News
At 80, Lagos GAC member, Omoba Sosanya opens new chapter in his book of life
By Segun Ajiboye
Birthdays are not mere occasions meant for only celebrations, during which glasses filled with vintage drinks are clinked and sumptuous delicacies munched. They are also opportunities for introspection and expression of gratitude to God for the grace to be alive and be counted among the living.
For Omoba Samuel Olumuyiwa Abayomi Sosanya, who turns a new page on his book of life on August 6, 2023, as he clocks 80, it is a rare opportunity to worship his creator for a beautful and richly-rewarding eighty years.
Omoba, who is an authority in the Nigerian accounting sector, his word is his bond, and he wears integrity like a badge of honour. This, for sure, is a trait that he brought to bear in his dealings as a politician and strategist as he continues to do his things with a heavy touch of human face.
And expectedly, when the consumate accountant and political strategist rises from his ornate bed on Sunday, August 6, to witness the beginning of a new beautiful day, he will surely have more than one reason to be joyous, apart from the grace to survive the mysteries of the days and nights in the past one year.
With his eyes focused on the celebration of his eight scores on earth, the shrewd politician and strategist would surely begin to rise from his ornate bed with good health and behold each new beautiful day with more than one reason to be joyous.
Though some young generation of Lagosians, nay Nigerians, would know him for political sagacity and contributions to the development of Lagos State, particularly in the last 23 years, many others would know him as the dogged fighter, thinker, strategist and principled man who helped to birth the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN).
A man blessed with a clear vision; Omoba Sosanya was prodded early in life by the desire to leave his imprints on the sands of time. And like a colossus, he stands heads and shoulders above his peers in several spheres of our national life.
And if you have ever wondered why he is heartedly attached to Lagos, where he has been a constant player in the progressives family, you are most likely going to find the answer in his birth place. Pa Sosanya was born at 6:00am at the prestigious Massey Street, Maternity Hospital, Lagos.
His parents were Daniel Olusanya Sosanya of Rokodo and Ogunsere, Ruling Houses of Odemo of Isara Remo and Juliana Olufunke Sosanya of the Sataloye Ruling House of Alaye Ode of Ode Remo, both of blessed memory.
Like most kids of his generation, he started his Accountancy career after secondary school education in 1963 with a firm of Accountants in Lagos, Messrs Alabi & Partners as an Account and Audit clerk.
Even at such young age, most of his contemporaries already knew he would one day be an accountant. In the neighbourhood, if there was any need to add up some difficult figures, young Olumuyiwa always came to the rescue.
To confirm what many had suspected, on 23rd December 1966, he travelled to England and had his accountancy education from 1967 to 1972 at Westminster College of Commerce (now Westminster University) Victoria, London, as a day release student, while serving Articleship with Messrs John R. Kom & Co, 512/514, Brixton Road, London, SW9.
He studied and completed the examination of the Chartered Institute of Taxation in May 1971, and that of the Association of International Accountants in June 1972. He became an Associate member of the two bodies on 6th August, 1971, and 14th March, 1973, respectively.
On 5th April, 1973, he was issued with the practicing certificate of the Association of International Accountants, and commenced public practice under Samuel Sosanya Company at 40, Church Street,
London NW8. His practice was first of its kind to be established by a Nigerian in the history of accountancy profession in the United Kingdom.
On his return to Nigeria, he commenced professional practice under Olumuyiwa Sosanya & Company in January 1977. Even though he had an offer of taxation sleeping partnership from his friend who is a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, he declined being a second fiddle. Notwithstanding,
With his unparalleled wealth of experience in accountancy, he was soon drawn to politics by friends and associates who believe that his experience and expertise was needed for political strategies.
And as he marches towards his 80th birthday on Sunday, August 6, 2023, family friends and political associates are expected to roll out the drums for one of the best political strategists in modern Nigerian history.
Several thousands of Iranians gathered Tuesday to mourn President Ebrahim Raisi and seven members of his entourage who were killed in a helicopter crash on a fog-shrouded mountainside in the northwest.
Waving Iranian flags and portraits of the late president, mourners set off from a central square in the northwestern city of Tabriz, where Raisi was headed when his helicopter crashed on Sunday.
They walked behind a lorry carrying the coffins of Raisi and his seven aides.
Their helicopter lost communications while it was on its way back to Tabriz after Raisi attended the inauguration of a joint dam project on the Aras river, which forms part of the border with Azerbaijan, in a ceremony with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
A massive search and rescue operation was launched on Sunday when two other helicopters flying alongside Raisi’s lost contact with his aircraft in bad weather.
State television announced his death in a report early on Monday, saying “the servant of the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, has achieved the highest level of martyrdom”, showing pictures of him as a voice recited the Koran.
Killed alongside the Iranian president were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, provincial officials, and members of his security team.
Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash as Iranians in cities nationwide gathered to mourn Raisi and his entourage.
Tens of thousands gathered in the capital’s Valiasr Square on Monday.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate authority in Iran, declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, as caretaker president until a presidential election can be held.
State media later announced that the election would will be held on June 28.
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, who served as deputy to Amir-Abdollahian, was named acting foreign minister.
From Tabriz, Raisi’s body will be flown to the Shiite clerical centre of Qom on Tuesday before being moved to Tehran that evening.
Processions will be held in in the capital on Wednesday morning before Khamenei leads prayers at a farewell ceremony.
Raisi’s body will then be flown to his home city of Mashhad, in the northeast, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funeral rites.
Raisi, 63, had been in office since 2021. The ultra-conservative’s time in office saw mass protests, a deepening economic crisis and unprecedented armed exchanges with arch-enemy Israel.
Raisi succeeded the moderate Hassan Rouhani, at a time when the economy was battered by US sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear activities.
Condolence messages flooded in from Iran’s allies around the region, including the Syrian government, Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
It was an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the devastating war in Gaza, now in its eighth month, and soaring tensions between Israel and the “resistance axis” led by Iran.
Israel’s killing of seven Revolutionary Guards in a drone strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 triggered Iran’s first ever direct attack on Israel, involving hundreds of missiles and drones.
In a speech hours before his death, Raisi underlined Iran’s support for the Palestinians, a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Palestinian flags were raised alongside Iranian flags at ceremonies held for the late president.
AFP
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