ADIEU! Ogunyemi Bankole Taiwo

RIP TAIWO

Life is a journey.

Birth is the beginning

Death is the end-point.

As I pen this, I’m gravely gripped by gloominess and utmost disbelief  of the death of a friend and brother, who never said good-bye but travelled yonder above.

RIP TAIWO

Ogunyemi Bankole Taiwo, a brave, brilliant, boosterish, productive, young man whose passion motivated others even in the face of impossibilities.

Oh! I never knew that the 1^st of December,2012 marking our second time of seeing each other, would turn-out to be the last. I remember that gracious smile of yours, the intelligent analyses you made, the great thoughts you expressed, your well composed posture and your display of discipline and professionalism.

Dear Taiwo, even in our distant relationship, you motivated me at every phase of my life, preaching the necessity of a selfless yet productive and impactful life.

For real you have lived it by example.

Not even our widest and most sinister thought ever told us it would be this early. You only made a request through your  BBM(PM) : “I had an accident along Lagos-Ibadan xpress road plz pray 4 me dat I should survive it”. Unfortunately, you didn’t survive it.

It’s absolutely painful and incredible, that this generation has lost another great gem due to poor infrastructure and social systems in Nigeria.

My first encounter with this change agent was in November, 2011 at a training in Lagos. Though we had known each other only on phone at the instance of one of his landmark community projects dubbed “Warri Makeover”. Taiwo had called into one of my Lagos-based radio shows to talk about the makeover project and I immediately knew he was one of the few promising young Nigerians passionate about change.

As the months rolled by, Taiwo advanced through life, thriving whilst pursuing his passion either in social works, environment, tourism…he brimmed and shared hope. A soft spoken though intelligent young man, driven by the quest for excellence in selfless service to humanity and the world, TAIWO YOU’RE INDEED A MODEL. You’ll forever be remembered for all your good deeds. 

TAIWO, We love YOU, but GOD loves you more...Though short but productive was the life you lived, we can not question your maker for calling you home at this time.

TAIWO! REST IN THE BOSSOM OF THE SAVIOR TILL WE MEET AGAIN.

ADIEU! Ogunyemi Bankole TaiwO

RIP TAIWO