BY Prisca Sam-Duru & Vera Samuel Anyagafu

Lagos—Former Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia and producer of Village Headmaster, the late Ambassador Segun Olusola, who died last Thursday will be buried in his home town Iperu Remo, Ogun State on July 20.

Late Olusola’s son, Jimmy, who disclosed this yesterday said final details of the burial will be released soon.
Olusola, who described his father’s death as a mixture of sadness and  joy said his late father was an inspiration to many people.

He said: “We underestimated the number of  lives he touched in his outreach. His humility and simplicity will never be forgotten, he greatly inspired a whole generation of Nigerians and if a man who was as simple as my father was could receive ovation as loud as this then it means that those of us who are coming up must be louder than him. So, we have got a tough benchmark for us to follow and if we have to surpass that, we must work harder.

“I had a fantastic relationship with my father, he was a great teacher and because of his kind of person he started teaching me from day one and that was 50 years ago and as a teacher there were times I rebelled and he stood his grounds to make sure I understood what he wanted to impact to me”.

“Our relationship made me humble that I imbibed whatever he taught me which has made me what I am today.  I became very aware of the fact that he was not going to be here for ever so I started applying everything he was propagating in arts and culture as well as in broadcasting. He was a great inspiration to me and  the challenge now is for us to make efforts to surpass what he has achieved”.

Jimmy revealed that his father’s death “ was a peaceful exit, he went for routine hospital check up, he had no problem, he was eating well but on that Thursday evening, he slept off and died peacefully in his sleep”.

Said he, “So it was quite a breathe because I had always taught that one day he will just disappear like Elijah considering  his kind of person, I never believed he will one day die. We thank God all the same for his good life. The challenge is on the ground no doubt but not a case of you putting your legs in his shoe.

“I believe vacuum only exists in people’s minds, for as long as he continues to live genuinely and as open as he was and for as long as there is so much support from everyone including those he had a hand in their up bringing, we will work together so as to carry on his legacy”

Olusola’s legacy will not die  – Senior Citizens
Meanwhile, the Senior Citizen Care Foundation(SCCF) which the late culture activist was the chairman has paid condolence visit to his family.

The vice chairman of the association Mr Emmanuel Osheriyemi described him as “an icon like everybody would say about him. His interaction with us as the chairman of  SCCF had been like a father in the foundation, showing the way to live life. We have learned a lot from him and his sudden departure is a big blow and a great loss to us. But because of what he has left behind, we have something we can always look back and give thanks to God”

Mr Emmanuel further said that, “the association will dearly miss him. We thank God for the good life he lived and pray that we all will live even a better life than he did”.

According to him, the  last two events chief Olusola attended  before his demise was the induction of Mrs HID Awolowo in Ijebu and then the induction of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu in his residence in Lagos, adding that he played his role perfectly without any sign of impending death.

“He has created a vacuum no doubt but that is in terms of presence because we know that what he has contributed will be a sure platform for us and we are sure that his impact on the association will not die with him, but we will carry on his legacy, he said, adding that “because baba lived above 70 and particularly, for the mere fact that he carved a good name for  himself, left the family in peace, rather than in division or in conflict, his death calls for celebration”.