Obit: Professor Adeṣẹgun Banjọ passes on at 79 – Tola Adenle

MAIL BELOW SENT EARLIER TODAY TO donors who gave very generously to Professor Banjo’s medical treatment, a true patriot whose fortune declined to the point of being hardly able to feed himself after purportedly planning a “war of Yoruba liberation. Segun Adebanjo who used the full family name was brother to Col. Banjo who was killed during the Biafra War.

It’s more than worth mentioning that my appeal here yielded, among others, two donors who gave a total of over N700,000, all monies that were paid directly to the bank account of the professor. I thank everybody from the bottom of my heart, and pray that emotanafricana.com will continue to be the force for good it has been even in greater ways. TOLA, February 8, 2019.

From: Tola Adenle
Sent: Friday, February 8, 2019 8:19 AM [GMT]
To:
Subject: Passing away of Dr Adesegun Banjo

This sad news just came in now from Sister Bisi Sowunmi about the death of Dr. Banjo. While the massive contributions of your very good selves were not enough to procure the medical depths required for the ravages the disease had already caused his body by the time we received notification of his illness, please take consolation in the fact that your most generous financial contributions did provide help in Dr. Banjo’s gallant fight.

I am particularly appreciative for the honor bestowed on me for the response to my request to assist someone not known to you beyond presentation of a man whose family – the Banjos of Ijebu-Ode whose other son, the late Col. Banjo – made the ultimate sacrifice to Nigeria’s unity during the Biafra War. I’ve considered your contributions were made to personally to me.

May God continue to be with you in your various endeavors and continue to abundantly bless you, your families, AND may He look with mercy on Yoruba’s sacrifices which you as true patriots are making to heal this very sick union.

You have my continued best wishes for long and healthy lives for you and yours.

My most sincere regards,
TOLA.

A BIT OF PROFESSOR BANJO’S STORY

On March 9, 2017, I opened a post here with the following introduction:

This is old news but is relevant to the story of Professor Adetowun Ogunṣẹyẹ whose 90th birthday, marked with a lecture by Atayeṣe, a Yoruba socio-cultural group at Ibadan recently, was reported here yesterday, March 9, 2017. Ogunṣẹyẹ is older sister to late Col. Victor Banjo a Nigerian army officer who was supposedly killed by Odumegwu-Ojukwu during the Biafran War and Professor Adebanjo who uses the full family name while the others use the short form, Banjo.

The issue central to Professor Adebanjo’s interview is the impossible-to-wish-away issue of restructuring of Nigeria called for by the South but firmly opposed by the North. TOLA.

RELATED: https://emotanafricana.com/2017/03/09/landmark-female-pioneer-professor-adetowun-ogun%E1%B9%A3eye-turns-90-tola-adenle/

LETTER OF APPEAL CIRCULATED THROUGH MY MAJOR e-ROLODEX

Ẹ̀yin Baba, Ẹ̀gbọn l’ọkùnrín ati l’óbìrín, àbúrò, ọ̀rẹ́ ati ojúlùmọ̀ mi,Mo kí gbogbo nyín, o; mo si jubà fun awọn àgbà. [Yoruba Greetings to elders, friends …

I come to you all having run out of ideas. Where and to whom to turn since coming across the story of Professor Adesegun Adebanjo from the same ‘Banjo Family that produced for Nigeria via our glorious Yoruba Homeland, Africa’s and Nigeria’s female pioneer in many areas, Auntie Professor Adetowun Ogunseye AND Late Colonel Banjo.

The attached story was used on my blog but it had been originally posted on Sahara Reporters.

I was planning to see if I could have an interview with the Professor but learning from a couple of sources that his health situation is dire, it’s apparent that another interview beyond Sahara Reporters’ old one is probably uncalled for; the man needs urgent medical assistance for a serious medical situation.

Raising funds in Nigeria, unless it’s by/for/through big politicians/society people, would not be easy, and with regard to the enterprise our Brother took upon himself quite a while back, the national stage may not be that appropriate or produce the quick intervention needed. 

I even thought about the Info Age tool of crowd-funding popular in many countries, especially the USA. One of Nigeria’s participants at the Rio Games, a lady, for example, employed it to fund herself to the Games. It’s unlikely to work quickly and adequately enough.

After receiving a note from Sister Bisi (Professor) Sowunmi – copy below – which she sent to me after reading the story, I chided myself for planning a trip to Sokoto when what I need is right inside my ṣòkòtò pocket to borrow a saying from our language.

Now that Professor Segun Banjo has answered the Home Call, I’m sure the story of this real patriot, who went from being a well-trained professional to a man who could barely take care of feeding himself after being labelled as purpotedly “planning a Yoruba liberation war – would still be better told in future so that such efforts (if Nigeria is ever liberated from the evil forces that hold her captive now) would never be forgotten.

Here is the link to the earlier story here copied from saharareporters.com: https://emotanafricana.com/2017/03/09/anatomy-professor-ade%E1%B9%A3egun-adebanjo-purportedly-planned-a-yoruba-war-of-liberation-saharareporters-com/

Banjo, who sucuumbed to leukemia, was 79 years old, and leaves behind a wife, children as well as other family, including his older sister, 93-year old Professor Adetowun Ogunseye. May Professor Banjo’s soul find eternal rest with the Lord.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019. 2:02 P.M. [GMT]

https://emotanafricana.com/2017/03/09/anatomy-professor-ade%E1%B9%A3egun-adebanjo-purportedly-planned-a-yoruba-war-of-liberation-saharareporters-com/