The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, Oyo State Chapter has mourned the death of renowned public relations guru and Abese Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oloye Lekan Alabi, describing it as a monumental loss to the PR profession in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday and made available to newsmen in Ibadan, the Chairman of NIPR Oyo State Chapter, Mr. Goke Adelakun, said the news of Alabi’s demise came as a rude shock to the institute.
“The news came to the NIPR family as a rude shock, particularly now that his experience and professional acumen would have been needed by the NIPR as the country is planning to host the World Public Relations Forum in Abuja in November this year,” Adelakun stated.
Adelakun recalled the late Oloye’s contributions to media and public relations, noting his service during the formative years of BCOS as a core reporter, his tenure as General Manager, Corporate Affairs at Odua Investment Company Limited, and at Sketch Publishing Company Limited.
He also highlighted Alabi’s role as Chief Press Secretary to four successive governors of Oyo State, saying his legacies “would be difficult to surpass or erase in the annals of history.”
The NIPR Chairman further acknowledged Alabi’s contributions to the growth of the Oyo State Chapter, noting that the veteran image maker used public relations till his last breath.
“He will forever be remembered as a professional who made professionalism, excellence, and value addition his hallmark and watchword throughout his lifetime,” Adelakun said.
While praying for the repose of his soul, the NIPR Chairman described Oloye Alabi as someone who “always carried himself with a touch of culture, tradition, and elegance wherever he went.”
He prayed that Allah grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus and extended condolences to the immediate family, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the people of Oyo State, the NIPR family, and Alabi’s numerous admirers across radio and television stations nationwide.
“We pray that God grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” the statement added.
Oloye Lekan Alabi, a former CPS and respected traditional chief, was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost image managers and PR practitioners.
