*The DEFENDER is bereaved
Ondo State Commissioner for Health and Chairman COVID-19 Committee, Dr. Abdul-Wahab Adegbenro, is dead.
*Late Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdul-Wahab Adegbenro, during an official event in the state.
Adegbenro, a member of The DEFENDER Newspaper’s Advisory Board since establishment in August 2002, died about two hours ago (around 1.40pm) in Akure, the state capital, from complications of Coronavirus pandemic according to government sources in Alagbaka, the seat of Ondo State Government in Akure.
Adegbenro had only few weeks ago given The DEFENDER a run down of the effort of government at containing the spread of the global nature disease in the state and how the lockdown was being managed in a way that, while guarding against contacting the disease, the means of sustenance of the people would not be completely blocked.
The commissioner, when he called The DEFENDER on phone, had prayed that “Allah will help us to overcome this problem because it is a serious issue the world has had at hand here”.
Dr. Abdul-Wahab Oluropo Adegbenro was born on 5th June 1955 at Ilara-Mokin in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State.
*FILE: From Right: The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdul-Wahab Adegbenro, presenting an award of honour to the Galadima of Akure, Alhaji Kasumu Yesufu Adefaka, during an Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria event in Akure, Ondo State, on 17 December 2017.
After his elementary education at Muslim Primary School, Ilara-Mokin between 1962 and 1967, Abdul-Wahab attended the prestigious Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure and the proceeded to the University of Benin, Benin City where he graduated. He is holder of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B; B.S).
He was a member of the Nigeria Medical Association, member of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Associate member, Royal College of General Practitioners of London and member of Nigeria Guild of Medical Directors.
He established Crown Hospital, a very well known hospital for its exemplary contributions to saving lives, most of the times first before pay, in Akure where he was the Chief Medical Director.
*File: Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulwahab Olu Adegbenro (2nd left), during the presentation of some of the technological materials for the state health sector.
Before the position of Commissioner for Health, which held till his painful and touching face-to-face with death on Thursday July 2, 2020, the former Ondo State governorship aspirant in the build up to 2007 general elections had served as Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism under Governor Adebayo Adefarati (1999 – 2003).
Just before the end of the administration’s tenure, when Olusegun Mimiko left the government and decamped to join Olusegun Agagu as governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Adefarati redeployed Adegbenro to the Ministry of Health as Commissioner.
Incidentally upon assuming office in May 2003, Governor Agagu also appointed Dr. Wahab Adegbenro as a Special
and, after Agagu’s tenure, he returned to his Crown Hospital Akure and continued his private practice till Governor Rotimi Akeredolu came in May 2016 and appointed him back as Commissioner for Health.
Much earlier, Adegbenro was appointed the Vice Chairman, Ondo State Committee on Sports for the Disabled from 1997 to 1999; and later, on the sideline of government appointment, Chairman of the Committee from 1999 to 2002.
He was a Director, Ondo State Waste Management Board from 1999 to 2002.
