05/10/2025
The Evil of late Remi Oyo!
By Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq.
Anti Remi!
Every day, your absence weighs heavily upon us.
We feel it deeply—not only because you touched our lives,
but because you lifted so many of us to heights
we could hardly have imagined on our own.
The evil of late Remi Oyo
You were the one who secured jobs for us—
from Managing Directors of newspaper chains,
to Assistant Directors in Federal Ministries,
from former Commissioners and Special Advisers,
to officers in Immigration, Customs, and the Police,
to accomplished journalists in many newsrooms,
and to thriving entrepreneurs who still carry your imprint.
You ensured that each of us found a path
that aligned with our dreams.
You encouraged, supported, and strengthened us—
psychologically, financially, and spiritually—
even after you had already helped us stand.
You taught us passion and diligence:
"Ko se gate na gbe o si, so gate ni dada ju hian egbe re."
(If you are posted to man the gate,
be more watchful and committed than all others.)
You reminded us that the extra mile
is what sets one apart.
And indeed, it has worked for us all.
You never allowed us to be trapped
in the embarrassment of daily needs.
Your flat on Joseph Harrison Street, Iwaya Onike, Yaba,
was a refuge for us all.
Your wonderful children, Otte and Okemute,
never once looked down on us—
even though we were always around,
seeking food, money, or counsel.
Anti, we even enjoyed the home more
when warm, kind Uncle Vincent Oyo was present.
He too never saw us as nuisances,
but as family deserving of love and dignity.
You lived true to the Yoruba dictum:
"Olowo kan larin awon to ku die fun."
(One wealthy hand among many can lift all others.)
Yes, Anti, you lived beyond our imaginations.
Even while driving your old Renault car,
you opened doors that enabled us to own exotic cars—
sometimes finer than yours.
And when those cars broke down along the Ibadan–Lagos expressway,
you never hesitated to send money,
batteries, or tyres to rescue us.
Though it took years before you owned your own house in Lagos,
you encouraged and even part-financed some of us
to build and move into ours long before yours was complete.
You urged us to read, to study, to improve ourselves—
for with you, one sure way into your heart and wallet
was through educational advancement.
You pushed me to pursue a Master’s in Peace and Conflict Studies.
You lured me toward Green Growth and Travelism at Hasselt University in Belgium—
and though I did it after your passing, it was your inspiration that carried me there.
You always wished me to be a lawyer.
Today, I stand called to the Bar—sadly, after your death.
Even Ojo-lanre Oluwabukola Cecilia Oluwayemi too my daughter, was called to the Bar before me.
But life has not been the same since you left.
You are simply irreplaceable.
You were a mother in truth and in deed.
You chastised with love,
corrected with wisdom,
clothed our nakedness,
fed our hunger,
and gave us dignity when we had none.
And they think we will not miss you?
We miss you every single day.
The shoes you left behind are too big,
too wide, too expansive for anyone to fill.
Okun o, Anti mi.
Okun o, Anti Ayiye.
Omo Olekedooba l’Usi-Ekiti,
Omo Owa, Omo Ekun,
Omo orire ndade.
Sun re l’orun!
