From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Former President of the African Mathematical Union (AMU) and The African Academy of Sciences (TheAAS), Prof Aderemi Kuku, who breathed his last on February 13, 2022 at the age of 81 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, was on Friday buried in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The funeral service was held at Oritamefa Baptist Church, Total Garden, Ibadan, which was attended by dignitaries from all walks of life, including National President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev’d Supo Ayokunle; former Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Otunba Bamidele Dada; and Bishop Adewale Solarin.
Kuku, ex-chairman, Committee of Deans of Postgraduate Schools in Nigerian Universities and one of the iconic members of staff of the University of Ibadan, was a recipient of Nigeria national honours, including Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in 2008, Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) IN 2009 – the highest honour in Nigeria for academic excellence
Wife of the deceased, Dr. Felicia Kuku, a former Commissioner in Ogun State from 1987 to 1992, and their four children, Dolapo, Kemi, Yemisi and Solape, as well as grandchildren, were also at the funeral service to pay last respect to the former vice chairman, First Congress of African Scientists, Brazaville in 1987.
High-powered delegations of the Nigeria Academy of Science, Committee of Deans of Nigerian Postgraduate School in Nigeria, Eko Boys High School Old Students’ Association in Lagos, Egbe Babayo of Ijebu, and the Otunbas, among others, also graced the burial service, which was preceded by a service of song on Thursday at the Emeritus Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. However, the church service was followed by interment at the Oritamefa Baptist Church Cemetery, and reception at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.
In the sermon, entitled: ‘We Are All On The Queue For Our Flight’, delivered by a retired pastor of Oritamefa Baptist Church, Rev’d Remi Awopegba, he called on Christians to always prepare for heavenly journey in order not to miss the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Christians, according to him, should always be prepared, adding that “as soon as you are born, you are placed on the queue.” He advised all and sundry to emulate the good legacy of the late Professor of Mathematics at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics(ÍCTP), Italy, which is a United Nations Research Centre for Mathematics and Physics.
He enjoined Christians to abstain from lie, adultery, fornication and other vices so that sins would not hinder them from entering heaven. He added: “It is an appointment, we all cannot runaway from. We are waiters for the coming of the Lord or to be called home. When you are on the queue, you will meet many people, but not all are going to the same destination as yours.”
Awopegba also paid glowing tribute to Lulu, saying: “He served God till the very end. He was a total man, extremely bold and courageous, love to speak the truth. He had been a blessing to the church and the nation at large.”