Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lost his teacher, James Popoola, who taught him at Baptist Boys High School (BBHS), Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Pa Popoola died aged 92 at his private residence in Ilaro, a town in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun.A member of his extended family, Prof. Tope Popoola, said the retired teacher died around noon on Thursday.
The professor said Pa Popoola died few days after he was discharged from the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
“Pa James Akanbi Popoola was 92 on the 28th of May, 2019. He died of old age-related illness, and was on admission at FMC till last week, but was discharged on showing signs of improvement. The family is consulting to give the erudite teacher and renowned principal a befitting burial,” the professor said.
He added that the corpse had been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta.
The late teacher also taught several prominent persons such as the traditional ruler of Ibara, Jacob Omolade; a professor and former Vice-Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Saburi Adesanya; historian and politician, Saburi Biobaku among others.Obasanjo and Omolade had in 2018 visited Popoola at his Ilaro home.
The late Popoola was the pioneer Principal of Baptist Grammar School, Ibadan, and was also a teacher at Baptist Grammar School, Iwo.H
He is survived by wife, Moji, also a retired teacher, and six children.
