Kunle Adelabu
-As hundreds of family members, dignitaries, residents bid him farewell
It was indeed a great ending for the late Asiwaju of Ikorodu and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Babatunde Olushola Benson, SAN, KJW, at his burial service on Friday, July 16, 2021.
Many dignitaries, who came from far and near, defied the heavy downpour of the early hours of the day to pay their last respect to Chief Benson who was the only Nigerian to ever occupy the position of the General Secretary and President of the NBA, at the Patriarch Bolaji Methodist Church Nigeria, Ita – Elewa, Ikorodu.
The remains of legal giant, who was until his death the Chairman of the Lagoon State Movement, pioneer Chairman of the African Bar Association, former Member of the International Bar Association and also former Member of the Body of Benchers, was finally laid to rest in his estate at Owode – Ibeshe in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Mr Olumide Akpata, NBA President, led senior lawyers and other legal practitioners, including Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, to the burial service. They were all decked in their gown legal regalia.
Also, the Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, led many judges in the state to the burial service to also pay their last respect to the revered legal luminary.
Chief Ike Nwachukwu, a former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, a former Minister of Works, among many other important dignitaries were also in attendance.
There were also many Archbishops, Bishops, Presbyters and other Ministers in attendance.
Many traditional rulers, who could not attend the funeral service due to traditional beliefs, sent their Staff of Office alongside their chiefs to represent them.
His Eminence (Dr) S. Ola Makinde, CON, GPJ, Prelate Emeritus, Methodist Church Nigeria, who delivered the sermon, said that late Chief Benson fought a good fight and finished his race in life faithfully.
“I knew that he prepared for his death.
“When I prayed for him that he’ll live longer than his father, Baba Benson rebuked it and said that he would be satisfied with 89 or 90 years.
“Indeed, Baba fought a good fight, finished his race and remained faithful for 89 years out of which I knew him for 55 years”, Dr Makinde said.
“Baba, my adviser, finished his own race and fought a good fight as a father and head of the family. He finished a good race for Ikorodu – Oga.
“He fought a good fight in the society and made it better. Through this, he became the Asiwaju of Ikorodu.
The former Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, while also recalling his encounters with late Benson and his impacts, said that he served the Church creditably and offered free services.
“He fought a good fight in the Church.
“He served at all levels of the Church up to the World level and he never took a kobo for all his services to the Church.
“He didn’t collect money for his briefs for the Church and he used his own money for travelling expenses undertaken for the Church.
“He founded B.O. Benson Educational Foundation and made substantial donations to the Church without making noise about it. He did his own things silently.
“He was instrumental to the Church reconciliation and ensured that the Church remains one.
“He fought for the creation of the Ikorodu Diocese”, he recalled.
The Preacher also recalled his experience with late Benson which taught him how to write good official/ business letters.
“One day, he (Baba Benson) just came into my office when I was still the Chaplain to Prelate Mbang and asked me to close the door because he didn’t want anybody to come in during our discussion. I thought that he wanted to give me money, rather, he chastised me for my inability to write a good formal letter, cautioning that there was no point praying and asking after his family in such a letter because of the engagements of the recipient”, he said while the congregation burst into laughter.
“He taught me that in such a letter, my first paragraph should contain the main reason I was writing. He taught me how to write an official letter”, Dr Makinde added.
Conclusively, His Eminence Makinde, who also recalled many other encounters and impacts of late Benson, said that the deceased will enter the Kingdom of God for his good works.
His sermon received a standing ovation from the family, associates and friends of late Benson and hundreds of others that graced the burial service.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Olumide Akpata, in his tribute on behalf of the Bar, acknowledged the impacts of late Chief Benson in the development of the NBA, adding that the late legal giant and others paved the way for his Presidency of the noble body.
“Baba Benson indeed fought an astonishingly big fight in the legal profession. He got to the topmost echelon in the legal professional career”, Akpata said.
“He was indeed our star and many do not know that he was the legal practitioner in Nigeria on record to have served both as the General Secretary and also President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
“He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria about 40 years ago. That was the peak of his professional career.
“He had mentored so many lawyers. One of his professional sons is today the Chief Judge of Lagos State.
“If I have been able to become the President of the NBA, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants like Baba who built the association to what it is today and gave us the platform that we’ll continue to rest on to achieve”.
He commended late Benson for nurturing and supporting the Ikorodu NBA as its grand patron till his death.
“We used the word icon anyhow but today, I am proud to see one occasion that we have used the word correctly”, the President said.
“From the NBA, we say a very big thank you to the Prelate Emeritus and Archbishops.
“To the family for giving us this great opportunity in joining you in sending forth such a great man that we had the opportunity and privilege to associate with, God bless you all”, he said.
Former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Ike Nwachukwu who also spoke during the service, described late Benson as good in – law who was loved in the Eastern and Northern parts of the country while also thanking God for the life that he lived.
During the service that lasted several hours, there were also special tributes for the late community leader and outstanding elder statesman by the Council of Knights, CMS Old Grammarian Society and others.
Late Benson, who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in March 1983, was also Baba Oba of Ibesheland and Ojodu among many other honourary chieftaincy titles that were bestowed on him while he was alive.
