PA LATUNJI SHARES MEMORIES OF LATE SON, DR. MICHAEL LATUNJI
Pa Bandele Ayodele Alfred Latunji
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
… Recounts his Grief on Losing World Class Doctor.
… Advises Nigerian Government to make Best Use of Diasporans
Dr. Michael Adebola Latunji, a renowned medical doctor based in the United States is one of the many great professionals flying the flag of Nigeria abroad. The contemporary of the likes of Sir Olu Okeowo, wealthy industrialist and Prof. Ogundipe, the Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos recently bowed out after battling colon cancer for years. Until his demise, he was the Medical Director of Correctional Institute New York City, USA. His fond memories remain with friends, associates and family. Though painful, and especially mournful for an African parent, the father Pa Bandele Ayodele Alfred Latunji shared his feelings about the son’s demise with Oki Samson of Trek Africa Newspaper. In a sombre mood, Pa Latunji recounts Dr. Adebola’s life and times and wishes that Nigerian government will maximize many Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora.
Trek Africa: Sir, we are talking to you on the invitation of your family because Dr. Latunji is a renowned Nigerian doctor in the US, tell us how you feel about his demise?
I was not expecting him to predecease me -Pa Latunji
Pa Latunji: Dr. Michael Adebola Latunji is my son and even though he’s my son, I used to crack jokes with him that he is a day older than me. My own birthday is 24th November and his own birthday is 23rd November so I crack jokes that he’s older than me.
He attended CMS Grammar School, Bariga Lagos and one of his peers is Professor Ogundipe, the current Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos. They met at CMS Grammar School and since then, they’ve been friends. Another friend of his is Sir Olu Okeowo, he’s a very rich man, he lives in Ikoyi.
When he got to US through American visa, he won the American visa lottery and went with his wife. He went to the US on credibility with his wife, Busola Latunji who is now a nursing sister in the US. It is rather unfortunate that he should die so young. My father died at the age of 100, my mother died at the age of 90, I am looking at 88 now. By November I’d be 88 and I was not expecting him to predecease me but man proposes God disposes. He was very nice, a gentleman, very helpful. If you go to him with a frowned face for lack of funds, you will leave him with a smiling face. He has sponsored many people through University in the US and he has helped friends buying cars for them, buying motorcycles, tricycles for them and then even though one was deported, he has never shown any anger against him, he’s a very nice gentleman and it’s very difficult for him to hurt a fly. When he was alive, he made sure that I was comfortable, gave me three cars.
Trek Africa: What would you miss about your son?
Pa Latunji: I miss his generosity because he has been taking care of me, taking care of the mother and taking care of the elder sister, we are missing him. We only pray that we will meet again at the bosom of our Creator.
Pa Latunji
Trek Africa: He was a surgeon in the US, wouldn’t you rather have him practice in Nigeria than in the US?
Pa Latunji: The situation in Nigeria is unpredictable and when he got his Visa and before any professional can practise in the US, you have to pass their professional exam which he did with flying colours so he had the intention of coming to Nigeria to establish a business and to join politics, I advised him against it because all his earnings can never be made satisfactorily in Nigeria by Nigeria government so I told him to stay over there and I prayed for him but (sighs) I already made him the executive of my business, executive of my real estate but I never knew that he would die before me.
Trek Africa: What do you think led to his death?
Pa Latunji: He had colon cancer and he was operated on, that was about two or three years ago, and we thought he recovered it but when he came last year, the colour of his palms had changed to black and he had inflamed face, we never knew that was the last visit he would make here. He met some of his friends and he entertained them and they too never knew that would be their last time to see him.
Trek Africa: What message do you have for the president of Nigeria, with this kind of professionals abroad that are been lost?
Pa Latunji: His death is a very big loss to Nigeria, a professional at that level. I thought that at that point in time he would retire from the US, come to Nigeria and offer his assistance to his Fatherland but …
Our government should encourage our citizens who are professionals, so they would work for Nigeria. Send them for professional courses outside Nigeria to acquire better experience and then on coming back, part of the experiences that would be exhibited would be exploited with availability and acquisition of better medical equipment so Nigerian Government, under Buhari should try as much as possible to encourage Nigerians to return with their better qualifications even if they go abroad but come back to work with a better salary, better working conditions, and infrastructures too because when you have qualified personnel and the environment you have overseas is not available here, you’d more or less be a misfit, the government should encourage them by supporting them to acquire and make available every necessary professional equipment.
Nigeria is as it is now, with the little experience I have, I was once private secretary to Dr. Majekodunmi, former Minister of Health of blessed memory and also the private secretary when he became the administrator of the Western region, the little experience I had then is of great tremendous help to me because in many occasions we had to attend WHO conferences abroad, overseas, we visited so many continents. By then, I never knew my son would become a doctor of high caliber. Then, we used to attend WHO conferences in Geneva, then we went on official delegations to many countries including the Soviet Union, Italy, France, Britain, the United States, Argentina, Brazil. Nigeria still has a lot to do.
