TEARS, TRIBUTES AS NIGERIA LOSES FIRST FEMALE CHIEF SUB-EDITOR, FLORENCE WURAOLA ADEWOYIN
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
Nigeria’s first female chief sub-editor, Deaconess Florence Omolola Wuraola Adewoyin has been buried amidst tears and tributes but with total submission to God. National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP, can report that the veteran journalist, Deaconess Florence Omolola Wuraola Adewoyin whose shock demise occurred last week in Lagos passed at age 57. The funeral activities were well-attended by many of her colleagues in the Fourth Estate of the realm.
In his message at the funeral, Pastor Adedamola Adebolu Salako who is the Pastor of late Wuraola Adewoyin at The Apostolic Church Nigeria
Abule Egba District took the Bible reading from Revelations 14:1-14 charged everyone to live a life of righteousness which lead them to heaven. Pastor Salako warned ‘We have those who are not going to go to heaven, we have hell and we have heaven. We have 6 sets of people who will not go to heaven, and if you are one of those I mention, please change your way before death comes, in other to make heaven. They are the Coward, they are afraid that, they can’t accept Jesus into their lives. The rebels are those who work against the gospel of Christ Jesus’. The Late Olori Wuraola was born in The Apostolic Church and died as a Deaconess in the same church. Such consistency!
In his tribute, another clergyman, Bishop Isaac Ajibose from Faith Evangelical Church noted: ‘Olori Florence was an accommodating person, a lover of all, most especially the children. She is a lover of all. She was a great supporter of anyone that comes across her, I remembered when she came to Ota to buy land, She encouraged the youth in her environment by giving them jobs to do and to date, they are grateful to God and her.’
‘Her death came as a surprise but everything God’s created are good things. He prayed for the family that God will comfort them and be with them during this period.’
A childhood friend, Madam Florence shared: ‘Late Omolola Florence was my childhood friend for over 3 decades. We cross each other’s paths at Kayode Street at Onipan Lagos and since then, we do all our things. Aside from bearing the same name Florence and we are born the same month, she senior me by 2 days. We give birth at the same time then and we share each other problems. She was a kind-hearted woman, my pain is her pain, my joy is her joy and she always stood by her friends anyway, anytime. We are both members of the Apostolic Church. Her death came as a rude shock to me.’
Another close family couple described the late Omolola Florence Adewoyin as an accommodating woman and a supporting system to all, who always want others to progress in life. ‘She is truthful and trustworthy. He appeals to the children to wipe their tears because their mother is in a good place, that if only God can open our eyes to see where she is, we will continue to be thankful to God. After all, l know If God judge us by our behaviour, I am saying with my heart that she is in a good place. It’s not about how long but how well.’
A neighbour, Alhaji Mustapha Olaniyan described late Florence as a loyal person, ‘The late Florence stood by my family come rain, come shine and always looking for a way out. Religion apart, I advise us to have good behaviour.’
Members of her Old Student Association at St. Louis High School, lbara, Abeokuta, Ogun State stated: ‘We are 1985 sets. After our secondary school in 1985, we all went our separate ways until 10 years when we all reconnect again. One thing about her is that she was a hard-working person and a giver. We will miss her greatly as nobody can replace her space.’
‘Until her death, she was actively involved in the planning of the 40th anniversary of our school, we were to meet before her sudden departure. It saddens my heart that I was not able to see her before her death. The association have agreed to adopt the woman who took care of her during her sickness.’
Her immediate younger sister and Publisher of Citizen Compass News, Mrs. Bosede Adelaja, ‘Since the death of our elder sister in 2007, she had took up the responsibility of a mother to us. and she had been there for us, even when we lost our mother in 2014, she was indeed a great mother. During her lifetime and even in her biography, it stated that she had 13 children which comprise her children, our elder sister’s children and her adopted children. She nurtured them to be who they are today. She does not joke with her family, she is our mother and our father on both sides.’
‘We call her organiser. She is the one that relates with our father’s tenants and signed all documents for us. I believe as she is laid to rest, God will console us because it is only God that can comfort us.’
Olori Florence Wuraola Amoke Adewoyin (nee Oyedele) born on 4th of March, 1966 started her career in Journalism at the defunct Comet Newspapers in 2000 from where she proceeded to ThisDay Newspapers in 2003 and grew to become the first female Chief Sub-Editor in Thisday Newspaper and the first ever female Chief Sub-editor in Nigeria. She pivoted from journalism to Training Consultancy in 2012 when she joined Tom Associates, Lagos. She retired from active service in 2017 and took her side hustle of over 15 years as her main job up till her final moments. She was an alaga iyawo with a smooth blend of both the traditional and contemporary spices.
Her brilliance with excellent diction shone early at Shiloh Primary School, Agege, Lagos and St. Louis High School, Abeokuta, Ogun state that one of her teachers invited her father Chief Amos Folorunso Oyedele to school to personally appeal to him to do everything within his powers to ensure that her education wouldn’t stop at the secondary level, and that she would go ahead to attend higher institution.
Though, her parents were both lovers of education and needed no convincing on that front, the teacher’s advice further fueled their resolve to ensure they gave all their children quality education. Young Wuraola did not only attend higher institution at Ogun State Polytechnic where she studied Mass Communication from 1988 – 1993 graduating with an Upper Credit, after which she proceeded for the mandatory one year NYSC in Edo State where she got awarded the Chairman’s Honour at the end of service, she also had her Masters in Communication and Language Arts at the University of Ibadan where she graduated with distinctions in 2012.
She had a stint at NTA 12, Ogbe Abeokuta where she worked as a Newscaster for her Industrial Attachment.
As a lifelong learner, she went beyond the traditional classroom in her quest for knowledge. In 2005, she alongside 3 other Nigerians got scholarships to obtain diploma in journalism at the India Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, India where she beat scores of other journalists to clinch the first position. A staunch believer in the Nigerian project, she proudly flew the flag and brought the glory to her home country. She’s a CMD Certified Trainer and a member of Nigerian Institute of Training and Development.
Princess Florence Wuraola Omolola Adewoyin was a mother indeed for her children, Ayobami Tiwalola, Prince Okikiola Oluwatobiloba, Princess Olatide Adetomiwa and Prince Adesoji Olayinka. She had so much room for mothering that she mothered her children’s friends, she mothered her friend’s children. When she wasn’t mothering, she was sistering. She sistered younger colleagues at every place she has worked, mentoring and nurturing. She just had this incredible room for all. She loved her God with all her heart.When things were rosy, she confessed God’s love for her, when things were thorny, she kept confessing the love of her Savior Jesus Christ, her consistent chorus being ‘Mo mo pe Oluwa feran mi o, I know the Lord loves me.’
