The death of Primate Omolaja Olorunwo remains a big shock to many people. The entire Christendom and the society at large would miss the man who has greatly contributed to humanity through his preaching of Christ. This he practiced till death came knocking. The highly revered clergy and man of peace who recently marked his 85th birthday in Lagos died on 2nd September 2021.
The news of his death was broken by the family in a statement that reads: “Primate Omolaja Olorunwo is dead. He passed on to Glory today at 1 pm.”
Primate Olorunwo was a great man with lots of enviable legacies. Primate Olorunwo was not only a popular man of God; he ran a big church called Olorunwo Cathedral Church of Cherubim & Seraphim at Ifako, Gbagada which clocked 51 recently.
He is the primate of the Gbagada based church which has many branches across the world. He was a special man blessed with uncommon gifts. He was a Seer who saw Vision and he predicted correctly. What endeared him to many people was because his predictions were always on point. And he also had strong prophetic powers. This respected Owu man from Abeokuta was the 1st Ba’Adua of Owu and 1st Ba’Adua of Egbaland. He was quite close to a lot of prominent Owu sons and daughters like Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Onaolapo Soleye, ex-Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, Prince Bola Ajibola, Olowu Oba Adegboyega Sanya Dosumu and Chief Doja Adewolu. Indeed, he was a man of peace. His death has left a large vacuum in his family, church, hometown and society at large.
Ever since his death was made public, the residents and church of the clergy have been receiving guests who have come from far and wide to pay condolence to his family. Among those who have paid the family a visit as of Friday 3rd September was a former governor of Ogun State and now a Senator of the Federal Republic, Ibikunle Amosun; Bossom Friend of the deceased, Chief ‘Tokunbo Omisore; Bishop David Adebola Moradeyo of the Methodist Church, Ogbomoso Diocese and the Gbagada Muslim Community. Of course, the list keeps increasing hour by hour and day by day. Those who came said lots of wonderful things about the life and time of Primate Olorunwo as some of them were still in shock of the monumental loss.
Primate Olorunwo was survived by his wife, Mama Bolajoko Olorunwo and 6 successful children namely in order of birth; Mrs Yewande Otunsanya, Lawyer Ilemobayo Olorunwo, Magistrate Oketola Sam Obaleye, Ms Omotinu Olawa, US-based Mrs Temitope Animashaun and Lawyer Omolayo Olorunwo.
As they mourn the painful but glorious exit of their dad, lovely daughters of late Primate Olorunwo told City People’s JAMIU ABUBAKAR, the extraordinary qualities of their dad and what they would miss about him. Below are the excerpts:
OKETOLA OLORUNWO SAM OBALEYE
“Did I receive it well? No! He’s a man that lived larger than life. A man that has never been sick in his life, a man that has never been to the hospital, a man that has never taken an injection, a man that has never taken a tablet, a man that does not know what it means to have a headache, a man that does not know what it means to have pains. So you can imagine what it means people coming to my house and telling me that he is gone. It was a huge shock.
“He is my pillar. He is my everything. Even when I was sick, once they bring me down to the house, I know I would be healed immediately. In fact, It happened this year. I think I was gasping for breath and my driver quickly has to rush me down even though I was having a sitting and was going to court. My driver brought me here and within 5 minutes, I was standing on my feet. He’s our everything; our wisdom, knowledge. Everything you can ever think of.
“Growing up with him was the best. He was a role model. Somebody that teaches us wisdom and he love proverbs. So I think growing up with him, I’m used to saying proverbs and people around me would say: how old are you that you are deeply rooted in proverbial expression. Even when I’m preaching, you would see me using the proverb fluently.
“Baba is a giver. He can give his last. In fact, I use to jokingly tell him that he has lured me into charity work too because that is the way of life. I think he still gave out some food items about weeks ago to the people on the street. He’s happy seeing people making progress. Not just his children, everybody around him.
