Association of Nigerian Authors, Kwara State Chapter (Kwara ANA) has grieved the passing away of its pillar of support, retired Hon. Justice Muhammad Mustapha Adebayo Akanbi, who its referred to as its Grandpa.

The authors' body in a statement signed by its Chairmen, Mallam AbdulRahman Aderinoye, described the deceased Pioneer Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practises and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as "a man of many parts who walked his talk throughout his life time. He was truth and Integrity personified and dared to be 'different' amongst his generation."

According to the statement, the late czar, "apart from being an iconic justice of repute, a highly revered elder-states man and a philanthropist of note, Baba was also a prolific writer as well as an inestimable honorary member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)."

The release recalled a recent National Workshop for some selected State-Chapters' Chairmen of the Association which was the last formal function attended by the erudite incorruptible judge, during which the late jurist stressed his very passionate, penchant love and ceaseless zeal for reading and writing.

"Reading makes you a full man. It makes you respectable. If you read, you will find out that among the great, you will be respected", the late Justice said. He further stated that his voracious reading culture made him achieve great feats in life and therefore charged authors to be avid readers.

"We must live our lives sublime, the path we leave behind us, would remain in the sands of time". Baba therefore commended ANA in that gathering, adding that he owes the Association and its leadership all the gratitude for their impactful nationwide programmes and activities and prayed that God Almighty shall reward them abundantly.

Among his very wonderful and trail-blazing philanthropic contributions to the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), most especially Kwara ANA could be surmised as follows: provision of venue and facilities for the conduct of Chapter activities in the state for more than a decade (a state secretariat office) and provision of Venue and Facilities for the conduct of the Association's Annual National Congress Meeting of the National Executive Council and Chapter Chairmen and Secretaries since inception (2012), about seven years ago.

The Kwara ANA Chair, therefore lamented, "No doubt, Kwara ANA, the entire Association of Nigerian Authors, the Nigerian Judiciary, Nigerians cum Ghanaians alike, the African Continent and indeed, the entire humanity has lost its Benefactor, we have lost in Justice MMA Akanbi, a Philanthropist per excellence."

By: Abdulhafeez T. Oyewole