Adebayo Adenrele
The former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, on Saturday paid a condolence visit to the family house of former member of the House of Representatives, Bimbo Daramola in Ado‑Ekiti, following the death of his father, Francis Daramola, who passed away at the age of 99.
Speaking during the condolence visit, Fayemi described the late Daramola as a remarkable personality whose life of service, mentorship and commitment to community development left an enduring legacy in Ekiti.
According to him, the deceased was widely regarded as a respected figure who played significant roles in shaping many lives through his wisdom and guidance.
Fayemi noted that the late patriarch was an exemplary figure who served both God and humanity with dedication throughout his lifetime.
He described him as a teacher, father, mentor and a philosopher king, adding that he maintained a reputation as a friend to all and an enemy to none, always seeking opportunities to contribute positively to the growth of his community and society at large.
Fayemi urged the family to take solace in the fact that the deceased lived a long and impactful life, stressing that his memory should be celebrated by emulating the values he stood for.
His words, “Baba was a superstar, as you can all attest to, whether in the community or those of us that he reared as children from school, or in the greater Ekiti environment. FAD, as he was popularly known, but I will use his initials.
“He was just an exemplar in many ways. He was a teacher. He was a father. He was a mentor. He was a philosopher king and he looked out for everyone.
“As I said inside, he was friends to all, enemy to none. At every opportunity that he had, he served his God, he served the people, the community, and the greater good.
“For us, we never want to see anything happen to our older ones. We want to see them. We want to see them. We want them to be with us forever. But the reality is that God, at an appropriate time, would always call them.
“God called Daddy at the time he was supposed to call him. That’s how we must see this. As people of faith, we would miss him greatly.
“My brothers and siblings and other family members would always recall moments, several moments with him. I was just thinking inside about how Daddy, when I was in office, would come and not for anything in particular, just to chat with me, or because he had noticed something that he thought government needed to do something about or take an appropriate action.
“He would come and we would discuss it and we’d act on it because we never want to incur his wrath. He was never angry, but he would make his position known to you.
“And I wouldn’t say my brothers and family members should not miss him. He would be missed greatly, or that we should not mourn him. Yes, we should celebrate him, but in celebrating him we must also recall the way he treated everyone.
“No matter how young you are, you are important to him. Young, old, rich, poor, he was there for all.”And the only way we can remember him, the only way we can mourn him, is to emulate his ways of service and sacrifice to God and community”.
