THE E.B. GBONIGI THAT YOU PROBABLY DO NOT KNOW
By: Ifeoluwa Orimoloye

I was only about 10 years old when I had my first memorable encounter with Rt. Reverend (Dr) Emmanuel Bolanle Gbonigi, the then Lord Bishop of Akure (Anglican) Diocese. He was the pioneer Bishop of that Diocese between the year 1983-2000.

On this particular occasion, I was playing football as was the usual routine with Boys of my age when his car pulled up in front of our family apartment at Ondo road. He looked simple but had an air of grace around him. As I inched towards the car, he asked after grandma and the rest of the family. There was nobody at home and so he asked further, “Do you know me?”
I remember that I replied by mentioning the full names and his title as it appears in the Church bulletin at that time. He was quite amazed at the fact that a youngster like me could mention his name the way I did. Fifteen years later, Baba would later inspire me to champion the birth of the Youth wing of the Yoruba Unity Forum.
My Grandpa (who died about thirty years ago today) and Bishop Gbonigi attended the popular Meville Hall, now Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan.

Apparently, their relationship started from the clergy school and ever since they became families.
By the time grandpa departed away from the troubles of this world, Baba took charge and became more like a father to the children. He is the type that the Yoruba would refer to as a dependable ally, who demonstrated during and after grandpa’s existence the kind of friendship that is expected of human creatures.

It seemed like grandpa encountered so many challenges in the course of discharging his duties such that he found companionship in some of his fellow clergies including Baba. Granpa’s experience in the ministry is a story for another day.

The real motivation for putting this up is Baba Bishop’s exemplary life. I remember putting it up elsewhere that I revere people who, outside their usual duties do extraordinary exploits for humanity. I remember mentioning the names like that of Professor Soyinka. So it is with Baba, who some people refer to as the “Desmond Tutu of Nigeria.”
Grandma once told me the story of how a certain wealthy politician visited Baba in his Office attempting to influence him with a cash gift and how Baba rebuffed it and even other attempts to get him to receive the money. That is the extent of Baba’s integrity.

Even as a priest and a leader of the Church of Nigeria (Akure Diocese), he acted as a democrat and without fear resisted oppression in the days of the military incursion into our democracy.
Baba is one of the heroes of this generation not just because of his exploits as an activist or as a priest but because of his exemplary lifestyle which is further exemplified by people who have had an encounter with him.

Today, I pray for God’s grace upon Baba’s life so that he could continue to be an ambassador of humanity. However, whenever Baba gets the call to return home, one thing for which I am sure is that he would have left so many Bishop Gbonigis in this world; a descendent of honest and exemplary generations who will continue to advance the cause of humanity.