Kemi Olaitan
A director of PUNCH Nigeria Limited and distinguished agronomist, Dr. Lekan Are has passed away.
A family member confirmed his death yesterday, disclosing that Are died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, shortly after midnight.
Are, PUNCH’s longest-serving director, was 86 at the time he passed on. He was also the Chairman of Kakanfo Inn and Conference Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State and a former Chairman of University Press Plc.
A distinguished and well-regarded agriculture and water resources expert, he also served as General Manager of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority.
In a condolence message yesterday, Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde described Are’s death as a huge loss to Oyo State, the education sector and the media.
Makinde said that he received the news of Are’s demise with sadness, adding that the late industrialist would be greatly missed in different sectors of the economy.
He noted that Are left indelible marks of greatness on the sands of time, saying the people of the state “are deeply saddened at the news of the demise of a respectable elder statesman and an industrialist per excellence.
“His demise at this critical period in the life of our nation, when economic indices appear not to be adding up, is a huge loss, given his laudable contributions to the growth of several sectors.
“As a state, we will particularly miss Dr. Are’s inimitable contributions to the development of one of our iconic secondary schools, Government College Ibadan.
“We are equally proud of his contributions that have made The Punch newspapers a leading light in the Media sector.
“On behalf of the Government and the good people of Oyo State, I commiserate with the Are family, the GCIOBA family, The Punch and other associates and pray that the good Lord grants them the fortitude to bear the loss,” the statement read.
