The remains of Mr Gbadebowale Wale Aboderin, late chairman of Punch Newspaper Limited has been committed to mother earth at the Ikoyi Vaults and Gardens in Lagos.
The funeral service which held on Friday at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, GRA, Ikeja Friday witnessed a large turnout of friends and family who came to pay their last respect to the deceased.
Delivering a sermon at the funeral, the Canon Residentiary of the church, Ven, Festus Olowosile who drew words of encouragement from Apostle Paul’s epistle in 1 Corinthians 15: 19 encouraged the family of the deceased to be of good cheer, knowing the late philanthropist has gone home to rest.
Urging repentance and good deeds from the members of the congregation, he harped on the ephemeral state of life saying; “You are not alive because you are an expert, you are not alive because of your wealth or travel experience, you are alive because God permitted it. Your life is borrowed, the owner will definitely request for it one day”, he said.
Ven Olowosile who quoted the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 condemned the prodigal state of the Nigerian society.
“There are many people today who living a prodigal life. The Nigerian society is a more or less a prodigal society. We squander money and waste resources. If you are living without being conscious of heaven, you are a prodigal child. The time has come for you to come back home.
“Death is inevitable; it is a reality and does not take any bribe from anybody. All we can do is to prepare for death. Not to be born at all is the best and death is better than life,” he said.
Former Lagos deputy governor, Mr Femi Pedro who attended the church service said the deceased would be sorely missed. “We pray for the repose of his soul and we thank God for the life he lived. It’s an exemplary life full of philanthropic activities and we pray that his gentle soul will rest in peace”.
Also, former Executive Chairman of NewsWatch, Mr Ray Ekpu who also paid his respect to the deceased said he attended the burial to honour the professional relationship between him and the deceased’s sister, Mrs Angela Emuwa.
Old students of Government College, Ibadan also paid their last respect, singing their school anthem at the funeral service. Staffs of Punch newspapers who wore lapel pins bearing the insignia of the late chairman’s image were also out in large number to honour the memory of the deceased.
The late Aboderin was born on the 17th of April 1958. He died on the 30th of May at age 60.
