Ekiti community agog as KWASU Professor is interred

Date: 2017-02-21

Last Friday, the Ilupeju-Ekiti, a sleepy town in Ekiti State was agog when eminent Nigerians converged to bid late Professor Francis Sunday Oyewole Otokiti of Kwara State University an usual but final farewell. AHMED 'LATEEF reports.

It was early Morning Friday in a serene town of Ilupeju-Ekiti, Ekiti State. There was unusual presence of exotic cars pouring in torrents.

As the drivers of the vehicles were searching for appropriate parking lots to park so also some guests, observed to be of high class, were alighting from them in their flowing Babariga and other expensive clothing materials.

The huge presence of people was strange but not unnoticeable. For some residents of the town, who already wore mournful look, there was needless looking for clairvoyant to interpret the soberly facial expression.

As dignitaries and other guests alighted from their cars, they headed for the Church Compound in Ilupeju-Ekiti to see the remains of Professor of International Business and Entrepreneurship, Francis Sunday Oyewole Otokiti, at a lying-in-state.

It was at that moment that reality dawned on congregants and guests that an elephant had departed the forest.

In his homily during an interdenominational Church service, Revered Father Shola Adeleye Of Saint John's Catholic Church, admonished Christians to always live a life worthy of emulation in line with God's commandment.

According to the cleric, every living soul is a pilgrim on earth, stressing the need for Christians to serve Almighty God wholeheartedly and show love to one and another at all times.

He urged Christians to let every minute of their life be spent on spiritually. The Reverend father described late Professor Otokiti as a man of impeccable character with God giving talents, who served humanity at large.

Addressing Journalists after the funeral service, the Executive Chairman, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service,(KWIRS) who is also an Academic son of the late Don, Dr Murtala Awodun, said late Professor Otokiti imparted on the lives of those who came his way either directly or indirectly.

Awodun noted that late don, in his academic sojourn, produced 22 Doctor of Philosophy (Phd) in the area of Business Entrepreneurship and management science.

Until his death, Otokiti was the Director, KWASU Consultancy Services and former Head of Department of Business and Entrepreneurship, who joined KWASU as a full-time staff in 2014, and served on a KWASU committee to develop postgraduate studies in Business Administration.

Academics from the Kwara State University (KWASU) and other Institutions from far and near, representatives of Traditional rulers, top government officials, including the Kwara State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Alhaji Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe and members of the political class attended the funeral service.

Meanwhile, Kwara State University has eulogized the late Prof. Sunday Otokiti. Some officials of the university described his death as a big loss to the KWASU community as he had left a big vacuum. The university's Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, expressed sadness over Otokiti's death and prayed to God to accept him as one of His most favourite servants on earth.

"I am hugely saddened by the death of Prof. Sunday Otokiti, a senior member of our university community, who served meritoriously as Director of KWASU Consultancy Services and was also former Head of the Department of Business and Entrepreneurship."

"I also condole with the family and colleagues of the late Professor of International Business and Entrepreneurship, praying to God to grant the deceased eternal rest," Gambari said.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na'Allah, said Otokiti was one of the university's most loyal, resourceful, hardworking, honest and visionary professors. According to him, "Prof. Otokiti joined KWASU as a full-time staff in 2014 after serving on a KWASU committee to develop postgraduate studies in business administration." "He was among the topmost professors in our university and his death is a serious loss to this young university."

"I pray to God Almighty to console his family and all of us who have had opportunity to work closely with him, especially his students who were always dearest to his heart,".

The Registrar, Mr Surajudeen Oyebode, described Otokiti's death as a sad blow not only to his family, but also to the KWASU family. "This astute, versatile and erudite scholar and a gentleman will be sourly missed," Oyebode said.

Otokiti, who was KWASU Director of Consultancy Services, died on December 26, 2016 at the age of 66.

Buried in his hometown of Ilupeju-Ekiti, the don is survived by wife, Mrs. Comfort Olubisi Otokiti, children and grandchildren.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Mustapha AbdulGaniyu     Harrison Osauwagboe     Air Peace     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Babs Iwarere     KWTV     Ahmad Lawan     Bola Iyabo Ibiyeye Adisa     AbdulFatai Adeniyi Dan-Kazeem     Unicontinental Construction Company     Centre For Digital Economy     Abdulhakeem Adelaja Amao     Ariyo     Sobi     High Court     Simeon Sule Ajibola     Computer Based Test     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Saliu Shola Taofeek     Amada Jidda     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     Adedayo Yusuf Abdulkareem     Wahab Kunle Shittu     Olaitan Buraimoh     Ahmad Olanrewaju Belgore     ASMAU PLAZA     Modupe Oluwole     Atunwa     Gamji Members Association     Offa Poly     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Maigida Soludero Transit     Modibo Kawu     Tosin Saraki     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     Mujtabah Bature     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     Segun Adeniyi     Nigeria Computer Society     Amosa     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Firdaos Amasa     Raji AbdulRasaq     Omupo     Makama     Tayo Alao     Olabimpe Olani     Hassan Taiye Salam     Kale Ayo     Saheed Popoola     Quranic Recitation Competition     Smart School     Mufti Of Ilorin     IF-K     Segun Ogunsola     Veterinary Teaching Hospital     Aishatu Ahmed Gobir     Abdulmajeed Abdullahi     Ghali Alaaya     Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu     Ebola     Saliu Ajia     Ilorin South Constituency     Monthly Sanitation     Umar Yakubu Jaja     Kayode Alabi     Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar     Abdulkadir Jimoh     Quareeb     Ogbondoroko     Aminat Omodara     Na\'Allah     John Mayokun Dada     Seni Saraki     Zara Umar     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Oko-Erin    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Kwara Hotel     Salman Alada     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Al-Hikmah University     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     Mohammed Lawal     Gbenga Adebayo     Kayode Bankole     Ope Saraki     Ijakadi     Ejidongari     SDP     Kayode Issa     Saheed Akinwumi     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport     Yahaya Oloriegbe     Fatima Abolore Jimoh     Usman Alkali Baba     Oyin-Zubair     Fatai Olodo     Azeez Bello     Paul Olawoore     Ahmed Ayinla Jimoh     Yunus Oniboki     Toyin Falola     Iyabo Adewuyi     MAI Akande     Folashade Omoniyi     Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment     Kwara 2019     Moshood Bakare     Falokun-Oja     Kolade Solagberu     Ibrahim Oloriegbe     Alagbado     Apata Ajele Secondary School     Nigeria Customs Service     Raymond Olaitan     Baba Isale     Abdulkadir Orire     Ben Duntoye     Sheriff Shagaya     Sarkin Malamai     Lateef Fagbemi     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     Benin Republic     Bisi Oyeleke     Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu     Ilorin     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Apado     Adesoye     Idofin     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Ilorin Durbar     Ahmed Bayero     Funmilayo Isiaka Oniwa     KSIRS     Oladipo Akanmu Tolani     Bature Bello     Akanbi-Oke     Oloye     Usman Yunusa     Mohammed Danjuma     Timothy Olatunde Fadipe     Aliyu Alhassan     CKNG     Rafiu Ibrahim     Babs Iwarere     Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union     NULGE     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     Iyeru Grammar School     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     National Association Of Nigerian Students