FORMER MINISTER, AJIBOLA AFONJA DIES AT 82
Prince Ajibola Afonja, a former minister of Labour and Productivity under Chief Enerst Sonekan’s Interim National Government, has passed away.
The former chairman of First Bank and native of Oyo town, Oyo State, passed away on Sunday night at the University College Hospital, UCH, in Ibadan, at the age of 82, according to information received by our correspondent.
He was said to have sustained injuries from a lone accident he was involved in at Ilora, a few kilometers from his country home.
He was thereafter rushed to UCH in Ibadan, where he eventually died.
The deceased was, at a time, the senatorial candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in Oyo Central Senatorial District.
Chairman of Oyo Global Forum, OGF, Taiwo Adebayo, confirmed the death of the deceased to DAILY POST on Monday.
He described the deceased as a community leader and industrialist par excellence.
He added that the whole Oyo town will feel the impact of the death of the deceased.
āOn this dark day in Oyo, we mourn the loss of Prince Ajibola Afonja, former Labour Minister and Chairman of First Bank Nigeria, who passed away on Sunday night, aged 82. Although a national figure with tremendous influence, he was particularly light for the Oyo community, where he made pioneering efforts as an industrialist. His legacy of generosity and open-heartedness touched countless lives, and his presence will be profoundly missed.
āUntil his last month, Daddy IDS, as he was affectionately known, as a reference to his manufacturing company, remained hardworking, dedicated to realizing one of the most transformative business visions for the countryās economy. It was the E-Customs project.
āHis absence leaves a void that will be difficult to fill, but his spirit of generosity and leadership will continue to inspire us. For all of us that he inspired, we shall honor his memory by carrying forward the values he embodied and continuing his legacy of service and compassion, the values that guide OGF, which he supported during his lifetime.
āWe extend our deepest condolences to his family, the entire Oyo community, and friends and associates throughout the world during this time of mourning,ā Adebayo said.