The nine days of activities marking the exit of Ikorodu most talented, most brilliant and decorated and most accomplished public officer, Chief Rasheed Abiodun Gbadamosi who died on Wednesday, November 16, 2016, climaxed on Friday, November 25, 2016 at his palatial grounds at Kokoro Abu area of his home town with the final burial rites/prayers.
Chief Gbadamosi, OFR, a poet, a playright, an economist and a public servant of the first order, died on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at the age of seventy two (72) and was buried on Thursday, November 17, 2016.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode paid his condolence visit to the family on Sunday November 20, 2016 while the state organized a tribute session for the late ex commissioner of the state, ex-federal Minister, ex-Chairman of Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB) and Chairman PPRA on Thursday November 24. The climax was on Friday November 25, 2016, when the final burial/funeral ceremony/fidau prayer were held.
In life and in death, Rasheed Gbadamosi stood out. He became the youngest ever person to be appointed a Commissioner, perhaps in the whole country, having served as Commissioner for Economic Development in Lagos State in 1973 at the age of twenty nine (29), a record yet to be broken.
Like the late Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, who served at the state and Federal levels as Commissioner and Minister, Rasheed became Federal Minister of National Planning and had forty three (43) years of public service to his country men and women.
In protocol ranking, he was given a 4th grade honour by Lagos State on Thursday, November 24, when Governor Ambode organized a tribute session in his memory.
The highly restricted commemoration ceremony scheduled for 10a.m was attended by only a quality audience drawn from the public and private sectors.
The President of Oriwu Club, Ikorodu, Alhaji Sule Safari, led a handful of the club members, including the Publisher of Oriwu Sun, Chief Monzor Olowosago and Alhaji Fatai Sulaiman Shoderu (aka Fayas) to the event, which was anchored by Professor Ademola Abass.
A close friend of the late Rasheed, Chief Sola Dada, had given a brief overview of the late industrial icon to pave the way for a short documentary on the life and times of the renowned Economist.
Tributes were paid by Chief (Mrs.) Nike Akande of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Mr. Musbau Fashaun, a business associate of the late icon, while Mr. Olu Ajayi and Olu Jacobs paid tributes on behalf of the artistic community.
The co-chairman of Lagos State at 50 celebration, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who was to pay his own tribute, was conspicuously absent as he could not fly back to Nigeria from the United States of America as he had earlier promised. His speech was presented by Professor Ademola Abass.
Governor Ambode, in his electrifying and magnetic tribute, described Gbadamosi as one of the founding fathers of modern Lagos, who contributed immensely to the development of the state.
Narrating how he visited Rasheed at a time the latter was seen as frail to propose his role to co-pilot the planning of Lagos at 50 celebrations in 2017, Ambode described him as a man, who loved his state and was willing to sacrifice himself to serve it in superlative language. Ambode called Gbadamosi an illustrious son of Ikorodu, a true son of Lagos State, a patriotic Nigerian, an Elder Statesman, a thoroughbred Economist, a lover of arts par excellence, a consummate businessman and above all, a selfless Nigerian.
The well attended event was drawn to an end with a vote of thanks by the eldest child of the late Gbadamosi, Mrs. Morunkunbi Osinoiki, who thanked the state for the recognition and extolled the virtues of her late father.
The grand-finale of the burial/funeral ceremonies took place on Friday, November 25, 2016 at the massive compound of the late industrialist.
Amidst very tight security at the high wall mansion, which sits on a hectares of land, thousands of Nigerians and foreigners assembled to bid the great son of Ikorodu a final farewell. As was the case on the day of his burial on November 17, an unprecedented crowd, this time Nigerians and foreigners, besieged the vast estate of this late icon.
The opening prayer was by Alhaji Jamiu Bello, Jamatul Islammiya Branch Chairman and reading from the Holy Qur’an by Ustaz Abdul Hamid Hamzah.
There was a brief introduction of members of Gbadamosi family by a member, followed by a brief condolence message by Alhaji Sina Shittu, General Secretary of the Jammatul Islamiya Society.
A thought provoking lecture titled, “Death: How prepared are we?” was delivered by the Chief Imam of the Jammatul Islamiya, Alhaji Mohammed Babatunde Adeniyi. Also, Imam Uwaiz from the said society anchored a brief prayer session, during which the peaceful repose of the soul of the departed Rasheed was pleaded to the Almighty Allah.
The event, which was well attended by eminent personalities, notable politicians, religious leaders, government functionaries, Lagos white cap, chiefs, traditional chiefs, foreign expatriates, as well as friends and associates from the business and art worlds plus as well as extended family members, among others, lasted till late evening.
Not to be left out was the esteemed presence of the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. (Mrs.) Idiyat Oluranti Adebule, who stood in for the Governor. The social reception in the hush green fields and gardens of the palace was another superb display of the Gbadamosi affluence.