SYNW MOURNS THE DEATH OF ROUF ABIOYE, 2016 AND 2017 WINNER OF THE FAGUNWA INTER-SECONDARY SCHOOLS YORUBA LITERARY CONTEST –PERFORMANCE POETRY CATEGORY.
The Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) on Sunday joined friends and extended family of Chief Abioye Oyejide (JP), the Baale of Oyedeji Village to mourn the death of their son, Late Rouf Abioye, a performance poet and a member of the Society of Young Nigerian writers (SYNW) who died recently.
A press release signed by Mr. Wole Adedoyin, SYNW National President on Sunday, said they received the news of the death of the late performance poet who is also a member of Ibadan Book Club with shock and pray that his soul should rest in eternal peace.
SYNW believes that the Late Rouf Abioye, a two term winner of Fagunwa Yoruba Literature Prize will be remembered for his submissiveness, thoughtfulness, dedication to excellence and the profound understanding of human affairs exhibited in his oral poems.
In a bid to immortalize the young performance poet, the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) has instituted an annual prize in his memory tagged “Rauf Abioye Teen Writers Prize”
The umbrella body of young writers in the country further urged members of Chief Abioye Oyejide’s family, his fellow colleagues and all who mourn him to take solace in the knowledge that the much admired poet’s beliefs, views and insights will live forever through the body of works he has left behind.
Rauf Abioye was born to Chief Abioye Oyejide (JP), Baale of Oyedeji Village and Mrs. Serifat Oyejide on the 1st of March, 1999. He attended St. David Anglican Primary School, Abidi Odan, Ibadan. For his secondary school education, Late Rauf Abioye attended and graduated from Bashorun Ojoo High School in 2017. During his secondary school days, Late Rauf Abioye participated in the two editions (2016 and 2017) of the Society of Young Nigerian Writer’s annual Yoruba literary event tagged “Fagunwa Day” also known as “Fagunwa Inter-secondary School Yoruba Literary Competition” where his school, Bashorun Ojoo High School emerged winner under the performance poetry category. Late Abioye Rauf eventually gave up the ghost on the 29th of March, 2020.
The literary body finally expressed their condolences to the Chief Abioye Oyejide (JP), the Baale of Oyedeji Village and to the people of the pen community for the loss of one of their own.