By Taiye Olayemi
The Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) mourns late former Attorney-General of the Federation, Bola Ajibola, who died on Saturday, April 8, aged 89.
Its National Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, in a statement on Sunday described late Ajibola as “a superb patriot, a totally committed public servant, a detribalized world citizen and one of the greatest Nigerians that ever lived”.
“As I made the reform of Nigeria’s copyright system the work of my life, Prince Bola Ajibola and the late Prince Tony Momoh were my principal partners.
“In the building of the copyright system in Nigeria, they were my mentors, my supporters, my backbone, and my advisers.
“After I had organised a major, noisy and historic picketing of his Federal Ministry of Justice office at the Marina in Lagos, in the agitation for copyright reforms in Nigeria, Prince Ajibola did not show any animosity towards me or take any offence.
“He understood that my interest was the progress of the Nigerian nation. We struck a bond of friendship and trust that has lasted many years, every promise he made to me, he kept. He was a man of his words.
“The exceptional relationship that existed between me and this unassailable gentleman and my admiration of this very brilliant man are captured in my book, “Copyright and the New Millionaires” and several editions of my weekly column, “Saturday Breakfast with Tony Okoroji”,” he said.
Okoroji maintained that he had unlimited access to the deceased’s Marina office where he was always welcomed like a cherished younger brother.
He said that the fact that he was a completely unknown Igbo boy made no difference to late Ajibola.
“On November 2, 2015, at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel, I had the privilege of publicly decorating Prince Bola Ajibola with the “Copyright Grand Medal” and presenting him with a plaque in appreciation of his incomparable work for the nation.
“It was a most joyous occasion for me.
“Bola Ajibola was an exceptional patriot and lover of the Nigerian nation, a legal mind par excellence, a consummate administrator, and a very good man.
“With the passing of Prince Bola Ajibola, the Nigerian nation has lost an irreplaceable icon,” he said. (NAN)
