I’m proud of that. Bless you Rasheed for the friendship of more than 50 years and for your generosity to me and my son. Rest In Peace, dear man, until we meet again. Greetings to your warm family in Lagos !
Tributes
Leave a tributeI’m proud of that. Bless you Rasheed for the friendship of more than 50 years and for your generosity to me and my son. Rest In Peace, dear man, until we meet again. Greetings to your warm family in Lagos !
Rasheed had the ability to look at the same set of facts as everyone else, but put his own interpretation on them.
Nigeria will miss his particular skills at this time.
RIP
my thoughts to family, friends, colleagues and fellow musicians!
in fact he did better than me in his exams, and showed great determination to do Economic Development at a post-graduate level...
I am so glad that his persistent endeavours lead to such excellent results...
First was when he had just built his Kunbi Haven in Ikorodu, an edifice country home which was few meters away from my dad's house.
I visited him one day in the company of Uncle Bashir, a craftsman who worked with him briefly and while Bashir was working in one of the living room upstairs, i sat by his side in the garden and he asked me, have you gone inside to see what it looks like. I answered no and he said go in and take a look and come back and tell me what you think. I was barely 15 years old at that time. Memory still lives in me till today. I came back and told him it is a beauty to behold and he said to me "make sure you work hard to be able to live in such a home when you grow up".
Those words l will never forget. I met him again a couple of other times on brief visit to his Ikorodu home during festive periods. I met him again at Dr Odia Ofeimun's birthday in NIIA amd immediately i introduced myself to him and refreshed his memories of me, he said to me, "oh make sure you make Ikorodu proud".
You lived life very well and you made impacts in people.
Continue to rest well Chief Rasheed Abiodun Gbadamoshi OFR.
I miss you so much. I miss your encouragement your laughter your advice and so much more. I know you are happy where you are and you can be very proud of all you did with us. Your grand children miss you too. Sleep well Dad till we meet gain.
Your Son Bimbo
We both had a keen interest in economics, and I am sad we didn't have the chance to talk about contemporary issues.
Always remembering.
Both his immediate family and Nigeria as a whole have incurred a great loss, and my thoughts are with his family.
I remember the last time we met in your study at Parkview, little did I know that it will be the last time! I cannot forget all the pep talk we had in Nigeria, Canada and England and will miss you very much uncle. We love you but God loves you more. E sun re o, omo eluku mede mede ...
Inevitably, our paths would cross; R.A.G as I fondly referred to the late Rasheed Gbadamosi was close to joining the Federal Civil Service but decided against it based on his late father’s guidance. He followed another path by cutting his teeth in the private sector. As fate will have it, our paths still crossed in the vibrant social scenes of Lagos in the early 1970s.
R.A.G and I instantly clicked; we had a common love and appreciation for economics and finance. This was demonstrated in both our career paths – while I spent most of my early career in the civil service, Rasheed excelled in the private sector and was constantly rewarded and acknowledged by the government of the day on different occasions. At the tender age of 29, he was appointed as a Commissioner of Economic Planning in the executive council of the Mobolaji Johnson administration of Lagos state. Later he served on the board of NIDB and much later served as the Minister of National Planning under the government of General Abdul-Salam Abubakar. He went on the serve in various other capacities publicly while combining this with an illustrious prvate sector career sitting on the board of many companies (both private and publicly quoted) whilst notably being the founder and Chairman of RAGOLIS water, a renowned bottled water company.
Rasheed had a fine mastery of the English language as shown in the forward he wrote in my book that I authored in 2011 to celebrate my 70th birthday – ‘ A Life of Service.’ I quote a paragraph from the forward with nostalgia:
‘Endowed with a sound academic training and retraining and depth of mind cultivated by application of acquired knowledge to contentious, complex economic issues, Sola Dada’s mind is as fertile as the challenge of resolving the proverbial many-handed economic issues that do not admit of a particular, singular resolution. ‘
Rasheed was also a patron and lover if the arts. All over the arts circuit in Nigeria, he was known and will be missed. He acquired a vast collection of artwork over his lifetime and he encouraged me and I in turn came to love and appreciate art. I can attribute a few pieces in my collection to his influence. This love of art and culture possibly also his influenced his choice as the Co-Chairman of the Lagos @50 Committee.
R.A.G and I shared so many memorable moments together. Some time in the early 1990s when I had just built my country home in Aiyede-Ekiti, Rasheed and his beautiful wife made the long journey down and spent time there with my family and me. He made several more trips to Aiyede-Ekiti and many more memorable moments were shared. In turn, Lola (my wife) and I spent many weekends and Salah celebrations with Rasheed and his family at Ikorodu.
We also played ADC to one another at our children’s wedding ceremonies by wearing the same aso-oke and most notably, when I buried my father in 2003, R.A.G was by my side and we were robed in the same regalia for the burial ceremony.
