President Bola Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Monday paid glowing tributes to late diplomat, renowned broadcaster and corporate leader, Dr Christopher Kolade, who recently died at the age of 92.
They spoke at the Service of Songs and Night of Tributes held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts (formerly National Theatre), Iganmu, Lagos.
Other dignitaries present were Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former Minister of Science and Technology, Olorunibe Mamora; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; and former presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
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Paying his tributes, Tinubu said Kolade lived a life dedicated to God and humanity.
He said “Few people bestride the arena of public service with the dexterity, confidence, and diligence that Dr. Christopher Kolade possessed throughout his life.
“He served his country with distinction, leaving behind a legacy of excellence for others to emulate.
“Through the Christopher Kolade Foundation, he extended his service to humanity by helping the sick, the afflicted, and the downtrodden. His work in supporting persons living with sickle cell remains one of the most significant achievements of his life.
“We do not mourn Dr. Kolade because we know he lived for God and for others. Our grief comes from the knowledge that the nation has lost a talented, passionate, and selfless individual. Dr. Kolade now belongs to the ages.”
Obasanjo described the late diplomat as a man who never sought personal gains and had to be persuaded to accept the position of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom during his administration.
He also revealed that Kolade played a key role in Nigeria’s successful debt relief campaign during his presidency.
“Chris and I have come a long way. I don’t have too many friends, but the ones I have are very dear to me—and Chris was one of them,” Obasanjo said. “I had to beg and persuade him to accept the position of High Commissioner in London.
Delivering her tribute virtually, Okonjo-Iweala also recalled that under President Goodluck Jonathan, he chaired the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), providing support to communities during economic reforms.
She said: “Uncle Chris was a shining example of how to serve his fellow women and men. Whether in the public or private sector. His leadership in both sectors is much admired and regarded by most as best practice. Calm, dignified and cerebral, his comportment even in times of stress was one that we all wanted to emulate.”
Delivering the sermon, the Archbishop of Ife Diocese, Most Rev. Olubunmi Akinlade, described Kolade as “a good man” who lived righteously.
“He was not a perfect man but a good one, and that is why God granted him the grace to live to the age of 93—to die and end like a righteous man,” he said.
Born in 1932, Kolade was at one time director general of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and was in the nation’s broadcasting ecosystem from 1960 to 1978.
He had his early education in Nigeria, and his university education at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
Kolade was also CEO and chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, often lending his voice to corporate governance and social responsibility subjects across several boardrooms.
Before he left for the UK, Kolade was part of the faculty of the Lagos Business School as lecturer in corporate governance, leadership and human resource management from 1995 to 2002.
After his diplomatic assignment, he returned to the Lagos Business School to continue his teaching and research programme and in February 2009, he was appointed pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of the Pan-African University.
He was a fellow of the Institute of Directors, the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, the Nigerian Institute of Management (where he was president from 1985 to 1988), and the Institute of Personnel Management in Nigeria where he served as president from 1988 to 1994.
Kolade was conferred with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2000.
The funeral service will be held today (Tuesday) at St. Peter’s Church (Faji), Lagos Island, Lagos, by 10am.
