By Johnson Adebowale
Nigerians were recently charged with living a life worthy of emulation. This admonition was given at the memorial service organised by Lions International, Multiple District 404 Nigeria, at the Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Mess, Victoria Island, Lagos, to bid the country’s first chartered accountant, Akintola Williams, farewell.
Williams, who pioneered Nigeria’s accounting profession and was instrumental in developing the country’s financial sector, died on September 11 at the age of 104. He was also the founder of Nigeria’s Lions Club.
Speaking at the event, the club’s chairperson, Asiwaju Ayobola Samuel, advised Nigerians to live an exemplary life.
He urged members of the club to extend a helping hand to the less privileged in society, adding that Nigeria has continued to grow from bad to worse in terms of the welfare of the poor, and government and charity-based organisations such as theirs should focus on improving the welfare of the citizens in whatever way they can be of help.
Samuel harped on the need for Nigerians to be their brothers’ keepers while describing Williams as not only ‘’ a doyen of the accounting profession but also a doyen of the lion who lived a sacrificial life worthy of emulation.
“We are celebrating our founding father, Sir Akintola Williams; he was one of the fathers of Lions Clubs in Nigeria. He laid a solid foundation of Lionism by starting the first Lions Club with his 24 friends in 1964, and the club has a membership of 10,000 in Nigeria today.
“The impact of the Lions Club in Nigeria has been multi-dimensional, especially in the area of healthcare delivery and care in health facilities such as the University of Lagos (LUTH) and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LSTUH). We have a lot of diabetics’ treatment centers, eye screening centers, and treatment centers in those healthcare facilities. We have many diabetic treatment centers in Nigeria; we have one in Ede, Osun State, and Ota in Ogun State, among others.
“In the education sector, we have offered so many scholarships to many Nigerians, and we have also empowered so many Nigerians to acquire specific skills, particularly in the ICT sector, from which they can earn a living. We also have a programme about relieving hunger among the hungry, where we give food to people, both raw and cooked. My message to Nigerians is that we should be our brothers’ keepers, sharing whatever we have with them. The late Lion Akintola was a very humble person who never sought cheap publicity; he did a lot for the club and was able to positively impact the lives of so many people”, he said.
Past International Director, Lions Club, Hamed Olugbenga Lawal, described Williams as a man with a sense of duty, a compassionate, humble, and perfect gentleman whose life is recommended to every Nigerian, “adding that he would be sorely missed.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Kola Oyekanmi, gave kudos to the leaders in the club for their contributions towards the success of the event, adding that the great icon would be immortalised.
Past Council Chairperson and past Chairman, Council of Governors, Teslim Sanusi, said Akintola Williams lived an encouraging life worthy of emulation.
Past District Governor, District 404B, Dr. Funke Adebajo, also commended Akintola Williams for his humility, decency, integrity, and leadership style, while the host District Governor, District 404A3, Sakiru Adeniyi Balogun, described Akintola Williams as a harbinger of accountants in Nigeria who lived a fulfilled life.