R.A.G was a loving husband, a doting father, a loyal friend, a brilliant mind, a professional to the core, a non-tribalized Nigerian, a true son of Lagos and a devout Muslim.
He lived a fulfilled life and had a purposeful sojourn on earth; his gallant deeds will be remembered for a long time to come.
In the Lagos@50 monthly series in which we celebrate the five Lagos divisions known as I-B-I-L-E, this December was to have been the turn of Ikorodu, third in line, and Rasheed's early play, ECHOES FROM THE LAGOON, was already scheduled. In the process of reacquainting myself with his works, I was reminded of Gbadamosi's early creative promise. I wrote him, lamenting that the artistic world had lost him to business. It is impossible to quantify the personal consolation I derived from having sent him that note just a forthnight or so before he took his leave of us.
In strict terms of course, the artistic world never lost Rasheed. That was were his soul was, and he manifested it in the commitment that made him turn his estate into a vast exhibition gallery of Nigerian painters, to which many flock till today. Rasheed - let this be stressed as a public challenge - Rasheed put his money where his heart beat! Both young and old generation artists will testify to this in abundance.
But finally, he left us. Fate is often cruel, very cruel when hope has been raised. I had been optimistic, not only optimistic but proactively so. At the start of our collaboration, I confess I had been skeptical over his stamina. He looked frail, so I protested to him and his minders - Tell him to take it easy. He needn't come to this or that meeting or whatever event. Rasheed had his own ideas however, and insisted on nearly full, productive participation. So I changed gears. I had recognized a fighter, and I found it challenging. I now became querulous when I failed to see him at an event - let him do more and more, I insisted. It was doing him good, so I demanded more of the same for him. And he still owed me that visit...!
Only a few weeks ago, we had lunch together - a working lunch, drawing up new options for an open frustrating exercise. On that unsuspecting day, I watched him undergoing his physiotherapy session before we proceeded to lunch, prepared by his deceptively light framed but courageous wife. How was one expected to have remotely conjectured that this was to be our 'Last Supper' together!
Adieu, dear aburo, adieu." - Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka
RAG as we fondly call him. A giant of a kind in our group. The curtain came down suddenly and you were gone.You were kind, generous and unpretentious, you gave one of the best to the group for which you will be loved, cherished and remembered. Despite the lofty height which you have achieved in life, you remained one of us with humility, love, understanding and grace. Adieu my friend and REST IN PEACE
L I B S E T 1960
Adieu dear Uncle, you'll be missed.
Funmi Ijiwoye.
Father of my dear friend and brother Bimbo Gbadamosi, Rest In Peace Sir.
All our great ones are leaving us. He was one of them...... Sigh!!!!!!
Adieu Sir.
A great man of the love of arts ,crafts and culture.
Not enough words can compliment your works and achievements
Our nation will miss you..
Rest in peace sir.
May Almighty Allah raise chief Gbadamosi amongst the righteous and consider him a blessed soul on the day of judgement. (Amin)
May Allah grant the families, Lagos state and the entire nation the strength to bear the irreparable loss.
My chairman, Chief Gbadamosi was a poet, an art collector, very informed man and a man with a very high business acumen. Whenever one meet with chief, you ate sure of knowledge increament in all facet of life.
Live on chief.
You will be missed. Every now and again smile on us with that lovely smile. Uncle, May your soul rest in perfect peace.
Leave a Tribute
I’m proud of that. Bless you Rasheed for the friendship of more than 50 years and for your generosity to me and my son. Rest In Peace, dear man, until we meet again. Greetings to your warm family in Lagos !
Rasheed had the ability to look at the same set of facts as everyone else, but put his own interpretation on them.
Nigeria will miss his particular skills at this time.
RIP
my thoughts to family, friends, colleagues and fellow musicians!
Please be patient.
Echoes from.the Lagoon.by Owei Lakemfa
I HAVE tried to write the story of Chief Rasheed Abiodun Gbadamosi a number of times in the last 14 years. But it had been a gargantuan task I have postponed a number of times, and circumstances had postponed a few times. Although we did not agree ideologically, but he was a humanist whose point of connection with people were their humanity, intellect and capability.
A man of ideas, when you made a good point, he conceded. Even when you are on different sides on an issue, he still reached out. He was Chairman of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency,PPPRA, which many Nigerians see as the government’s instrument for increasing petroleum product prices, and thereby adding to the suffering of the people. In 2004, while on my way from Abuja to coordinate a publicised mass street protests against fuel price increase in Lagos, I met him in the aircraft. Naturally we discussed the planned protest. When we landed, he asked if I had a car, I shook my head and he said let me give you a ride. I hesitated and explained that I knew he was headed for Lagos Island or Victoria Island while I was going to Yaba, which was off his way. He smiled and said “You are going to the NLC Office?”, I nodded. Don’t worry, I am not complaining, I will drop you off”.”
