Today, we give Dr Abiodun Muritala his flowers. We speak his name into the tune of our flute.
Eko Hot News reports that on the horizon stands a significant event: the 11th Anniversary of Epe political martyrs, the defenders of our democracy, an event that calls us back to a moment of communal grief.
March 28, 2015, was not just another date on Epe Calendar; it was a day that a thick cloud of tragedy sat on Epe’s sky. Six of our men left home, called by duty and love for country, to monitor an election, but never came back alive.
Out of that loss, something began to take shape: The AMBSAM Memorial Foundation. This foundation grew from that shared grief, drawing together sons and daughters of Epe who refused to let those lives fade into silence, who chose to stand with the families left behind by the deceased, who chose to replace silence with support.
As the anniversary of this tragic loss draws near, it is fitting to pause, to name and to write about a man whose role in the aftermath of that event contributed to the formation of the AMBSAM Memorial Foundation in honor the dead and in caring for the living.
Founding the AMBSAM Memorial Foundation was how Epe turned pain into purpose.
One of the names that has reverberated throughout pain-to-purpose story was Dr Abiodun Muritala.
Out of that loss, something began to take shape: The AMBSAM Memorial Foundation. This foundation grew from that shared grief, drawing together sons and daughters of Epe who refused to let those lives fade into silence, who chose to stand with the families left behind by the deceased, who chose to replace silence with support.
As the anniversary of this tragic loss draws near, it is fitting to pause, to name and to write about a man whose role in the aftermath of that event contributed to the formation of the AMBSAM Memorial Foundation in honor the dead and in caring for the living.
Founding the AMBSAM Memorial Foundation was how Epe turned pain into purpose.
One of the names that has reverberated throughout pain-to-purpose story was Dr Abiodun Muritala.
The story of that tragic loss deserves its own telling. But this piece is not about the incident itself. It is about one man whose fingerprints can be seen on every positive thing that came after the tragedy: Dr. Abiodun Muritala.
Recently, Dr. Muritala took a grand exit from the Lagos State Civil Service, stepping down as the Accountant General of the State with fanfare and goodwill. The video that made its way around was not just a farewell. It was a mirror held up to a life lived in service.
It was not choreographed or stage-managed, there were no rehearsed lines, people were just responding instinctively to a man who has spent years showing up for others, a man who wears humility the way others wear titles.
Watching that video, I found myself pulled in two directions. One part of me sat with a melancholy. The kind that comes when you know a system is losing someone who still has so much to give. But another part of me felt something else: a relief, a grateful hope.
Because if the state must now let him go, then perhaps the community can hold him a little closer and draw more from his well of benevolence. I have seen what he can do when he is present. I saw it during the AMBSAM days. And I know this is not an ending. It is a return.
I first crossed paths with Dr. Abiodun Muritala years ago, in the days when AMBSAM was still taking shape, born out of the darkest moment Epe has known. What began after that was not loud, it was like people finding one another in the dark.
The AMBSAM Memorial Foundation became that meeting point. A place where grief did not scatter us, but drew us closer; where the question was not just what we had lost, but what we would do with what remained.
At the center of it was a group of people who chose to be more than observers. They leaned in. They carried. They stayed. Dr. Muritala was one of those twenty individuals.
Since our paths crossed, he has consistently exhibited sterling qualities. His love for the unity and progress of Epe is both evident and enduring.
He has never looked away from the fault lines that slow us down as a people. Where others hesitate, he leans in. And in the quieter spaces, he shows up just as strongly. For community causes. For people. He gives steadily, generously, without seeking recognition.
He demonstrated sterling leadership, deep compassion for humanity, and an unwavering commitment to advancing the interests of the community he served. It was only fitting that the Lagos State civil service came out in numbers to stand for him as he took his bow from active service.
Throughout his career, he distinguished himself through diligence, patriotism, and an enduring dedication to duty, earning the respect and admiration of colleagues and stakeholders alike.
His retirement is like the turning of a well-read page. A chapter shaped by integrity, steady professionalism, and a deep, unwavering commitment to the common good now comes to a close.
Now that he has stepped out of active service, it feels important to say this plainly. Lagos still needs him. Epe still leans on the weight of his experience, the clarity of his wisdom, the steadiness of his service.
Dr. Abiodun Muritala —, I congratulate you on a public career that speaks for itself, and I look forward to all that is still to come through you.
Our community, and indeed the world, will continue to rise on the strength of what you carry.
I know fanfare is not your natural language. You have always preferred to work behind the scenes. But moments like this must be named. Your impact deserves an ovation, your legendary deserves to be held up.
