Past and present leadersW of Rotary International yesterday gathered in Abuja to pay tribute to the late past president, Jonathan Babatunde Majiyagbe, who died on May 2023 at the age of 89 years.
Majiyagbe served as vice president of the Nigerian Bar Association between 1975 and 1977 and as a member of its National Executive Committee from 1975 to 1978, while in 1980, he was conferred with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
In 2003, he became the first African to be appointed president of Rotary International, at the time, a 100-year-old humanitarian service organisation with over 1.2 million members worldwide, and was thereafter appointed chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Rotary Foundation in 2008.
The district governor of Rotary International for District 9125, Goddy Nnadi, while speaking on a Night of Tributes in honour of Majiyagbe organised by the Rotary Club of Abuja Metro and Imagine Rotary, said Majiyagbe’s death was a big loss to the Rotary family of over 1.2 million volunteers across Nigeria, Africa, and the world.
According to Nnadi, his contributions to service to humanity put him as an exemplary Rotarian.
“It is a great loss to all Rotarians but more to us Africans. A fine gentleman, a quintessential and great Rotarian has just gone to answer the call of his maker.
“Our loving thoughts and prayers shall accompany the soul on his path upwards. May his good works as a Rotarian stand for him on his journey home. Adieu to our great hope, a great gift to Africa,” he said.
Speaking on lessons learned from him, he said; “In Rotary, we say if something is wrong, let us fix it. What we have all learned from Majiyagbe’s life is that when you behave well, when you give yourself, when you give to society and you reflect what people say about you.
“For the younger ones, I will advise them that today is a new beginning. We are not mourning him because at 89 years, he tried. He has done everything, he was a good family man, a good Rotarian, a good professional, and all of those who saw him witnessed that. He was not arrogant. He was not rude. So, all we have to do is to learn and do the right thing in life.”
Former district governor, Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said news of the passing on of Majiyagbe came to him as a shock due to their closeness, adding; “He was a daddy and a man of character who respected himself always and always took responsibility for his actions.”