He was politically committed without being partisan. In 1990, there was a split in the Social Democratic Party,SDP, over the choice of the party’s gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State between Femi Agbalajobi and Dapo Sarumi. Rather than lose the election, there was a clamour to pick a neutral person in Gbadamosi. But he made it clear he would be unavailable to be the SDP’s flag bearer in an election the party was greatly favoured to win.
Gbadamosi was considered an establishment man and a highly successful industrialist to whom partisan politics was an anathema. So when the military regime declared Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola wanted for declaring himself President of Nigeria despite the annulment of his Presidential victory, they could not have suspected Gbadamosi to be sheltering him.
Gbadamosi was one of Nigeria’s best sons who began an unbroken service to the country 43 years ago when at the age of 29, he was appointed Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Development. He was one of the 49 ‘Wise-men’ who drafted the country’s 1979 Constitution and Minister of National Planning.
Very few Nigerians have traversed as much area and made as significant an impact on various facets of the Nigerian national life as Gbadamosi. His life, taken along with that of his father, read like the industrial history of Nigeria. That story began with the father establishing his own business in 1934 and taking on the transnational United African Company, UAC, in a trade war over garment manufacturing in the country. To gain the upper hand, the Senior Gbadamosi imported Japanese machines to produce cheaper under-wears than the UAC. He subsequently went into tobacco distribution, ceramics production, brewing and was instrumental to the establishment of one of the first indigenous banks, the National Bank to rival the British colonial banks; Barclays Bank and the Bank of British West Africa.
Gbadamosi who returned to the country after his graduate and post-graduate studies in Britain and United States, started work in his father’s company. He built on his heritage by becoming a major player in virtually all sectors of the economy, from construction and engineering to metal works, textile, insurance, pension and computers. He was a pioneer manufacturer of bottled water with his Ragolis brand; the name derived from his initials, R.A.G.
So the Gbadamosi story is in a way, the critical narration of the Nigerian story from the perspective of one of its most active, articulate, brilliant and conscientious sons. It is the story of Nigeria from the prism of a man who served it with demonstrable distinction in the public and private sectors, was entrusted with ministering to the country’s planning needs and who was conferred with the national honour, Officer of the Federal Republic, OFR, in recognition of his distinguished contributions.
His story and that of the country is neatly woven in five major areas. First, it covers part of the country’s industrial development in the last 70 years.
Secondly, his story in the past four decades, is a history of public service at top policy positions across areas like Economic and Industrial Development, National Planning, Constitution Drafting, Electricity, Railways, Tertiary Education and External Debt Rescheduling.
This also has international dimensions including his leading the Nigerian delegation to the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) 1998/99 meeting and assisting in the relocation of sixteen United Nations agencies from Lagos to Abuja.
Thirdly, it encompasses the oil sector; the country’s monoculture in which he was for over a dozen years involved in its monitoring, policy formulation and sustainable development. The 323-page book, The Story of the Deregulation of the Nigerian Downstream Oil Sector which he co-authored with two others; Funsho Kupolokun and Oluwole Oluleye, is a veritable resource material on the sector.
Fourthly, the Gbadamosi and Nigeria stories are linked in the genre of literature, visual arts and music; areas which defined various stages of social life. Gbadamosi, a master story teller himself with six plays and thirty short stories to his credit, interacted or worked with masters in these fields from Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, through Femi Osofisan and Bruce Onabrakpeya to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Ola Rotimi who was his senior in secondary school. He worked closely with Fela whom he met in a London underground train in 1961. In 1970, they co-founded the Nigerian Association of Patriotic Writers and Artists, NAPWA, Gifted musician, Wole Bucnor was NAPWA President, Fela, Vice President and Gbadamosi, Secretary. Until he passed away, Gbadamosi helped to keep Fela’s legacy alive. He also contributed to the construction of the new Afrika Shrine.
Gbadamosi is also one of the three major art collectors in Nigeria, and financier of various art genres including film, and emergent talent.
Fifthly, he worked with, interacted or was familiar with many builders of modern Nigeria from Chiefs Obafemi Awolowo, Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Fatai Rotimi Williams and Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, to Generals Mobolaji Johnson, Olusegun Obasanjo and Abdulsalami Abubakar. At the level of industry, he interacted with men like Dr. Christopher Kolade and Chris Ogunbanjo while in the media, he was home with the giants like Alhaji Babatunde Jose, Sam Amuka, Alade Odunewu and Segun Osoba, who was his classmate. Despite his demise, I have not given up trying to write the Gbadamosi story; he earned his place in the history of our country.
Source: Vanguard Newspaper, 21 Nov 2016