- Ikuforiji describes late Akintola as a father figure who secured his education
- Praises his humility, fairness, and refusal to cling to power
- Community gathers in Ejinrin to honor a revered leader and mentor
It was a moment filled with emotion and reverence in Ejinrin town on Saturday, November 1, 2025, as the Emeritus Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, paid a moving tribute to the late Pioneer Chairman of Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Alhaji Ganiyu Adio Akintola, during his 8th-day Fidau prayer.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Ikuforiji spoke passionately about the profound influence the late statesman had on his life — not just as a teacher, but as a mentor whose timely support changed the course of his destiny.
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“He was my teacher, a Biology teacher then at Epe Division Grammar School. He was a teacher that all the students loved his subject. Almost all students preferred Biology because he would never allow you to fail,” Ikuforiji recalled.
He narrated how a financial crisis nearly forced him out of school, but the late Akintola stepped in with compassion and determination.
“When I was in Form Two, my parents had financial challenge to pay my school fee. He was the Vice-Principal then and he intervened by compiling the names of indigent students. I was among them.
He took the list to the Ministry of Education and I was offered a scholarship that took me through secondary school, and I later got another scholarship that took me abroad.
If not for his intervention, I do not know what would have happened to my educational pursuit,” he said.
Beyond academics, Ikuforiji praised the late community leader for his integrity, humility, and rare sense of fairness, noting that he once turned down a call to return as Chairman in order to give others room to serve.
“He was an embodiment of contentment and fairness. When leaders could not reach consensus on who should be Executive Chairman, he was asked to return.
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He declined, saying he had served once and another area should have the opportunity. This kind of gesture is rare in our society today,” he added. “May Almighty Allah grant him Aljanah Firdaus.”
The prayer session was graced by political leaders, traditional figures, family members, and residents who gathered to celebrate a man remembered not only for leadership but for shaping destinies and uplifting his community.
Click here to watch video of the week
