Encomium
Aare AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao (69) may have passed on and buried, the people whose lives he changed through his philanthropic gestures will never forget him. The billionaire business man spent his lifetime planting smiles on the faces of the less privileged. He reportedly died on Wednesday, June 18, 2014, in London after he allegedly battled with prostate cancer. He was flown back to Nigeria the next day and was buried on Friday, June 20, 2014. The burial carnival was attended by the who is who in Nigerian political, economic and social circuits. His body arrived Nigeria from the UK and was received at the Ibadan toll gate, Lagos – Ibadan expressway, Oyo state by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, his wife, Florence and other Ibadan sons and daughters. The convoy moved to Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Ibadan. His corpse arrived the sports arena at 10:05am for prayers in a white Escalade space wagon Hearse by Ebony Funerals. After the prayers at the sports complex, his body was moved to his Oluwo Kekere residence at Bashorun, Ibadan, Oyo state where he was finally laid to rest that day. Dignitaries at the funeral included Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (who represented President Goodluck Jonathan), Mr. Jelili Adesiyan, Senator Bola Tinubu, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Justice Bola Babalakin, Mrs. Oluwakemi Alao-Akala, Mr. Muyiwa Ige, Tunji Alapinni, Elder Wole Oyelese, King Sunny Ade, Chief Bode George, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, Chief Kola Daisi, Brigadier General Raji Rasaki (retd), Prince Adesokan, Justice Abdukadri Orire (led team from Ilorin), Sheikh Ajisafe, President-General, League of Imams and Alfas South-West and Edo/Delta, retired Prelate Sunday Ola Makinde, Mr. Musiliu-Smith; Senator Teslim Folarin and others.
HIS FINAL DAYS
Late Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao was a regular visitor in Europe either for medical check or for leisure. He was in Switzerland on Monday, June 16, 2014, to see his medics as he used to. He spent that Monday there and told his associates in Nigeria he would be back in the country on Wednesday, June 18, 2014, but he never did because his trip to London to attend business meeting on Tuesday, June 17, 2014, would be his last. He died in his London home the next day, Wednesday (June 18). He was 69.
HIS LIFE AND TIMES
Born on February 14, 1945, to Alhaji Abdur Raheem Olatunbosun Olaniyan Alao and Alhaja Rabiatu Olatutu Abegbe Alao, both peasant farmers from Oyo State, he was reluctant to acquire western education because of his love for Islamic education which he had been attending since he was three. The intervention of one of his teachers made him complete primary school in 1960, and later enrolled at Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo State. But he dropped out due to the inability of his parents to further sponsor him. What he, however, lacked in education he gained abundantly in business. In 1961, he started the sale of Gammalin 20 by establishing Azeez Arisekola Trading Company. He became interested in the sales of vehicles and established Lister Motors in 1972. His company was very prominent in the sales of Datsun that Chief Ebenezer Obey waxed an album for him. He (Obey) sang his praises to the high heavens in the album. He was very close to the corridors of power during General Ibrahim Babangida and late General Sani Abacha’s regimes. It was his romance with power that be that got him the contract to supply food to Nigerian soldiers in ECOMOG peace keeping forces in troubled spots in Africa. He established Lister Foods because of this contract. His other business interests under Lister conglomerate span real estate, oil, flour mills, insurance, media and agriculture. He was a recipient of many awards and honours including the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland which he was decorated with in 1980, due to his immense contribution to Islamic activities. He was one of the greatest financiers of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN). He sponsored hundreds of people throughout the country to hajj every year. In 2008, he was honoured with the national award Commander of Order of the Niger (CON) by late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua. He is survived by many wives and many children.
EMINENT NIGERIANS EULOGIZE HIM:
GOVERNOR ABIOLA AJIMOBI
“Aare was to the Nigerian masses what the late President Nelson Mandela was to the South Africans. He served the poor and helped the rich. He came to serve humanity and served them to his very last. “He was accommodating, spiritual, religious and intelligent. He had been serving the poor from the age of 19. He was the greatest philanthropist of our time. Aare gave everything he had for the benefit of the people.”
YINKA AIYEFELE
“He was one of the people that God used to sustain my life in my trying period. He was a father to me. We have lost a very important person in my life. We have lost a rare gem. The Muslim community, especially students and the underprivileged, have lost a father. I condole with the family. May Allah give them the fortitude to bear the loss.”
PROFESSOR ISHAQ OLOYEDE
“Arisekola-Alao arrived London on Tuesday and till a moment before his sudden death, he was hale and hearty. It is shocking.”
PROFESSOR TAOHEED ADEDOJA
“I put a call to him on Monday when he was in Switzerland and he said he would be back on Wednesday. It was a big surprise to me that he is dead. Only God knows why He took him away from us. Ibadan and the nation as a whole will miss him for his generosity and good leadership.”
– FOLUSO SAMUEL