“Yes, he told us that he just wanted a low key thing. I had known him to be a paparazzi person, before you know it, you would just see all the governors, the formers heads of state are here, all the commissioners, all the kings but this time he just said; no that he wanted a low key thing. And we all agreed. Even on that day, when he was talking, giving us the word of wisdom, he was just talking about death, talking about life, vanity upon vanity, life is vanity. I think he knew. Even later I was hearing about some things he was doing underneath that I was never aware but he was fully prepared for this and that he knew he was going.
“To me, he’s not dead. To me, he lives on and the only way we can keep what he left behind is to keep his legacy. And his legacy is the church. So, it’s just to keep the church moving. I know by the grace of God this church he has left, we are taking it to a greater height and I know that’s what would make him happy.
TINUOLA OLORUNWO
“I am still in a great shock because it was not expected. We still had the 85th Birthday celebration for him last week Friday, which is exactly one week today and he was healthy, he was in a good mood, he was in a cheerful mood, it was a very happy celebration because he was in a very high spirit until this happened.
“My last moment with my dad. I think he knew he was going because the signs were there, he kept on telling us to take care of the church and we were wondering why he was saying that because it’s not as if he was dead as at that time. He was still alive but he kept telling us to take care of the church, we should move the church forward. And are like dad you are here, we are all going to take care of the church. And the last moment too, he was praying for us, he was praying for the church members and that was it.
“I’m going to miss a lot of things about him. My dad was not just a dad, he was a friend. I discussed everything that was going on in my life with him. He was more like a companion to me; always ready to listen even though he’s always busy because many people sought after him. He’s always busy attending to so many dignitaries, so many big people in the society but he would still take time to call us on the phone despite his busy schedule to ask me Tinu, how are you.
“Then I would miss all his words of encouragement. How he would always encourage me to do better in my field, in my business, to improve myself and he’s always ready to help me anytime there was a problem. He’s always ready to help me spiritually; he’s always ready to guide me. He would take his time to sort any kind of problem I have in my business even when that’s not his field. I’m going to miss him in so many ways. My dad is a man of good and high spirit. He’s always happy. Even when terrible things happen, he would look into the situation and say there’s nothing bad here. He has this positive spirit. He’s always positive about everything no matter how bad the situation is, my dad would stand firm, he would say no, this is no problem, and this is no big deal. Just put your mind off this.
“There was a time I was very ill and the doctors told me different things, my dad looked at the report and I was already down, you know how it feels; having an appointment with your doctor and your doctor telling you; this and this are what is wrong with you and I was already down in my spirit. I came to Gbagada, I brought the report home for my father to see. My father just said: “what is all these? Do you believe all these? There’s nothing here, there’s nothing wrong with you”. And truly there’s nothing wrong with me and nothing happened. I got over it and I didn’t get sick. I don’t even know where to start from. My father is more of a friend. He was a father to us; he was a mother to us. When he was alive, he treats us like his babies. He doesn’t even treat us as if we are grownups. He’s always ready to be close to us. He sits close to us, he calls us.
MRS. TEMITOPE ANIMASHAUN
“My Father in a trillion is my Diamond, my precious jewel, a great man of God and my prophet. No one will ever fill that vacuum in my life. He gave me a precious heritage by introducing me to Christ at a very tender age; he single-handedly sent his six children to university for first degree and some for their masters, which I was lucky to be among those he sent for masters. I’m his little baby (the last girl of the family). He calls me ‘Temi’ and his sugar in his tea because I look so much like my mum. He doesn’t joke with his call to me every week and I’m always looking forward to hearing his voice and prayers but now who will call me, pray for me and sing that special song that he used to sing to me? I will forever miss you, Baami. An icon, lover of Christ till his last breath, a cheerful giver, a great supporter to many. Baami omo olowu oduru, keep resting in the blossom of our Lord till meet to path no more. No one will fill your place in my heart and your legacy lives on Ba’adura of Egbaland.
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