Opinions

Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu at 80: Good name better than gold

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1. Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, the Archbishop Emeritus of Ilesa and Chairman of Yoruba Unity Forum, has no money to throw around, no patronage to dispense, and no influence to peddle, yet is dearly beloved, respected, revered and celebrated by everyone who has ever come in contact with him. Testimonies of his Godly and goodly deeds abound, as attested to by the endless flow of tributes commemorating his 80th birthday anniversary. In its own tribute to Ladigbolu, who served as the chairman of its Yoruba Bible Translation Committee, the Bible Society of Nigeria described him as a person “who is ever ready to offer help where and when needed without counting the cost or considering what he would gain therein”.

It further attested: “As the Vice-Chairman of the National Translation of The Bible Society of Nigeria, for many years now, he has demonstrated this quality over the years. On a particular occasion, he attended the meeting of the committee in Abuja, at the end of which he was reimbursed for his expenses to and fro. He left the meeting venue to attend a meeting of the Methodist Church, still in Abuja. When Baba returned to Oyo, he called the office to ask for the Bible Society Account Number. He refunded the airfare which we paid to him, saying that when he got to the Methodist meeting, his flight ticket was paid for. What a man of integrity! There was no way the Bible Society would have known this, but for his integrity and contentment.”

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Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, in his own tribute, noted in part: “May I state that part of this selfless service is his acceptance to be a member of the Board of Trustees of the Oyo State N50 Billion Health Endowment Fund, along with other eminent personalities, including Emeritus Prof. Oladipo Akinkugbe (Chairman), Chief Bayo Oyero, Prof. Daud Noibi, Architect Alex Adegboye, Prof. (Mrs.) Lilian Adekemi Otolorin and the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan. The committee is charged with raising funds through voluntary donations by individuals, groups and corporate organisations for infrastructural development in the health sector.

“Besides, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to HIV response in Oyo State, the management of the Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA), with the approval of Her Excellency, Chief (Mrs.) Florence Ajimobi, conferred an award on him during the commemoration of the 2017 World AIDS Day at the HIV Award Heroes Award Night, on December 1, 2017.” The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, said of him: “I put my estimation of the character of the arch-bishop as one hundred percent refined and excellent. “Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu is urbane, educated, cosmopolitan and a great theologian. When the mother of Rev. Dr. Samson Adeniyi Ayokunle, President, the Nigerian Baptist Convention and President, Christian Association of Nigeria, died in 2016, it was Archbishop Ladigbolu who preached before the national congregation. My presence in the service made me to appreciate the urbanity; the social history where the contribution of Efunsetan of lbadan and the Polo/Pala resistance of Mrs. Ransome-Kuti to the Alake of Abeokuta in those years were used as illustrative sinews to a great sermon delivered in delicate English nuances with theological concepts.

“His contribution to Oranyan Festival since 2012 is a great exploit. His Chairmanship of Oyo Metropolitan Development Association has served as a social bridge for development in Oyo and Afijio. The social angle to his contribution is firmly directed to the poor, the handicapped members of the society in Durbar and the HIV and AIDS Victims in Oyo. They have found succor in the contribution of Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu.” Ladigbolu’s former boss and Prelate Emeritus of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Sunday Mbang, also paid tributes to his character as well as his eloquence in Yoruba and English, for which the late Chief Bola Ige once placed him at par with Prof. Wole Soyinka. Mbang’s tribute reads in part: “Archbishop Ladigbolu was not only an eloquent down to earth preacher, pastor and teacher; he was a leader whose actions always spoke louder than his words. This is something which is extremely lacking in the lives and times of many leaders of our time, both in Church and state or be it secular or religious institutions. I must confess with shame that in all my many years of sojourn in the Yoruba land, I remain illiterate in the Yoruba language. But I am told that Archbishop Ladigbolu has no equal in this area of his life to the admiration of all and sundry. Much credit must go to this outstanding journalist for what today is the Methodist Church Nigeria Communications Department.”

Since space will not permit the use of the hundreds of tributes that have continued to pour in, it might, perhaps, be fitting to conclude with the testimony of members of his immediate family to show that Ladigbolu is not a hypocrite who is beloved outside but unbeloved at home. His wife, Matilda Afolake, said of him: “You are a lover of God, lover of your family and lover of people; young and old; rich and poor. You never take anyone for granted. You are not a rich man, but God has always blessed you enough to reach out to people that walk up to you in their times of need, even if you have to abandon your personal needs. “Thank God for your humility. You are a respected personality, who never looks down on anyone. Despite your position and a father-figure to many Ministers, you are so free among the clergy that you call them by their first name. You always refer to their wives as OGA MI (My boss). You are indeed Pastor of many flocks and denominations and a father of many children worldwide. You are indeed many things to many people. If time and space permit me, I can write a book on you my very dear husband.”

Likewise, his children, in their own collective tribute, stated: “Dad taught us more about life from the way he lives his own life. His unflagging dependence on God demonstrated to us that trust in God is its own reward. His indefatigable capacity to love taught us that God is love and that those who follow him must always act in love. Above all, his selfless service taught us that those who want to lead must first learn to serve. A strong believer in service leadership, he is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and do the work required to make the community a better place.”

Without a doubt, Ladigbolu’s life and testimonies have demonstrated the Biblical injunction in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever work you do, put yourself into it, as those who are serving not merely other people, but the Lord.” Happy birthday daddy!