home on Wednesdaywhere he had been since last week Thursday. He
died on the day he was expected back in Nigeria. He was aged 69.
The family source said that the Deputy
President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria did not
show any sign of ill health, although he was said to have embarked on
the journey on medical grounds.
“On the day he was going, he told us
that he would be back on Wednesday so we were expecting him today
(Wednesday). Unfortunately, the news of his death was all we heard,”
said the source who pleaded anonymity.
One of the deceased siblings, Alhaji Abu, who confirmed his death, said he was too shocked to comment on Arisekola’s death.
A source at the family house in Oluwo
Nla, Basorun Ibadan, also told our correspondent that Arisekola died in
his sleep after breakfast on Wednesday. President-General SCIA and
Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, was said to have flown to
London to join family members to bring Arisekola’s corpse for burial on
Thursday (today).
Some of the early callers at the house
included the Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his wife, Florence,
Head of Service in the state, Tajudeen Aremu, Chairman of First Bank,
Ajibola Afonja, Chief Imam of Ibadan, Sheik Suara Haruna, others are a
former deputy governor in the state, Azeem Gbolarumi, a former Congress
for Progressive Change governorship candidate in the state, Bayo Shittu,
Chief Lekan Alabi, Rasheed Adesokan, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, religious
leaders, sympathisers and government officials.
In his reaction, Ajimobi described Arisekola’s death, as tragic, disheartening and a big blow to the entire nation.
“Aare cannot die as those who lived the
kind of life he lived, with imprints in the lives of millions of people,
never die. He lived a life that was devoted to the lives of others. It
is indeed the end of an era for us in Ibadan and Nigeria in general.
Uncle Arisekola-Alao was an upright, consistent and principled man. He
called a spade by its name without minding whose ox was gored.
“Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland was also a
pillar of support to our administration whose wise counsel had helped
tremendously in the success story so far recorded by our government,’’
he remarked.
The first son of the Olubadan of Ibadan
land, Oba Samuel Odulana, Prof. Femi, told our correspondent that
Arisekola’s death was a tragedy to Ibadanland.
“Arisekola was a leader in Ibadan, who
stood by my father. He has left us too early. He contributed immensely
to the development of the city and Nigeria. With my father, they brought
peace to Oyo State.
“He knew the Bible so well that he
offered to read the first reading during the centenary celebration of my
father at St. Peter’s Church, Aremo on April 14. That showed that he
was a balanced religious leader. It’s a big loss to all of us and I
don’t know how to break the news to Olubadan, who is like a father to
him,” he said.
Also, a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said his demise was a loss to Nigeria.
Atiku said in a statement by his media
office in Abuja on Wednesday that he was shocked and saddened by the
death of Arisekola-Alao.
He noted that “the colourful and astute businessman” was passionate about Nigeria.
“Arisekola was a devout Muslim and
community leader. He was generous and loved his people; the quality of
his humanity and compassion was unprecedented. The country will surely
miss him,” Atiku said.
“I visited him recently after the death
of his wife and he hosted me to a lunch in his palatial Ibadan home. He
related well with all Nigerians,” the Turakin Adamawa recalled.
He expressed his condolences to the family and people and government of Oyo State over the loss.
In a statement, a former governor of Oyo
State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, described the deceased as the father of all
whose death was a loss to the nation.
“The news of his death was a shock to
me. He was a devoted Muslim and a philanthropist who will be greatly
missed by Nigeria. I pray that God will grant him god rest.”
In his tribute, Gbolarunmi said he spoke with the deceased on Tuesday and that it was a big shock that he died on Wednesday.
“Someone just called to inform me,
but it was just unimaginable because we still spoke at length yesterday
(Tuesday) and I did not have the feeling whatsoever that anything was
wrong with him. So, the news was a big shock and surprise to me,” he
said.
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