22 years ago,on Sunday,22nd March,1998, gentleman officer,the late Brigadier-General Sasaenia Adedeji Oresanya,a former Military Governor of old Oyo State(present-day Oyo and Osun States of Nigeria),died.
He was aged 52 years.May his valiant soul continue to rest in perfect peace.Amen.
On Saturday,18th April,1998,the Guardian on Saturday newspaper published my tribute,titled,”TRIBUTE TO BRIGADIER-GENERAL SASAENIA ADEDEJI ORESANYA”, as part of the obsequies to my former boss.
Brig.-Gen.Oresanya was appointed the Military Governor of old Oyo State,in succession to now-retired Brigadier-General Adetunji Idowu Olurin,on Thursday,22nd July,1988.
Prior to his gubernatorial posting,Gen.Oresanya was the Chief Instructor,Senior Division at the Command and Staff College,Jaji,Kaduna State.He was the last of the four Governors(1 civilian and 3 military)of old Oyo State whom I had the honour of serving as the Press Secretary from 1983 to 1989,save the three months tenure of Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo(1st October to 31st December,1983.)
From the first day of my contact with him,when we went to pick him up at the Ikeja Airport,Lagos State,that Sunday,24th July,1988,till my voluntary exit from office as his Press Secretary,on 31st March,1989,the late Governor Oresanya exuded suavity,diplomacy,deep understanding of tradition and culture,great intellect and sense of humour.
I was struck by his first order to the State Director of Protocols,Mr Boye Jaiyeola and my humble self at the airport,”Please,I don’t want any indiscriminate use of the siren.And observe speed limits at all times”.A tradition that was NEVER broken,during and even after I left office.
He was a quiet but effective administrator,with eyes and ears for details.His interest in military history,philosophy and Yoruba mythology was almost insatiable.I remember asking him once from where he learnt the ode of local hunters(Ijala Ode).In his answer,Gen.Oresanya credited it to his stay,while a youth,in Oyo Town,where his late father was a primary school headmaster in the 1950s.
To capture a fair few of my late boss,please read my article,”HIT THE ROAD,LADS”,in the Sunday Tribune newspaper issue of 30th September,1988 and my book,”SPEAKING FOR GOVERNORS”,presented to the public on 5th March,1990,at the Premier Hotel,Mokola Hill,Ibadan,Oyo State.
May the valiant and kind soul of gentleman officer Brigadier-General Sasaenia Adedeji Oresanya continue to rest in perfect peace.Amen
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