By Sunday Oyinloye
It was a gathering marked by heartfelt tributes, fond memories, and deep gratitude as family members, friends, professional colleagues, and associates came together to honour late Dr. Lateef Olaniyan at the Egbe Omo Igbomina National Secretariat, Ganmo, Kwara State.
Speaker after speaker reflected on a life defined by kindness, humility, generosity, broad smiles, and an uncommon commitment to the wellbeing of others.
The testimonies came from different walks of life and different stages of his journey; former classmates, family members, religious leaders, professional associates, community leaders and beneficiaries of his generosity. Yet, they all told the same story.
To his classmates at Playfair Memorial College, Oro-Ago, Kwara State, he was cheerful, dependable and kind. To members of his community, he was a philanthropist who invested in education, healthcare and human development. To colleagues and associates, he was a compassionate professional whose life revolved around serving others.
For those who gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of the late Dr. Lateef Olaniyan, the tributes painted the portrait of a man whose greatest wealth was not measured by his achievements as a pharmacist but by the countless lives he touched.
A secondary school classmate of Dr. Olaniyan at Playfair Memorial College, Oro-Ago, Chief Rotimi Ajisafe, described him as a generous man who touched the lives of many members of the school’s 1976 set, adding that he was kind to a fault.
Recalling their school days in the 1970s, Ajisafe remembered Dr. Olaniyan as an excellent basketball player and an ever-cheerful student who had a remarkable ability to make others happy.
Another classmate, Pastor (Mrs.) Ariyo, described Dr. Olaniyan as calm, compassionate and friendly. She said one of his greatest qualities was his reliability.
“If you gave Dr. Lateef something to do, you could go to sleep because you were certain he would deliver. He was reliable and dependable,” she said.
An Aviation Engineer based in the United States, Akande Adebayo, who attended the service said he met Dr. Olaniyan in Moses Lake about 15 years ago. According to him, the late pharmacist was more concerned about the welfare of others than his own.
“You could never be sorrowful around him. He had a good heart. Dr. Olaniyan was voted the Best Pharmacist in Moses Lake for the last five years. He was very supportive of the community,” Adebayo recalled.
Also testifying to Dr. Olaniyan’s exemplary life, the General Secretary of the Omu-Aran People’s Forum, Mr. Bode Owolewa, described him as one of the pillars of the organisation, particularly in funding education-related projects.
He said the late pharmacist never wanted to see any child drop out of school because of financial hardship.
“Dr. Olaniyan was always among the first people to donate whenever we made an appeal. He was exceptionally supportive,” Owolewa said.
It was also not surprising that the management and crew of the Igbomina Mobile Clinic also paid glowing tribute to Dr. Olaniyan, whom they described as one of the architects of the initiative.
Until his death, the mobile clinic had provided healthcare services to 254 communities across Kwara South. The management disclosed that Dr. Olaniyan consistently supplied drugs for the outreach programmes, adding that “his legacy endures in the structures he helped build and the countless lives he impacted.”
In his tribute, the Superintendent of CAC Oke-Igbala Adura, Ogbomoso, Osun State, Prophet Matthew Israel Oyelade, said:
“Dr. Lateef’s legacy reminds us that true greatness is measured not by wealth or status but by the lives we touch. His devotion to promoting good health, relieving suffering and advancing humanity will continue to inspire generations.”
The Klub Executive, Omu-Aran, which Dr. Olaniyan was a member, also extolled his virtues. “Since becoming a member, the Klub Executive has benefited immensely from his large heart in the execution of communal capital projects, free healthcare services, welfare packages for widows and the less privileged, among others. Dr. Olaniyan was selfless service personified. He wore other people’s problems like garments, as though he had no personal concerns of his own.”
Speaking on behalf of the family, Alhaji Mufutau Olaniyan described his late brother as God’s gift to the family, saying he positively impacted the lives of members of the extended family and the larger community.
Similarly, the Asanlu of Omu-Aran paid glowing tribute to Dr. Olaniyan for his humanitarian contributions, particularly his support for community development projects, including the provision of boreholes.
Delivering a sermon, Pastor Michael Olayemi, another classmate of Dr. Olaniyan at Playfair Memorial College, Oro-Ago urged those present to emulate the late pharmacist’s virtues.
“Dr. Olaniyan was a kind and generous man who used his God-given resources to uplift others. In many ways, he died for all because he lived for all,” he said.
Although those who paid tribute to Dr. Lateef Olaniyan encountered him at different stages of his life’s journey, their testimonies converged on one enduring truth: he lived a life of service, generosity and compassion.
Dr. Lateef Olaniyan has gone to be with his Maker, but he left footprints that time will not erase.
