28th October, 2013
EROMOSELE EBHOMELE
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, western Nigeria on Monday mourned the death of Mr. Olusegun Idowu Olushesi, the Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the state Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.
Mr. Olushesi died in North Carolina, USA on Sunday evening after a protracted battle with prostate cancer, according to the Speaker.
Narrating how the late Chief of Staff lost the battle, Ikuforiji told members of the House: “he had been diagnosed of prostate in the past 13 years and then the doctor said his name would go down in history as one of the youngest to be diagnosed of the disease.”
He said the House did its best during the man’s illness adding that the best technology was even adopted in his treatment, “but unfortunately, he died.
“He had suffered the ailment over a period and as at June this year, the surgeon that had attended to him patted Segun’s wife on a weekend and said: ‘let’s take off the life support system that we have on him.’ But the wife was courageous and hoped he would survive. She said she would not allow that his journey to the grave be quickened.’
He said when the surgeon came back the following week, he discovered that Olushesi had been moved to a private room from the intensive care unit of the hospital as his condition had improved.
“I saw him three days after that and was scared but the wife told me to thank God since he had survived. His voice was so faint that I had to put my ears so close to hear him speak,” Ikuforiji said.
The Speaker said when he saw Olushesi again in August, he had improved. 
“Just five days ago, when we spoke, he was talking about his return on 6 November and I asked if he had changed and he said he had added weight.
“We talked about a lot of things and even about people who died in our place of birth and I asked him to stop because he just returned from the land of the dead and we laughed about it.
“I received a call last night at about 10.30 and was told he passed on three minutes before the call came,” the Speaker disclosed saying he was shocked beyond description when he heard the news.
He described his late Chief of Staff as an intelligently stubborn and vasatile person who was blunt when he spoke. He is survived by his wife, Kofo and three kids.
The news was broken at plenary by a member of the House, Abiodun Tobun, representing Epe Constituency 1 when he asked his colleagues to join him in prayer for God to give the deceased’s family the fortitude to bear the loss.
Another lawmaker, Ipoola Omisore, representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency 2 at the House described the incident as very saddening. He said the late Olushesi was a friend and an amiable personality.
“The last time I saw him, he looked fit as if he had survived,” he said.
Rotimi Olowo representing one of the two constituencies of Shomolu, said it was a sad news. He listed some of the virtues of the late Olushesi saying whenever they travelled, he always made sure that the lawmakers were comfortable.
Dayo Fafunmi representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency 1 at the House said: “It is quite unfortunate that this young man left us when most of us felt he was very fit and healthy.”
He prayed that God should grant the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss and urged the House to write a condolence letter to the family saying the man, apart from being close to the Speaker, served the House in his capacity.
Olusegun Olulade representing Epe Constituency 2 at the House, described the late Olushesi as a confidant, intelligent and a master strategist. He expressed sadness that such a person would die at a time his intelligence was needed.
Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, representing Mushin Constituency 1 at the House, said she had thought the man was alright.
She said life was very short “so whatever we do in life, we should do it very fast. And we should never judge people based on what people say about them.”
She said she was not close to the man until he did something that really made her change her perception about him.
Sanai Agunbiade representing Ikorodu Constituency 1, described the late Chief of Staff to the Speaker as humane with a very good and large conscience.
He said he had an encounter with Olushesi where he spoke for few minutes but ended up telling Agunbiade a lot of things that when put in place, would change the world. He said since then, he had always “tapped from his fountain of wisdom.”
Another lawmaker, Abdulbaq Ladi Balogun, who commiserated with the Speaker said he had a brief encounter with the late Olushesi saying he wished the Speaker had a lot of Olushesis around him.
“He was never a hypocrite and would work behind the Speaker to ensure that the Speaker had no issues with anyone including the lawmakers,” Balogun said.
Leader of the House, Ajibayo Adeyeye, said: “I had the opportunity of seeing Mr. Olushesi briefly during his ailment and he had very strong will to survive and I believed he was going to survive. When this morning the Speaker told me he had passed on, it was really a surprise.”