Shettima, Osinbajo’s Wife, Others Pay Tribute to Late Gbemisola Olowolafe

•Umo Eno, Hyacinth Alia, James Ibori, El-Rufai, Gbajabiamila, others grace tribute night

Sunday Ehigiator

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, alongside the wife of Nigeria’s former Vice-president, Dolapo Osinbajo, and the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, lead other dignitaries in a night of tribute, and service of songs, held yesterday in honour of the late Mrs Gbemisola Olowolafe, wife of the Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, who passed on March 11, 2025.

The solemn event which was held at the Eko Convention Center, Lagos, played host to several notable dignitaries, including the Minister of Defense, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John; Former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, Nasir El-Rufai; and the Former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

Others included the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Hamzat; the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, ably represented by the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Stephen Aribasoye, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and Former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, amongst others.

The night was opened by a bible reading by the deceased grandchildren, Irewole and Ayofoluwa Anani, who charged the atmosphere with the verses from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, verses 1 to 11, which discusses the idea that life has its seasons and times for various activities, emotions, and experiences. The passage also touches on the idea that humans can’t fully understand or control the workings of God, but can appreciate the beauty and order in the world.

In his Tribute, Vice President Shettima described the late Gbemisola Olowolafe as a matriarch of grace, a philanthropist without a financier, and a believer in the sacredness of humanity.

According to him, “To speak of her in the past feels like a betrayal of the very spirit she radiated, so tender and so filled with purpose, that even death seems an insufficient forgery.

“But such is the paradox of our mortality. It comes not to erase, but to reveal. In her absence, we see more clearly the quiet revolution she sparked. In her home, in her community, to humanity, and in the hearts she healed with nothing more than her kindness, her laughter, and her care. She lived not for herself, but for others. And that is the greatest compliment each of us will ever have, no matter the height we climb in our pursuit of meaning.

“It’s a grief that speaks not of mere loss, but of a love forged in eternity. From this day, she will be remembered through the silence that now echoes louder than words, the silence that only a great soul leaves behind.

“Mrs. Olowolafe’s life reminds us of the urgent need to live deliberately, to love without conditions, to serve without seeking recognition. She challenges us, even in her transition, to be better, to give more, to live as though we are passing through, and indeed we are. Let us therefore not dwell on the pain of her departure, but rather on the purpose of her life.

“Let us not ask why the candle burned out, but be grateful that it has gone so brightly. Her journey may have come to its early end, but her legacy is now immortal, imprinted in deeds, in values, and love.”

He therefore encouraged her family to be consoled by the knowledge that she fulfilled the goal of her Maker with honor, that she ran her race with dignity, and that she had returned home to rise among the saints.

Also speaking, Mrs Osinbajo described Gbemisola Olowolafe as a true witness of Christ, who lived an exemplary life just as her maker required of her.

According to her, “The scripture says that Christians are to be witnesses unto the Lord, from Jerusalem to Judea, to the uttermost parts of the earth. Meaning you are to be a witness and show forth Christ from where you are and go farther and farther out till the whole world is covered with the glory and knowledge of the glory of the Lord. This is what I found in Sister Bimi (as she fondly calls her).

“When you see her and she speaks and she hugs, you could feel the love of God. You knew that this was what set us apart from everyone else. It was loving people.

“Even in the fellowship and in the church, those who were naughty, Sister Bimi would not let them go. Those who were drunk, Sister Bimi would follow them and chase them down. In the field, she worked hard.

“And Scripture says that in all labor there is a profit. So I know for everything she did in the church, in the children’s church, in the women’s fellowship, she is receiving her reward now. She was a witness of Christ.”

Speaking in a brief remark, the bereaved husband, Dr Olowolafe, shared a heartwarming anecdote about meeting his wife 47 years ago at the University of Ilorin.

With a touch of humor, he revealed how he had to resort to creative measures to win her love, including falsifying his age to appear older and hiding his passport from her for two years, till when it was too late for her to turn him down. In a surprising twist, he disclosed that his efforts were unnecessary, as she was only a few months older than him.

Speaking further, he described his late wife as a woman of grace, compassion, and steadfast faith, who dedicated her life to uplifting those around her.

According to him, “The greatest truth of my life is loving Gbemisola. We worked through life’s greatest joys and hardest valleys together. We bonded not just by love, but by fate, and shared loss. Her strength was quiet, but unyielding.

“She was extremely generous, sometimes too generous with her time. She gave her time completely to others. Her warmth, kindness, and quiet generosity touched countless lives, and her legacy of service and love will endure for generations to come.”