THE PASSING AWAY OF PROFESSOR SAMUEL ADEPOJU ALUKO

OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE ALUKO FAMILY

ON THE PASSING AWAY OF PROFESSOR SAMUEL ADEPOJU ALUKO

With a deep sense of loss, yet with great gratitude to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for a full and Christian life well-lived, we announce  the death of our exemplary husband, father and grandfather, foremost academician and consummate patriot Professor Samuel Adepoju Aluko, at 12.30 am (UK time) on Tuesday February 7, 2012, at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  He died peacefully and  painlessly with prayer and songs [“Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father”, etc.] after a brief illness.  At or very close to his bedside were  his loving wife of fifty-seven years, Joyce Anomoghan, some of his six children,  twenty-four grandchildren and other family members.

Born at Ode-Ekiti, Gbonyin Local Government, Ekiti State on August 18, 1929, he attended primary school at St. Mary’s School Ode-Ekiti and  Emmanuel School Ado-Ekiti, secondary school at Christ’s School Ado-Ekiti, and university at the London School of Economics.  He taught  and had top administrative duties at various educational institutions, particularly the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo  University) and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with sabbatical stints at the universities in Birmingham, Harvard and MIT, among others.   His service as adviser and social critic in public policy, politics and economics to various local, state and federal governments in Nigeria and  abroad are well-documented, a passion for which he demonstrated right to the very end of his life. He loved sports, travel and his family  dearly.

The outpouring of a sense of great loss, yet of love and admiration¸that our family has witnessed in print and by personal contact, from the  top of Nigerian society to the ordinary citizens for who “Papa Sam Aluko” had a passion, has been overwhelming. We thank everybody who  has got in touch with us or has tried to.  No greater joy do we have – or would he have had – to be so re-assured that he impacted not just our  family but the lives of thousands, even millions of other people in Ekitiland, Nigeria and the rest of the world.  Even in transition to the  glorious arms of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we hope and trust that fond memories of his illustrious life will continue to inspire  people.

Our now late Patriarch was known to have lived a simple life, and his burial will be kept so and dignified.  Within days of the arrival of his body  from abroad, he will be interned at Ode-Ekiti, further details of which will be released in the coming days.  In the meantime, we urge you to pray for us all as we plan these details; that as we mourn with dignity as Christians with hope, God in His mercy will grant all of us strength,  and journeying mercies to all who from far and near will travel to physically witness our Patriarch’s final celebration here on Earth.  He will be watching from Heaven, praise God!

Signed:  Professor Mobolaji E. Aluko

On behalf of the Family