The family of the late Benin billionaire and philanthropist, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, also known as Captain Hosa, has officially announced his demise
The family, in a statement issued in Benin late Sunday evening, however, craved the indulgence of all sympathisers to mourn their late son in privacy.
The head of the family of late Evangelist Robert Amos Okunbo of Orhua Town in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State, to which the late commercial pilot belonged, Dr. Tinyan Okunbo, announced the death saying, the late businessman “passed on in the early hours of the 8th of August 2021 after a gallant fight with pancreatic cancer”.
Dr Tinyan Okunbo’s statement was made available to the media by late Captain Okunbo’s media consultant, Samuel Ajayi.
The family, however, thanked God for a life of service and dedication to humanity that the late businessman lived.
“We do not mourn like those that have no hope and we take solace in the fact that he lived a good life and he has gone to be with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” the statement said.
“The family would want to thank everyone for their prayers and support all through this trying period.
The family, however, craved the understanding of all and sundry at these trying times and would want the immediate family to be allowed to “grief in privacy”.
The statement further said that further announcements would be communicated at a later date.
Nigerian Tribune recalled that the last public outing of Okunbo was on September 19, 2020, when he joined other Edo voters to cast his vote at the George Idah Model Primary School, Ihama, GRA, Benin City, during the ESO State governorship election.
Captain Hosa, at the voting centre, looked pale and frail and briefly talked to the press, where he expressed the hope that the will of the Edo people would prevail at the end of the voting.
Some four days later, information filtered in that the late billionaire, had jetted out of the country to the United Kingdom to attend to his failing health.
His departure, however, generated a row between his family and the Edo State Government, which issued a statement, wishing Captain Hosa “quick recovery”, even when the former had not announced that he was ailed by any disease.
Okunbo’s family immediately issued a statement, denouncing the attempt by the Godwin Obaseki administration to politicise the health of the Benin philanthropist, reiterating the only God Almighty could determine the fate of all mortals.
Few weeks late, in October, 2020, the family of the late billionaire had to also issue a statement dispelling the rumours making the rounds then that their son and bread winner had passed on.
Captain Hosa was a retired Commercial Pilot and a business magnate, with a business profile spanning over 30 years.
He started early in life, having graduated at the tender age of 21from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre, Zaria as a professional Commercial Pilot
He was a man of many parts with diverse business interests in oil and gas, maritime, aviation, agriculture and real estate.
Until his demise in the early hours of Sunday, August 8, Captain Hosa was the Chairman of PPP Fluid Mechanics Limited, a crude oil logistics company,
OMS Tankers Ltd, owners of the first indigenous marine tankers in Nigeria;
Westminster Security Solutions Limited, a franchise of Westminster Group Plc UK; Wells Habitat Limited, a company partnering the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency; Hoslyn Habitat Limited, a foremost design, construction and landscaping company among others.
In 1997, he joined other Nigerians to nurtured the idea that led to the introduction of transparent ballot boxes for use in Nigeria’s elections, and also participated in numerous national and international fora as a resource person and has been honoured by different organisations and institutions.
He held an Honorary Doctorate Degree of the prestigious University of Benin for his contribution and benevolence to humanity as well as his achievements as an entrepreneur.
Credit: Nigeria Tribune