17th February, 2022
By Adekunle Williams
Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, has described Prof. Tunde Samuel, an International Consultant for UNESCO and UNICEF, who died on Wednesday as a titan whose positive roles cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
Obasa made this known during a condolence visit to the home of the deceased on Thursday in Lagos to commiserate with the bereaved family.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Samuel, a chieftain and founding member of All Progressives Congress (APC) and member of Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), died on Wednesday night at the age of 73.
The late don was one of the founding fathers of Lagos State University (LASU), where he was both a member of the implementation committee and two-time member of the Provisional Governing Council.
Samuel was also a retired Professor of Political Economics of Education and former Chairman of the Governing Council of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Otto-Ijanikin, Lagos.
Obasa described Samuel’s demise as a big blow and a pain that would be too difficult to bear, not only by people of Agege community, the APC as a family but also, the GAC and the entire people of Lagos.
“His importance to the state can never be over-emphasised. He was a passionate indigene of the state whose thoughts, actions and activities were all geared toward strengthening democracy in Nigeria.
“As an academic, he helped the state to establish a firm foundation for educational growth and progress, with his imprint in our own Lagos State University and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija, Epe.
“This was where he was the pioneer provost and later, as Special Adviser on Education to Sen. Bola Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos.
“It is worthy of note that his activities in government brought Lagos many laurels and further helped to put the state in a vantage position in the country,” he said.
The speaker noted that the deceased also served as Chairman of Governing Councils of both Federal University, Oye-Ekiti and Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa.
“We will continue to miss his wisdom, knowledge and understanding of how Lagos and Nigeria should be run, for the utmost good of the people. We will miss his advice and productive efforts to keep APC united in Lagos.
The speaker, on behalf of his colleagues, prayed God to grant the late professor’s soul a peaceful repose and his immediate family, friends and associates the fortitude to bear the loss.