Olusegun Agagu
The sudden death of the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr
Olusegun Kokumo Agagu, last week has added to the grief of the
residents of Iju-Odo in Okitipupa Local Government, who lost
their traditional ruler two weeks earlier, reports James Sowole
When the people of the rustic and agrarian town of Iju-Odo in
Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State celebrated the
annual traditional Iwo festival along with other communities that
make up Osoroland in July, they never knew that another major
event that would bring dignitaries from all walks of live from
within and outside the state would soon happen and would be a
sad one.
The popular annual traditional festival attracts indigenes and
their friends from home and abroad while those who cannot
come, particularly the elites, show their support by donating
towards the hosting of the festival.
At the end of this year’s celebration, little did the people know
that their ‘till next year” message would be cut short two months
later by two sad events that happened within a spate of two
weeks.
The first was the demise of the Lorofun of Iju-Odo, Oba Taiwo
Timola, who joined his ancestors on August 28 at the age of 80
years, while the second one, was the sudden death of the former
Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, which occurred on
September 13.
For the demise of the monarch at 80, the community, though
pained, saw it as a natural phase, because with Agagu and other
prominent indigenes of the town, the burial would be a
celebration of a life well spent.
In fact, the date for the final meeting where arrangements for
the final burial ceremony of the oba would be discussed was
fixed for 4.00pm on Saturday, September 14 by the late governor
who died less than 24 hours to the appointed time.
Since the news of the death of the former governor was broken,
things have not been the same in the town and it environs. A
first time visitor need not to be told that calamity had befallen
the town.
When THISDAY got to the town on Wednesday, all the shops in
the community were closed with people wearing mournful look
sitting at the entrance of their houses and some, under trees and
expressing shock on the death of a man they could regard as the
breadwinner of the entire town.
It was gathered that many people could not attend the Sunday
church service that held 48 hours after the death of the former
governor.
Either as a mark of respect or for other reasons, many people
approached for comments refused to talk but referred all
enquiries to the head of the Agagu family, High Chief Sehinde
Oguntoye, who automatically became the regent of the town
after the demise of the oba.
Oguntoye, who had been receiving visitors at the palace of the
late monarch, described the death of Agagu as very shocking to
the community, the Okitipupa Local Government and Ondo South
Senatorial District as a whole where Agagu impacted many lives.
“Agagu is my younger cousin, the news is a shocking one because
he is our son, he is our leader in Ikalaland and not only that, he
is a leader in Ondo State.
“He is a person we respect so much. Agagu is a son of the ninth
Ojomo of Osoroland, his late father had occupied this position I
am holding now. The late Oba of Iju Odo was the 11th Ojomo
while I am the 12th one. He was a man that loved his people.
You can see our town, you can see our roads here. From Akure
to Okitipupa down to this place, he is responsible for all the
development you are seeing. He tried for us a lot in the area of
roads construction, education and health”, Oguntoye said.
“A week after he (Agagu) travelled, our Oba died. I called him
and informed him. When he came back, I told him that we have
scheduled a meeting on the burial arrangement of the Kabiyesi
on that Friday that he died, he said we should postpone the
meeting till Saturday so that he could be present at the meeting.
“On Friday, at about 9pm, I received a call from a relative who
informed me about his death. I called his number, he did not
pick it. That was how everybody burst into tears. He is a leader
that had a vision for Ondo State here and the country at large “,
the 70 year old regent said.
He said, though, Agagu would be given a proper burial as a
former state governor, the family also have their own plans on
the burial arrangement.
The High Chief said, it would be proper to bring him home for
proper burial arrangement and that was why the family sent
delegates to Lagos to meet his wife and children to urge them to
come back home for the burial arrangement.
“We also hope that the state government would join the family in
the burial programme. But we are still going to inform the state
government officially to know the part they would play in the
burial”, he stated
For 71 year old Mrs Christiana Ogunsusi, senior sister to the late
governor, the incident was too much to bear as she bursts into
tears on sighting visitors, including journalists.
After much persuasion, Ogunsusi spoke, while sobbing
profusely. She said Agagu was a benefactor of the community
and was God-sent.
“We are going to miss him a lot because, for some years now, he
had been given us N10,000 each in the community. He gave our
children scholarship to be going to school on his bill. Last week I
called him that I was broke, and he promised that he would
come home soon, that when he comes, he would come and give
me enough money. I was expecting him to bring another one
this month only to hear that he was dead. In fact, we know that
we have lost a very important member of our family”, she
lamented.
Also speaking, the Otorogun of Iju Odo, Chief Andrew Omoniyi,
said the death of the former governor was a big loss to the
community.
“In fact, the community would miss him a lot, the wound will be
too much for us to heal on time, it is not easy. He developed so
many people, both politically and financially, in the state.
Agagu’s shoe will be very difficult for anybody to step into now”,
he said.
In the tribute of the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese on the Coast,
Rt Reverend Joshua Ogunele, he said the late governor was
politician who worked to win election in order to make na me
for himself and to wipe tears from the eyes of the needy and
less-privileged.
Ogunele, who lives in Ilu-Titun, a community not far from Iju-
Odo and part of Osoroland, said: “When Agagu managed the
affairs of our state, he established General Hospitals in all the
Local Government Headquarters. He also established Health
Centers/Maternities in all Wards and ensured that they were
equipped with drugs and health workers.
“He built at least a block of six classrooms in every Primary
Schools even in the remotest village, constructed bridges, at least
I know five, constructed roads everywhere, even to the Atlantic
Ocean”.
He futher said that, “The administrator (Agagu) who was a
federal minister, deputy governor and executive governor for
over ten years and did not have a building within those period of
service, no wonder when he left office, EFCC did not invite him
for questioning or charge him to court.
“Agagu was a highly principled, disciplined, dilligent and
intelligent leader. Ask him a question and he already had ten
ready made satisfactory answers to give in return. The news of
his death is shocking and devastating. Agagu’s death is a collosal
loss to Nigeria, Ondo State and the Ikales.”
He recalled that until his death, he was bishop’s nominee to the
Diocesan Synod and he was noted for his numerous and
invaluable contributions to his home Church.
“The Diocese will surely collaborate with the family and the State
Government to bid him farewell in line with our Diocesan policy
on burial while we continue to pray for the wife and children”, he
said, adding, “Olusegun Kokumo, you have proved to us that one
can be in a position and serve the people rightly without
cheating or defrauding them. You have proved that one can
serve the people sacrificially without looking for immediate
reward.”
Already, the Ondo State Government has set up a burial
committee. The committee, headed by the Chief of Staff to the
Governor, Dr Kola Ademujimi, has as members, Mr Kayode
Akinmade, Mrs Nike Ademujimi, Mr Nicholas Tofowomo, Hon
Jumoke Akindele, Niyi Pirisola, and Ife Fasoranti, while Mr Soji
Gbadebo would serve as the secretary.
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