Chief Augustine Ademola Adeleke Ayo has been laid to rest on Friday at the Ikoyi Cemetery after the Funeral Mass at the Saint Leo’s Catholic Church, Ikeja, with the reception at the All Seasons Event Center, Lateef Jakande road, Ikeja.
The week long funeral program of the Otun Aare of Osogbo and Seriki Generalissimo of Ijesha-Land started on Tuesday 7th May, with Service of Songs conducted by the St Joseph Society at his residence, 1B Obadana street, Omole Estate, Ikeja, Lagos.
On Thursday 9th May, the wake-keep took place at the St Leo’s Catholic Church.
Funeral Mass started 10am on Friday 10th May at St Leo’s Church and interment followed immediately at the Ikoyi Cemetery.
One of his son, Bayo Ayo who spoke on behalf of the family during the Funeral Mass expressed gratitude to God for a life well lived by their father. He thanked the Church for their support since the demised of Chief Augustine Ayo.
Thanksgiving Mass will take place on Sunday 12th May 2024 at the St Leo’s Church, Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
BIOGRAPHY
The reputable journalist died 25th of March 2024 at the ripe age of 89 years. Born 15th August 1934 in Lagos to Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Adedoyin Ayo.
Ade had his primary education at St Benedict’s Catholic Primary SchooL, Osogbo and attended Ilesha Grammar School for his secondary education.
He joined the then Nigerian Railway Corporation where he rose to become a station master preferring to remain in and around the northern parts of Nigeria so could nurture his entrepreneurial skills which saw him sending goods down the south for sale as a side hustle.
It was no surprise that he returned to his birth place in Lagos to settle his young family having gotten married to his beautiful and dotting wife, Mrs. Christiana Ayo in June of 1963, first at Ebute-Meta before moving to Ikeja. They both remained married for 61 years and blessed with 6 children and many grandchildren.
While at the railways, he was a foremost activist and trade unionist which informed his socialist ideologies and tendencies which he brought to bear on his activism, but later opted for an early retirement from service of the Nigerian Railway Corporation upon his transfer to Nigerian Ports Authority.
In the course of his union activities, he was elected the Publicity Secretary of the Trade Union Congress where he took every advantage presented before him to attend courses, seminars, and conferences on labour activities which saw him attend prestigious Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Ibadan, the Friedrich Ebert Institute, Germany and obtained his MBA from Harvard School of Business Studies.
His writing and oratory skills earned him a pride of place amongst his peers as he became a favourite features on labour and international affairs in many newspapers like the defunct Daily Times, Sketch etc.
It was therefore not surprising that when he opted out of the Railways, he naturally ventured into mainstream journalism to become the first African General Manager and later Managing Director of Drum Publications Limited at Yaba.
Augustine Ade Ayo later left the company to form his own outfit ‘Life Magazine’, which unfortunately was short-lived as the general interest magazine market had become more competitive with modern colour Publications with emphasis on social events. He thereafter took up position of Managing Editor of the Republic Newspapers until the publication was rested. He was appointed as Director of the Ondo State Radio and Television Service by the administration of the then Military Governor of the State, Late Commodore Bamidele Otiko.
He later became a freelance writer and prominent BBC and VOA correspondent in Nigeria and West Africa. His job as a unionist as well as a journalist, afforded him the opportunity to travel far and wide, he was a consummate collector of memorabilia of every country he visited.
Augustine Adedamola Adeleke Ayo by 1980 bestowed the title of Otun Aare of Osogbo and the following year 1981, took on his maternal ancestral title of Seriki Generalisimo of Ijeshaland, a title held by his maternal grandfather, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, the great warrior and hero of the various Yoruba wars of the 19th century till his death in 1914.
He was an active member of Yoruba Tennis Club, where he was a Social Secretary and Financial Secretary, he was also a pioneer founder of the Thursday Lunch Fish Group and served as the Coordinator of the Centre table of Excellence. At the Island Club, he was a member of multiple committees and the last being the Coordinator of the Elders’ Forum of the Club. At both clubs, he managed and edited the clubs’ magazines and journals for years, he is best known as the curator of the history of both clubs. Other clubs he belonged are the Lagos Country Club and Club Arcade.
His commitment to the church and activities was topnotch, a very prominent member of the St Leo’s Catholic Church for decades. As past president of the St Joseph’s Society in the church, he spearheaded and supervised the renovation of the church alter and to his credit, the marble works on the alter as well as the all-marble installation of seats and tables of the St Joseph’s cubicle in the church. This did not diminish his full involvement in other church programs and activities.
Known for his sharp dress sense, his witty oratorical speeches, Augustine Adedamola Adeleke Ayo was at home with the microphone, his big frame decked in his signature suits and/ or his Oyo Alaafin specially sewn traditional full agbadas usually stood him out in the crowd like the fully matured iroko tree which fell at dusk on Monday 25th day of March 2024 shy of his 90th birthday in 15th August 2024.
