Nigeria’s former Minister of Labour and Productivity Prince Ajibola Afonja is dead.
Aged 82 years, Afonja died Sunday night at UCH, Ibadan.
He was rushed to the hospital after sustaining injuries in a lone car crash few days ago at Ilora town, near Oyo.
Afonja served as a minister under the interim government of Chief Ernest Shonekan.
He was also a former Chairman of First Bank Plc.
As an industrialist, he established Integrated Dimensional System (IDS) in Oyo.
Reacting, the Chairman of
Oyo Global Forum (OGF), Mr Taiwo Adebayo described the late Afonja as a unifier and a lover of his community.
Adebayo said Afonja’s death has created a void that will be difficult to fill.
“On 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.
“Until his last month, Daddy IDS, as he was affectionately known, as a reference to his manufacturing company, remained hardworking, dedicated to realising one of the most transformative business visions for the country’s economy.
“It was the E-Customs project,” Adebayo said.
He added that his spirit of generosity and leadership will continue to inspire the community.
“For all of us that he inspired, we shall honour 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,” the statement read.
The OGF leader extended the group’s deepest condolences to the deceased family, the entire Oyo community, his friends and associates in this mourning period. (vitalnewsngr.com)
