Pastor of New Reservation Area Baptist Church, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State Rev. Kayode Oyedemi on Friday disclosed that Justice Adegboye Gbolagunte of the Oyo State Judiciary knew he would die and had planned his funeral by choosing the cemetery his remains would be buried and paid for his vault.
Oyedemi revealed this during his sermon at the funeral service for the Eruwa, Oyo State-born jurist, who died aged 64 on June 24.
Quoting from II Kings 13 and 20, Hebrew 11 as well as II Samuel 12 in the Bible, Oyedemi, who said that he had never seen anybody prepare his funeral as deeply as Justice Gbolagunte did, noted: “It is not unusual for saints to die of sickness from attack.
“If prayers can stop death, Justice Gbolagunte would not have died because, upon revelation that he would die of the sickness, we were praying, but when the sickness of the beloved is unto death, no amount of prayers can heal the sickness, no matter how perfect one could be in the faith.
“The sickness of Lazarus was not unto death, but that of Elisha was unto death.
“God knows why he has called Justice Gbolagunte home at this time.
“While we were praying and believing that God would spare his life, he had accepted his faith himself.
“I remember his last admission to the hospital about two or three days to his death.
“Then I asked if he was still holding unto God in faith and he said yes.
“Since last year, he had told me that his funeral is to be held in Ibadan here.
“He had told me the cemetery.
“I have been hearing about it, but I have not seen anybody who planned his funeral so deep as Justice Gbolagunte did.
“All the arrangements you see, he had chosen and contacted people you see carrying them out.
“He had contacted everybody.
“When he paid for the vault, he told me, and he connected me with the person that was in charge of that.
“That is to tell you that he was convinced that God said that his time had come.
“And that is one of the greatest ways to die.
“For you to know when you are going to die helps you to get settled, not just with God, but with every other thing.
“He had that privilege.
“God told Hezekiah that he would not recover, but he would die.
“God said: ‘Set your house in order for you shall die.’
“It is one of the greatest ways to die.
“People like that will never miss heaven.
“That is the assurance that Hon. Justice Adegboye Gbolagunte has gone to be with Christ.”
Addressing the deceased’s children, Oyedemi said: “You have a mother with strong faith and a prayerful one.
“You have a father with a high level of integrity, who was not corrupt.
“You must hold aloft the two qualities of your parents.
“If we have many of Justice Gbolagunte in Nigeria, the country would be better.
“He stood for integrity.
“Public service holders should ruminate on this.
“His colleagues should search themselves how they are dispensing justice.
“Bad leadership persists when there is bad followership.
“In Nigeria, we combine the two.
“Are our leaders of today not followers of the past?
“How much has their past criticisms helped our Nation now?
“Let us ruminate on this.”
The funeral service was attended by the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly Debo Ogundoyin.
Also present were serving and retired judges, Senior Advocates of Nigeria; Nigerian Bar Association executives and members; old secondary school mates of the deceased from Birch Freeman High School, Surulere, Lagos; Baale of Aborerin in Eruwa Olaide Ojedapo friends and relatives of the Gbolagunte family.
A special valedictory court session was held in honour of Justice Gbolagunte on July 22 at the Oyo state High Court in Ibadan.
A commendation service took place on July 23 at New Estate Baptist Church, Surulere, Lagos while there was a service of songs at Jogor Centre in Ibadan on July 25.
Justice Gbolagunte is survived by his wife Wuraola Gbolagunte and three children Oladiran, Oladoyin and Oladotun.
