…say he loved flying plane
- He took family business to enviable heights- Gov Ajimobi
Days after news of his death filtered in, members of the Aboderin family and other Nigerians have continued to mourn the late Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Mr. Gbadebowale Aboderin, saying the vaccum he has left behind will be difficult to fill.
It will be recalled that news of his sudden death became public knowledge last Thursday morning. He died on Wednesday at the age of 60, shortly after undergoing a heart surgery in a specialist hospital in Lagos.
While speaking with our correspondent in an exclusive interview at the weekend, the deceased’s cousin and Chief Executive Officer, Kakanfo Inn, Mr. Damola Are, described Aboderin’s death as sorrowful, saying, “I received news of Wale’s death with shock, disbelief and sadness.
“Wale was a very inspiring person, he was extremely witty and funny. He was a man that one could count on, because he was very supportive.”
When I returned from Europe, he asked if there was any way he could help me. He asked me to come and see him, whenever I needed his help. He said the same thing when I saw him three weeks ago. He was so kind
Recalling his experience with the deceased, he said, “I always remember when I was going to college in the US in 1983, I had my last meeting with his father nine months before the old man died. Wale came to me then; you know he had just finished his flying training as a pilot in the US and he said there is really nothing you cannot do in life if you are determined. That got me inspired, even though I never became a pilot. Wale loved flying the plane.”
On the vacuum that his death has created in the family, he said, “He was a man that we loved,” adding, “He left several legacies. One of those legacies is the creativity that he introduced to the newspaper as chairman of Punch. He introduced special way to report more efficiently, and tactical way to print the paper by having printing locations in Port Harcourt and Abuja.
“Among others, he left behind the philosophy of sportsmanship through his basketball team. He was also very charitable in giving back to the society.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Public Affairs, Deji Aboderin, said that the family received the news of the Punch chairman’s death with shock.
He described him as “nice, kind, gentle and humble to all.
“I can remember when I came back from England newly and he invited me. He played basketball with me.
“I saw him three weeks ago and he was not looking bad.”
He added that the late Aboderin was always willing to help people. “When I returned from Europe, he asked if there was any way he could help me.
“He asked me to come and see him, whenever I needed his help. He said the same thing when I saw him three weeks ago. He was so kind.”
Also, Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, said he received the news of Aboderin’s death with shock.
The governor in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, and made available to journalists, said, “We received with utter shock the news of the untimely death of the Chairman of Punch newspaper, Mr. Wale Aboderin.”
Describing the deceased as an illustrious son of the state, and a lovable brother and consummate gentleman, the governor said, “Death has again snatched one of the great sons of the land, who spread his signature effervescence and love everywhere he went.
“That the Punch newspaper now prints simultaneously in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt is directly attributable to the business acumen, dexterity and go-getting efforts of my late brother, who toiled day and night to sustain the family’s business legacy.
“The enigma called death has again cut short the life of one of our shining and unassuming stars. Wale was a great citizen of our dear state and son of the soil in whom we were well pleased. The news of his sudden death saddens me.
“His simplicity and modest lifestyle, despite sitting atop a multi-billion naira enterprise, are exemplary and noteworthy. I was told that no employee enters his office with a frown without leaving with a smile.
“I can boldly say that death is not the end of my adorable brother’s life, since only his body departed us. His spirit can never die; it continues to live with us. His legacies of humility, selflessness, integrity, diligence and Godliness shall continue to live with us.”
He prayed to God to give his family and friends the fortitude to bear the loss.
Aboderin was born in London, United Kingdom on April 17, 1958. He trained as a pilot in the United States of America.
He took over as the Chairman of Punch on May 1, 2011, following the retirement of his predecessor, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, on April 30, 2011.
Before his appointment, Aboderin, who was first son of the founding chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, the late Chief Olu Aboderin, was appointed a member of the Board of Directors on May 21, 1984. He became vice-chairman of the company on July 2, 2010.
He was also the founder and chairman of Dolphins Female Basketball Foundation, a charity organisation in Lagos which he founded years ago when he returned to Nigeria after living in the United States for years. For eight and a half years, he served as the chairman of the Lagos State Basketball Association. He was also a one-time vice-president of the Nigerian Basketball Supporters Club.
A former member of the Nigerian Handball Federation, Aboderin, was an alumnus of the Government College, Ibadan. He was a founding member of the board of trustees of the Word of Life Rehabilitation Centre, a ministry committed to the rehabilitation of drug addicts and substance abusers. He was also Chairman, PUNCH Commercial Printing Limited and Lukahed Properties Limited, PUNCH’s subsidiaries.
A devoted family man, he is survived by his wife, Titilayo, a chartered accountant, and children.
