Ososo Mourns the Passing of Her Foremost Obstetrics and Gynaecologist.

Editor’s Note:

“Death comes for us all; …even at our birth, death does but stand aside a little. And every day he looks towards us and muses somewhat to himself whether that day or the next he will draw nigh. It is the law of nature, and the will of God.” – Robert Bolt

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If you pause for a moment and ponder on the amount of time that was before you were born and the amount of time that will go on after you die, and reflect generally on life and living, juxtaposing the same with what life and living will look like after you leave this world, the reality of what would be said or written about you, you will understand the ephemeral nature of life in itself, and thus be reminded on the need to live a life worthy of good legacy…

In this report obtained for Akoko Edo community newspaper, our editor Albert Afeso Akanbi, captures the sights and sounds of how the people of Ososo bade farewell to a man who may have at one point or the other in his lifetime, reflected deeply on the purpose of life, in Prince (Dr.) Felix Oyeniyi Obaitan, a foremost Obstetrician and Gynaecologist who lived his life in a short but remarkable 67 years on earth, thereby leaving his own peculiar legacy on the sands of time…

It was a palpable feeling of sadness, mixed with apparent resignation to the will of God, that engulfed the air around Ososo community and its palacial palace in particular, when news of the passing of Felix Oyeniyi Obaitan, a Prince of Ososo land and a foremost medical practitioner from Akoko-Edo LGA, broke last month.

 

A politician, philanthropist, traditionalist, grand father, father, husband, brother and uncle, late Felix Obaitan was a man who, despite his own human shortcomings, could be said to be well loved by many, especially his family members…

 

Setting the ball rolling during the two-day burial rights that were laced with pomp and pageantry, his eldest son Missan Eveshoyan Obaitan recalled with nostalgic sadness, fond memories of his father as he graciously joined me for this chat despite the numerous calls and beckons for his attention.

“As a Gynaecologist, dad single handedly helped to bring not less than 2000 new born babies into this world…” he told me. “Dad was an avid reader, I recall how in those days, anytime he wanted to go into his study he would make us his kids pick our books and sit in his study with him. When daddy starts reading, who are you to get up or stop reading before he was done reading his own books?” He said and then added “…his decision to study medicine, Gynaecology in particular, was inspired by the death of his own mother Queen Medina who died during child birth! It was the same reason that inspired the founding of Queen Medina Specialist Hospital in Edo State, the hospital he ran till his death!

 

Taking me on a tour of the room which warehouses his father’s collection of books, Missan told me he was the number 32 to gain admission into the university in his father’s house, even though most of that number were not his father’s children, the man trained them all like countless other people, many of whom till this day are still on the man’s scholarships.

“In our house, daddy would often remind you that the only reason you are being fed was because you are expected to be a reader! Because of the way dad trained us, I came to realise that no one is dull except the one who will not read…” he concluded.

Like Missan, most family members, like Chief Nathaniel Momoh, Queen Obatain and Prince Dele Obaitan, the recently appointed commissioner for Tourism in Edo State, and everyone described late Dr. Felix Obaitan in similar light…for Ovieose Momoh, a nephew of the late Prince, “… uncle’s motto was impact, impact, and more impact…”

Felix Oyeniyi Obaitan was born on 20th July, 1955 into the ruling Ugbedu family of Oba Jerome Obaitan and madam Medina Buoro of Ososo.

He had his primary education in Ososo from where he proceeded to Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School in Auchi. After teaching briefly in St Aloysius grammar school, now Ososo Grammar School, he moved to Union bank Auchi where he worked briefly before winning a Federal Government scholarship to study abroad. He proceed to the then Soviet Union now Russia, to study medicine at the 2nd Moscow Medical School in Russia where he obtained a degree in medicine and surgery in 1981.Upon his return in 1982 he began an internship at the Central Hospital in Benin in 1982, followed by the his NYSC at the NNPC hospital in Warri in 1983.

He would later pick up an appointment at the then Bendel State Medical board as Medical Director.

His quest for knowledge made him pursue a Fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons (FWACS), specializing as an Obstetrics and Gynaecologist…

Dr. Prince Felix Obaitan moved from one government hospital to the other in Benin until he joined the Federal Hospital Board in Abuja as a result of a shortage of Surgeons when the board was created.

In 2006 he obtained a degree in public health and epidemiology from the prestigious university of ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

He was a philanthropist, a Rotarian, a politician, educationist, and so much more.

After his failed bid to represent Akoko-Edo people at the House of Assembly, he still remained very active in politics under the umbrella of the PDP.

He was a devote Catholic who is survived by 10 biological children, 2 grand children, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunties.

No doubt he will be sorely missed. But as the entire Akoko-Edo LGA join Ososo people in mourning the departure of this man, we must all realise that he was like us once, breathing, moving and talking, and one day, sooner or later, we will be like him, a corpes because death is the greatest equalizer of all men. May we reflect deeply on this truth as we pray for the repose of Dr Obaitan’s soul and for God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss…and may we all, going forward, have the courage to deal kindly with one another and thus live good legacies on the sand of time, whenever the bell tolls and the sun sets for us.

Albert Afeso Akanbi is the editor, Akoko Edo community newspaper.