Sir Lucky Omoluwa; Exit of a great philanthropist
On Friday February 14, I met Sir Lucky Omoluwa my good friend and fellow golfer to discuss issues of mutual,interest. Afterwards he asked me to meet him on Monday the following week which was the 17th upon his return from the sixtieth birthday celebrations of Governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna state. As I had some […]
On Friday February 14, I met Sir Lucky Omoluwa my good friend and fellow golfer to discuss issues of mutual,interest. Afterwards he asked me to meet him on Monday the following week which was the 17th upon his return from the sixtieth birthday celebrations of Governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna state. As I had some prior appointments for that day I asked that he shift it to the following day Tuesday February 18th. On the morning of Tuesday, the 18th I called him to confirm the meeting as he agreed for us to meet at noon last Saturday the IBB golf club without response from his end. At 11.30 am I placed another call to his line but there was no response. At this point I realise that it was not in his character to ignore calls instead he will either text you or send you WhatsApp. Then at noon one of the club officials approached me to confirm or deny the report that Sir Lucky Omoluwa was no more. I looked at him and wanted to ask whether he was in his right senses. Then seeing the seriousness in his face, I immediately called my close friend Alex Shayen who told me that indeed he was at the mortuary and that Lucky as we call informally was no more having slumped and died hours earlier on in the day. So died a great man, under circumstances that has me still in shock.
Sir Lucky Omoluwa whose remains were interred at the military cemetery near the barrack at Abuja on Friday the 6th of March, 2020 after a mass at the papal ground in Kubwa was among many positive things, a great businessman and philanthropist. He was born on 6th March 1954. He was the founder of Pinnacle Communications Limited, a Nigerian broadcast engineering company, the Centagon International School and Tarmac Works Limited. With these he helped to bring about positive revolution to broadcast engineering and in improving the lot of education in Nigeria variously. He was also, a keen golfer who sponsored several tournaments across the country.
Sir Omoluwa was also a great philanthropist. In his lifetime he donated a lot of financial resources to the blind and destitute, widows, orphans and disabled children as well as to communities in need of amenities.
For his business acumen and entrepreneurship and contribution to humanity Sir Omoluwa received several awards and recognition. He was honoured severally in the United States of America by the US congress and by the communications sector. He was recently made a patron of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce Kaduna as given a recognition for excellence by the Centre for Transparency in Nigeria. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the IBB International Golf and Country club.
As dedicated and committed catholic he was also knighted by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
In recent years however for all his sterling achievements and contributions, Sir Omoluwa’s company Pinnacle has been embroiled in a messy case of alleged questionable payments for services rendered in respect of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) to the National Broadcasting Commission. Sir Omoluwa must have been wondering what kind of country is this that will continue to hound a legitimate businessman who has rendered quality service transparently to his country even after documentary evidence has substantiated this.
But all that is gone now. Sir Lucky Omoluwa belongs to the ages now and his numerous friends and associates as well those he touched with his kind heart will forever remember him as the great philanthropist who made a positive contribution to their lives. Our heart goes to the wife and the children he left behind to mourn him.
Adieu Sir Lucky Omoluwa a friend and brother, may your soul rest in peace. Ameeeeen.
Umar Lukman, CEO, Octopus Communications Limited, Abuja.