President Bola Tinubu, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Governor Seyi Makinde and his colleagues, as well as other Nigerian leaders, paid glowing tributes to a former governor of Oyo State, Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo, following his death on Sunday.
Born on April 14, 1935, Olunloyo died about seven days to his 90th birthday as he was born on April 14, 1935 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
President Tinubu conveyed his deepest condolences to the government and people of Oyo State following the passing of the former governor of the old Oyo State.
A statement Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), said President Tinubu, on behalf of the Federal Government, extended sympathies to the Olunloyo family and all who knew and respected the late elder statesman and scholar.
“Dr Olunloyo will be celebrated in academic circles for his brilliance and foundational contributions to applied mathematics and number theory. As an educator, he profoundly influenced future leaders and fortified educational institutions,” President Tinubu stated.
President Tinubu further applauded the late governor for his unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s unity, progress, and intellectual advancement, emphasising that his contributions will remain enduring milestones in the nation’s history.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo described the passing of late former Oyo State governor, Dr Victor Olunloyo, as a “deep loss.”
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Kehinde Akinyemi, on Sunday in Abeokuta, he described the late Olunloyo as a renowned mathematician turned politician that fought for justice persistently.
The ex-president, however, decried the depleting ranks of the nation’s leaders, particularly at this crucial time.
He said the loss of the heroes at this crucial point the country needed their wise counsel and rich experience was worrisome.
The former President said: “It was shocking and worrisome because we had lost heroes like Ayo Adebanjo, Edwin Clark and now Dr. Olunloyo just in weeks succession.
“Indeed, the ranks of the nation’s leadership is fast depleting by the loss of our dedicated and resourceful patriots who served the nation in various capacities.”
In his condolence message, Governor Makinde described the death of Olunloyo as the exit of one of state’s and Nigeria’s most cerebral former administrator.
Makinde said: “On behalf of the Government and the good People of Oyo State, I express my heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr Omololu Olunloyo, the people of Ibadanland and Oyo State on the demise of the former governor.
“In Dr Olunloyo, we have lost another icon. This time, we lost a highly cerebral and patriotic leader, who served our great state at its early stages.
“This death hits differently because I was looking forward to Baba’s 90th birthday, which would have come up on April 14th.
“However, we have to submit to the will of God, who gives and takes lives as He wills. My joy is that our government immortalised and honoured Pa Olunloyo in his lifetime, and he was present to witness it, as we named the Ibadan Airport Road and the Leisure Park on the axis after him in recognition of his service to the state.”.
The chairman of the Southern Governors Forum and the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said Olunloyo was highly distinguished among geniuses.
The governor in a statement issued in Abeokuta, described Olunloyo as a titan who left legacies that every Nigerian should be proud of.
Abiodun, who described the late politician as a highly accomplished scholar and a genius even among geniuses, added that Olunloyo’s unique achievements as a prodigious scholar with reputable papers, and as an octogenarian with a sharp memory and wit, not to mention a lifelong dedication to books and the quest for knowledge in various fields were well known.
A former governor of Oyo State and Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, described the death of Olunloyo as the exit of a titan, noting that the deceased was a man of many parts, who left his footprints on the sands of time.
According to him, Olunloyo shone like a star right from his Government College, Ibadan days all through his university days in Scotland, which culminated in his becoming one of the youngest PhD holders in his days.
“The greatest legacy of Olunloyo’s long service record was his incorruptibility.”
Oba Ladoja recalled that the late governor visited him in his Bodija, Ibadan residence only two weeks ago.
The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji described the death of Olunloyo as the dropping of one the finest stars from Nigeria’s sky.
Adedeji, in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Dare Adekanmbi, said that the deceased was a genius of a rare breed, adding that he marvelled at Olunloyo’s intellectual depth and native intelligence.
“Papa Olunloyo could rightly be described as Nigeria’s Albert Einstein. He graduated with First Class Honours and proceeded to bag a PhD in Applied Mathematics at the age of 26 at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
“Every moment I shared with Papa while he was with us was an opportunity to pick up lifelong lessons. He was very deep and his intellection was not just in Mathematics, but also in Classical Music with a bias for W.A. Mozart’s works as well as in Literature. He would recite paragraphs and even lengthier dialogues from Shakespeare’s works and show how the lessons therein can be applied to life and living,” Adedeji said.
“An African adage says for every old man that dies, a library is set ablaze. This is what has happened in this instance. A library of encyclopaedic collections has been set ablaze with the departure of Dr Olunloyo.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Abbas Tajudeen, on Sunday, described Olunloyo as a thoroughbred technocrat, and disciplined personality with an impeccable character.
The speaker, in a condolence message issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, Abbas noted how the deceased remained vocal on burning national issues and guided several administrations that came on board after his.
Credit:Tribune