Last\nFriday, 30th October, 2020 the remains of Sir John Oluyemi Afolabi (KSM) was\nlaid to rest in Lagos after a service at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Gbaja,\nSurulere, Lagos. He was 64. It was a Requiem Mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nburial began a day before on the 29th October, 2020 with a Christian Wake Keep\nat Surulere Local Government, Lagos and on the 30th October, 2020, there was\nLying-In-State at 25, James Robertson Street, Surulere, Lagos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interment\nwas at Ikoyi Cemetery. He was survived by Mrs. Opeyemi Afolabi (wife), Adefunke\nJeje (daughter), Omolara Afolabi (daughter), Olufemi Afolabi (son), Mrs. Modupe\nOdusoga (sister), Olufemi Jeje (son-in-law).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sir John Oluyomi Afolabi was born on the 14th day of April, 1956 in Lagos to the family of the late Pa. Paul Owoade Afolabi and Mama. Juliet Adefunke Afolabi was the last child of five children. [Four boys and a girl]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afo\nbaby or baby Afo as he was fondly called, attended Christ Church Cathedral\nSchool, Broad Street, Lagos between 1962-1968 for his primary school education.\nHe then proceeded to Loyola College Ibadan between 1969-1974 for his secondary\nschool education and later Methodist Boy\u2019s High School Lagos between 1974-197! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After\nthis, he worked briefly with the Civil Service with his office at the\nIndependence building, Race Course, Lagos before travelling to the United\nKingdom in 1979 to further his education. In the UK, he attended Greenwich\nSchool of Management (GSoM) London between 1979-1983. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While\nabroad, he associated himself with the farmers community in Surrey, to develop\nhis farming skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An\nextrovert, Afo baby lived in 15 Eastdown Park road London and was popular in\nthe neighborhood from where he encouraged some of his friends in Nigeria to\ncome over to UK for the improvement of their education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On his return to Nigeria, young baby Afo had his NYSC in Lagos, before he took over the management of Afolabi Farms Nigeria Limited, located in Iseyin, Oyo State. This family-owned industrialized farm was into Agricultural produces, Piggery and Poultry products including the production of poultry feeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On\nthe. 5th day of November, 1988, he married the love of his life, Mrs. Felicia\nOpeyemi Afolabi {nee Shogaolu in Lagos and the marriage is blessed with 3\nchildren: Mrs. Adefunke Jeje, Barr. Omolara Afolabi and Mr. Oluwafemi Afolabi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\n1990, he ventured into printing and publication which entailed his shuttling\nbetween the farm in Oyo and the press in Lagos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\nlater joined partisan politics in his home town of Oyo, and contested elections\ninto the Federal House of Representatives at various times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\nwas a devout Christian. He served his creator and the Catholic Church with his\nall. He was an active member of St Anthony\u2019s Catholic Church Gbaja Suru-Lere,\nLagos and Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Asogo, Oyo. In the Church,\nhe was a member of various societies such as St. Anthony\u2019s Guild, Oyo Diocese,\nSS. Peter and Paul Society, Gbaja, Young Men and Ladies Relief Society, Lagos,\nSacred Heart Society Lagos and Oyo. In 2002, he was inaugurated into the\nKnights of St. Mulumba (KSM) where he was an active member and rose to become a\n4th degree knight in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On\nthe social scene, he was a member of Oyo Patriots Club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afo\nbaby the politician, was well known to all and sundry and loved by many in Oyo\ntown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\nwas an active member of Loyola College Ibadan Old Boys Association (LOCOBA) and\nalso of his set and at some point, the Public Relations Officer of the latter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afo\nbaby was a family man to the core. He loved and gave great time to his wife and\nchildren. He always took out time to look out for his extended family and\nfriends as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
TRIBUTES<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TRIBUTE TO MY HUSBAND <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yomi,\nyour death that fateful Sunday evening, 11th October, 2020 was very shocking\nand painful and still very difficult to come to terms with. Why! Because you\nwere in high spirits that very day, we spoke for more than three times that day\nbefore the incident, you communicated with so many relatives and friends that\nsame day. Was it that you were preparing us all that you will soon leave? All\nthese and many more questions are still on my mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\ngive glory to God Almighty that our path crossed in the year 1984 and we got\nmarried on the 5th of November 1988 and God crowned our union with three 3\nadorable children: Adefunke, Omolara and Oluwafemi, like other marriages, we\nhad our ups and down but I thank God we reconciled long before our children\nleft University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To\ngladden our hearts, we were able to give our first daughter in marriage\ntogether, that love we shared together till the evening