The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has mourned the death of philosopher, preacher, Baptist minister and scholar, Prof. Osadolor Imasogie, who died on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
In a statement, the governor noted that Prof Imasogie was a great and nobleman, who throughout his lifetime sought to find answers to life’s most dizzying puzzles. Kind and forthright, he was pious in his devotion to God and his ecclesiastic pursuit.
He said, “A leader of Nigeria’s Baptist movement, he served as a guide to the many students who passed through the Baptist Seminary, Ogbomosho, and a philosopher who parsed the nibbling questions that confronted the Church and its role in the African society.
“As President Emeritus of the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, and former President, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Prof Imasogie defined a new paradigm in the Christian fold and advanced noble ideas to bring people closer to God.
“He will be remembered for his devotion to God, love for family and commitment to the advancement of the knowledge of and work of Christ.
“I commiserate with the Imasogie family, friends and associates of the deceased and pray that God will grant all the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
Meanwhile, Obaseki, has commiserated with the family of the Late chairman of the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Sunny Osayande.
Obaseki, who led other top government functionaries on a condolence visit to the home of the deceased, pledged to support the family in giving the late labour leader a befitting burial.
He said, “We are here today to pay a condolence visit to someone I will call our brother. Sunny was a good labour leader. We supported him; he supported us. He was never tired as a labour leader.
I want to put it on record that throughout his tenure, we did not have any major labour crisis in the state. He did all he could, deploying his experience to make sure things are settled.”
He continued, “His loss is quite painful to us. We can imagine what it will be for you. It is God that gives life; it is God that takes life. If it was in our hands, he would still be here with us today.
“We will not forget you. He was a good man, a straightforward person, a man of purpose and somebody who carried everybody along. It will be difficult to forget someone like that. All we can pray for is that God will give you and the family the strength to bear this loss.
“We will rally round and support you and members of the congress to make sure that we give him a befitting burial,” the governor pledged.”
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr Festus Egharevba, noted that the deceased labour leader enjoyed cordial rapport with the state government in his short stay in office.
