Obituary: Chief Chris Ogunbanjo – 14 December 1923 to 7 October 2023

By Femi Kusa

johnolufemikusa@gmail.com

He passed on 7^th October 2023, two months away from his 100th birthday. A corporate lawyer, he was a leading light and captain of NIGERIA’S business and industry.

He came from Erunwon, near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

He will be remembered by many persons, including those of us co-founders of THE COMET newspaper who brought him into Nigerian newspapering i.e. Oyinlade Bonuola, John Olufemi Kusa, Olajide Ogundele, our senior professional colleague and mentor SOLA OLUWOLE, all journalists, and Dr Ayo Ojo, a radical medical doctor and younger brother of Chief Michael Ade Ojo of Elizade motors, a prominent backer of the project.

Chief Ogunbanjo was the second chairman of Turning-Point Communications Limited, publishers of THE COMET newspaper. He will be remembered by fellow backers of The Comet newspaper who included Dr Christopher Kolade, first Chairman of Turning-Point Communications Limited, former Chairman of Cadbury Nig. Ltd and academic staff member of Pan African University, Lagos; Oba Otudeko, CEO of Honeywell; Chief Olu Falae, presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 1999 presidential election won by Gen Olusegun Obasanjo retd, as he then was; Chief Segun Osoba, one-time governor of Ogun State; Otunba Gbenga Daniel, another former governor of Ogun State; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo; Dr. Bukola Saraki, former governor of Kwara State and President of the Nigerian 8th Senate; Mr. Akin Soname, a one-time governorship aspirant in Ogun State; Chief Dayo Sonuga, one-time chairman of the  Chambers of Commerce, Agriculture, and Industry, who succeeded Chief Ogunbanjo on the board of directors of Turning Point Communications Limited.

Chief Ogunbanjo’s passing presents an opportunity to reminisce about these eminent persons, to not only remember him for the roles he played in the company but, also, remember their colleagues who, before their passages, were either members of the board or backers of the project. Among them were Mr. Olatunde Olabode Vincent, better known on Nigeria’s paper currency as OLA VINCENT, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between 1977 and 1982; Chief Bola Ige, one-time governor of Oyo State and Attorney General and Minister of Justice during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration; Chief Abraham Adesanya (SAN); Pa Solanke Onasanya, a NADECO and Afenifere leader; Chief S.K Oluwo, former managing director of Bagco Super Sacks Nig. Ltd; Commodore Gbolahan Mudashiru, former military governor of Lagos State; Chief Victor Abayomi Oduntan, the last chairman of Turning Point Communications and a former secretary to Ogun State Government (SSG); Chief Nathaniel Idowu, progenitor of THE PUNCH newspaper, a fellow journalist on Tell magazine, among others.

Chief Ogunbanjo will be remembered as well by Barrister Kieran Enechi, who was Company Secretary in the tenures as Chairman of the company, of Dr Kolade, Chief Ogunbanjo, and Chief Sonuga.

Passages have a way of humbling or educating human beings about existence. Two days before the passage of Chief Ogunbanjo, Olajide Ogundele paid him a visit in a dream. They had been like father and son for many years, but they had not met for some time. Chief Ogunbanjo told Ogundele that he had taken too long to see him. Ogundele replied that Chief Ogunbanjo, too, was as guilty because he had not asked after him. The day before Chief Ogunbanjo passed, Ogundele’s father who passed about 20 years ago came to him in a dream to invite him out. They ended up in the house of Chief Ogunbanjo. On the day Chief Ogunbanjo passed, Ogundele went to a phone shop to buy a new phone as a replacement for his stolen phone. It was in the phone shop that he learned of the passage of Chief Ogunbanjo. He felt cold all over.

May Chief Ogunbanjo awaken to a joyful life wherever he is.

FEMI KUSA was at various times Editor; Director of Publication/ Editor-in-Chief of THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER; and Editorial Director/ Editor-in-Chief of THE COMET NEWSPAPER. Currently, he keeps a Thursday Column on Alternative Medicine in the NATION NEWSPAPER.

Some of his health columns may be found on www.olufemikusa.com and in MIDIUM a digital platform for writers. He is active also on Facebook @ John OLUFEMI KUSA.

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