Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo

Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has, at last, expressed his condolences over the death of the ace journalist, Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo who died on Sunday 5 March 2017. He was returning from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital (where he had gone to attend Obasanjo’s 80th birthday and opening of his Presidential Library) when he died, trying to escape from bandits. Obasanjo became a butt of snide remarks for failing to express his sypathies publicly immediately over this great loss.

These criticisms must have crept to the hearing of the former President. Thus, nine days after Onukaba’s death, Obasanjo published an advertorial in The Punch (page 21, 13 March 2017), entited: “Apprecieation from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR on the occason of the Grand Opening of the OLusegun Obasanjo Presdiential Library and Celebration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s 80th Birthday Anniversary.”

After thanking all the dignitaries (past and present governors, ministers, other politicians, traditional rulers and captains of industry) that attended the occasion, Obasanjo, as if as an after thought, put the Onukaba condolence message in the last but one paragraph.

In his words: “On a sober note, I must express my pain and deepest sympathies over the unfortunate death of Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, who was like a son to me, an associate and a respected journalist. He died while returning to Kogi after the ceremonies.

“My thoughts are with the family and may God give them the strength to bear the irreparable loss. He was a rare gem who in his life time, collaborated with me on many endeavours. His contributions to nation building, international development and body of knowledge would create a vacuum that could be difficult to fill.”

This belated message was totally disappointing because, according to critics, Obasanjo was close to Onukaba who started his journalism career in The Guardian in 1983. His beat was the airport in Lagos. There, Onukaba hit it off with many prominent Nigerians, including Obasanjo. It was on the strength of this that Onukaba wrote the first biography of the retired General, titled ‘In The Eyes of Time.’

Moreover, Onukaba, through his writings, campaigned vigorously for Obasanjo’s release when the late General Sani Abacha put him in the slammer for a phanton coup. However, other observers said the condolence message is better late than never.

On Saturday 11 March 2017, between 3 and 6 pm, Taiwo Obe of Taijowonukabe, an advertising agency, organised an evening of tributes for Onukaba. That evening, Obe announced a trust fund for the deceased’s family. A similar events will also be organised by Ohi Alegbe and Tunde Olusunle in Abuja.