of Sunday the 11th\nOctober. Yomi, you lived your life to the fullest, you gave so much to the\nworld despite your health challenges. You loved just not your family members\nbut all humanity as a whole. You never joked with the Afolabi Descendants Union\nboth in Lagos and Oyo. To all Societies and Associations, You belonged to, you\nwere always ready to serve. Yomi, I never knew you were bidding my relatives\nand friends goodbye on my last birthday on the 3rd of September, 2020 when we\nall celebrated together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\nthank God that you were able to see the children through University, Just\nwaiting for them to settle one after the other but who am I to question God\nwhen he says you should come back home. Your exit is painful, because you left\nsome of our discussions, plans and arrangements unfulfilled. Your children will\nmiss you dearly, I will surely miss you too. A o pade lese Jesu, nibiti a ko ni\nya ara wa, ao rira wa, ayo mora wa, Jesu ni o se Alaga wa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sleep\nwell my love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adieu\nYomi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs.\nFelicia Opeyemi Afolabi (Wife) <\/p>\n\n\n\n TRIBUTE TO MY DADDY <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Baba\nFunke, <\/p>\n\n\n\n As\nI always called you. This wasn\u2019t the plan. You were meant to grow old daddy,\nhave grey hairs, see your children\u2019s children. You didn\u2019t wait to see the\ngrandchildren you always prayed for. I promise to tell them all about you. \u2018 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Daddy,\nyou are Love! I won\u2019t talk about you in the past. We share a special bond. From\nmy Unilag days till the day you breathed your last, no morning ever went\nwithout you calling to pray for me. We spoke every minute. I mean, to know me\nis to know my father. I proudly always said God must love me a lot to have\nblessed me with a father like you. I have really fond memories of you. Memories\nthat will forever be in my heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\nalways said I was your \u2018mama\u2019. I hope I took care of you. I hope you know how\nmuch I love you and what you mean to me. Thank you for being my safe place.\nThere was nothing we couldn\u2019t talk about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m\nyet to meet a man so invested in the life of his children like you are. All you\never wanted was to see us graduate and be happy. I\u2019m glad you saw this. I\nalways say if I can be half the parent you are, my kids are in good hands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Baa\u2019mi,\nyou are the epitome of faith, selflessness, peace, love, happiness, goodness. A\npeople\u2019s person!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even\nwhen it wasn\u2019t convenient for you, you gave. You just wanted everyone around\nyou happy. You opened your doors to everyone, knew all our friends, kept in\ntouch with them. I still wonder how you could be there for everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t know how I would cope, daddy. It\u2019s very hard. I would run to you every time. You knew when there was something wrong with me from my voice. I don\u2019t think I ever had any small achievements with you, everything was a big win. I hope I continue to make you proud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank\nyou would never be enough but Thank you for being my father. Thank you for\nloving me perfectly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank\nyou for instilling such values in me. Thank you for teaching me to give without\nexpecting. Thank you for teaching me to forgive easily. Thank you for teaching\nme humility. I learnt all these just by watching you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Above\nall, Thank you for always being there for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Heaven\ngained a real one. I miss your cooking, hugs, voice, call, gist. I would talk\nto you in my dreams. You will never be forgotten Daddy. I love you today and\nalways Baba Funke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\npromise to be strong. I would take care of mummy, Lara and Femi. I would always\ncheck on those you loved both in Lagos and Oyo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sun\nre Baa\u2019mi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adefunke\nJeje<\/p>\n\n\n\n Daughter\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n TRIBUTE TO MY DADDY <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n My daddy, words really can\u2019t express how immeasurable of a man you are. Your love for everyone around you was something I could not understand, you put everyone else before yourself. In everything, you placed God first and I remember how you made prayer a thing for us. You were our Chef, always cooking and wanting to feed everyone. I remember in university when you always brought jollof rice every Sunday afternoon, my roommates were always looking forward to it. You were not perfect, but you were the perfect dad. We didn\u2019t agree on so many things but you taught me a whole lot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\nremain grateful for everything you did, for all the times you would call me one\nmillion times in a day just to check on me. You were kind even till your last\nhour. You are gone now but not forgotten, I know you are resting with the\nangels, till we meet to part no more. Baby Afo, I love you always. Sun reo!!!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your\ndaughter, <\/p>\n\n\n\n Omolara\nAfolabi <\/p>\n\n\n\n