Ex-minister, Oluwasanmi, Dies At 85

A former minister of state for power and steel, Chief Oyekunle Oluwasanmi, is dead.

Fondly described as an exemplary administrator, technocrat and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) boss, Oluwasanmi passed on yesterday.  His death was contained in a statement issued yesterday by his family.

Oluwasanmi served as the chairman of the board of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in 1992. He was also a board member of several companies including Kinley Securities Limited and Wise Health Services Limited.

In 1995, in recognition of his sterling administrative skills, he was appointed by the Federal Military Government as a member of the Committee for States and Local Governments Creation. He was part of a committee that advocated for the creation of Ekiti, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Gombe, Zamfara and Bayelsa states in 1996.

The deceased was appointed minister of state for power and steel in 1997. Under his watch, several reforms which positively impacted the nation’s power and steel sector were introduced.

A community leader worthy of emulation, Oluwasanmi was the Customs and Excise Area Administrator for Tin Can Island Ports and Calabar Ports. While in the Customs Service, Oluwasanmi attended various training programmes abroad and represented Nigeria at roundtable discussions on Customs operations in Finland, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Peru, Kenya and Australia.

He bagged several awards in the course of his career and retired voluntarily in January 1987 after years of meritorious service to the country and subsequently co-founded the law firm of Ibironke, Oluwasanmi & Co. along with his friend, the late Mr Adejuyigbe Ibironke.

Oluwasanmi was from Ipetu Ijesha in Oriade local government area of Osun State, where he was actively engaged in community-building initiatives till the very end.

A notable religious leader and philanthropist, Oluwasanmi was installed as Otun Balogun of the Anglican Youth Movement of St Paul’s Church, Ipetu-Ijesha, in 1991 and Baba Ijo of the same church in 2003. When the Ijesha North-East Diocese of the Church was created in 2009, he was installed as the Deputy Lay President of the Diocese. In Lagos, he was an integral member of The Fellowship of the Cross of the Chapel of the Healing Cross Church, Idi- Araba. He was a trustee of the Chapel for 14 years. He is survived by his wife, Mrs Grace Fehintola Oluwasanmi – (Nee Ayeni), children and grandchildren.