A former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Michael Koleoso, is dead.
He was aged 86.
Koleoso, who was the SSG during the late Governor Lamidi Adesina’s administration between 1999 and 2023, was said to have died in the early hours of Monday, September 2, 2024.
He was the National Chairman of the defunct Alliance for Democracy.
Meanwhile, the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has described Koleosho’s death as “The end of a glorious era.”
This was contained in a statement seen by Chronicle NG in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Tuesday.
The statement read, “I received the news of the death of Baba Michael Koleoso, the Babalaje of Saki with shock and sadness. Oyo State and Nigeria have lost a great patriot and selfless leader, one of the last men standing in the batch of leaders who gave their all to make Nigeria a better place.
“People who know me know that I had a special bond with Babalaje; I held him as a father and had the utmost regard for him, as he was a courageous and upright leader who spoke truth to power. We’ve relied on his guidance and wealth of experience in guiding our great state to greatness, and Babalaje did love this state till his dying days.
“I express my condolences to the Koleoso family of Saki, his political family spread across the state and Nigeria as well as the people of Saki and Oyo State. It is the end of a glorious era and we can only pray to God to grant repose to the soul of our Baba.”
Born into the family of Emi-Abata of Saki, on April 30, 1938, Koleoso had his primary education at Baptist Primary School, Ajegunle, Saki and later proceeded to the famous Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo, where he was from 1957 to 1961.
He later proceeded to the School of Hygiene, Eleyele, Ibadan for his Ordinary National Diploma in 1965, then went for his Advanced Certificate, today’s equivalent of HND, in 1965 and 1966.
The late politician joined the civil service of the Western Region with the position of Head of the Health Department of the old Saki District Council.
He spent years in the service before dabbling into business.
His first establishment was Esmak Nigeria Limited which exists today and focuses on commodity distribution, transportation, real estate and hospitality.
His entrepreneurial ability soon became legendary, just as did his lifestyle of order, balance, discipline and self-restraint.
Koleoso was elected unopposed as Councilor in the Ifedapo Local Government Area of the Old Oyo State in 1976.
In 1979, he was elected into the Oyo State House of Assembly as the representative of Ifedapo Constituency on the platform of the Chief Obafemi Awolowo-led Unity Party of Nigeria.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")