Former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the African Union of Journalists, Lanre Ogundipe, has paid a moving tribute to the late Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, describing his death as the symbolic collapse of “Molete Bridge” — a metaphor for the end of an era in Ibadan and Nigerian history.
Dr. Olunloyo, a former Governor of Oyo State, died at the age of 89. A respected elder statesman, he was a renowned mathematician, administrator, and traditional titleholder — the Balogun of Oyo and the Otun Bobasewa of Ife.
Ogundipe, in his emotional eulogy, called Olunloyo a “patriotic and astute leader” and “an enigma” whose intellectual and administrative prowess left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s political and academic landscape.
“He transited at a ripe age of nearly 90, just a few days shy of the milestone,” Ogundipe wrote. “VOSO, in his words, transited from the terrestrial to the celestial order.”
Ogundipe recalled a poignant conversation with Olunloyo before his death, where the late statesman predicted the symbolic collapse of the “Molete Bridge” — a poetic reference to his own passing. “He said, ‘Lanre, Molete Bridge would be finally down, when the piano keys no longer run.’”
Describing Olunloyo as a colossus in Ibadan and Nigerian politics, Ogundipe lamented the loss of a man whose wisdom and intellect cannot be easily replaced. “The entire archive, the repository of the Nigerian State, lost,” he said. “All the gems in the museum at Molete seemingly have now left with the curator.”
Born in 1935, Olunloyo was the first Rector of both The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and Kwara State Polytechnic. His contributions to mathematics, governance, and public service earned him national reverence.
“Molete Bridge is finally down,” Ogundipe concluded. “Nigeria has lost one of its best minds. May his soul rest in peace.”
