Family, friends and wife of Oyo State Governor, Florence Ajimobi were moved to tears when the daughter of late Dr Nurudeen Olarinde revealed how her father predicted his death two months ago.
Teslimat Olarinde, the eldest child of the late former Commissioner of Economic Planning and Budget in Oyo State, told a gathering in Igbo-Ora, Oyo State during the third day Fidau prayers for her father that the deceased, took a full-size portrait of himself two months ago in Abuja and gave it to her as obituary picture.
In an emotion-laden narration, Teslimat said her father, who came to visit her in Abuja two months ago, asked her to get a photographer, who took his portrait.
“At night, when the photographer brought the portrait where he was waving and smiling, my father said he deliberately took the picture to bid the world bye-bye’’.
“He called me by my praise name (oriki) , Asabi, and directed that once am gone, make sure you use this particular picture as my obituary portrait’’.
Teslimat said that she initially took the directive as a joke until the reality dawn on her when he took ill and later passed on with all the children and wife by his bedside.
“I will not cry for my father again because, he worshipped his Creator Allah till he breathed his last and told us to remain resolute on the righteous path’’she said.
She used the opportunity to thank Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state and other family friends for their supportive role during her father’s illness.
Earlier in his sermon, Ustaz Isa Ayede reminded all guests that death was the only thing Allah created that would go round all creatures, urging all not to be disillusioned about the sudden death of Olarinde.
Ayede said that though, Olarinde did not lived long as expected by people, he survived his father by five days and impacted greatly on people across all sectors.
He, however, called on family and friends of Olarinde to continue the legacies left behind by the late former commissioner, saying that was the only way to immortalise him.
Earlier, Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun of Olabisi Onabanjo University led other retinue of Islamic scholars to recite various portions of the Holy Quran to pray for the repose of the soul of Olarinde.
In attendance at the third day fidau prayer were Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Secretary General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Ishaq Kunle Sanni, Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo State, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, National President, Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA) and Yusuf Alli (SAN).
Others were traditional rulers from Ibarapa Councils, Muslim Communities, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), members of Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP), members of the state executive council, lawmakers at both state and federal levels among others.
Dr Nurudeen Olaniyi Olarinde died on Saturday Dec. 28 at the age of 59, five days after the death of his 96-year old father, Pa Jimoh Okekunle Olarinde, leaving behind three children and a wife.
He was a three-time commissioner in Oyo state, having served in Ministries of Finance and Education between 1998 to 1999. He was re-appointed commissioner for Economic planning and budget by Gov. Ajimobi of Oyo State in 2011 till Aug. 2013.