Elder statesman and former Managing Director of the National Bank Pius Omoyemi Ajumobi is dead.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ajumobi who was a top inspector with the CBN before his retirement was charged by the Federal Government with the task of reforming, repositioning, and rebranding the National Bank prior to its market re-capitalisation and sale.
Family sources confirmed that he died early today at 85.
According to sources, the Doctor confirmed that his death was simply a result of ‘old age’. He died at the Mercy Hospital Gbogi in Isinkan, Akure South Local Government area of Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria.
The octogenarian was a product of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom where he studied banking and economics.
Before his assignment at the National Bank, he had earlier served as the Comptroller of Audit for the defunct Owena Bank. He was also Head of the Department of Bank Examination for the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). Prior to his NDIC role, Ajumobi was an Assistant Director at the nation’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from where the Federal Government deployed him on several national assignments.
Ajumobi who was reputed as an Apostle of Fiscal Prudence and a no-nonsense disciplinarian both at work and at home would be missed for being one of the early pioneers of the culture of zero-tolerance for graft in the public sector.
Even in retirement, he lived his reputation of fiscal prudence and was often found wondering what had happened to Nigeria when counselling young leaders on what had now become the pervasive culture of graft in the public service.
Until his death, Ajumobi was the leader of the Aso Ugbosanmi people of Ilaje Kingdom.
The Aso Ugbosanmi people of Ilaje are expected to make a former statement on the transition.
He is survived by his wife, Olufunmilayo, children, and grandchildren.
