By: Yomi Ogunsanu
Sunday, 17th January, 2021, was a black day to family, friends, associates and followers of Senator (Chief) Jubril Martins-Kuye, a former Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Minister of State for Finance. It was a day that was never wished it would come, even though it is inevitable.
On this day, the shocking and devastating news of the death of a great philanthropist, astute politician, shrewd businessman and brilliant administrator, Senator (Chief) Jubril Martins-Kuye (OFR), popularly called JMK, rented the air. Many were thrown into disbelieve, asking whether it was true that the great community leader had passed on. Behold, as the sad news began to spread across the country, his life and times became topic of discussion.
In his home town, Ago-Iwoye, his residence became a Mecca of sort for sympathizers who thronged the place to mourn his exit. Dignitaries across the country came in to pay their last respect to a man described by many as a consummate politician and bridge builder.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in a condolence message to Ago-Iwoye community and people of Ogun State, said Martins-Kuye, who was a legislator in the Third Republic, will be sorely missed for his insight on issues of development, particularly in tailoring budgets that reflect needs of the people, with his emphasis on full implementation.
Buhari prayed that the soul of the former minister will rest in peace, and God will comfort family, friends and associates at the moment of grief.
Chief Martins-Kuye has no doubt left his footprints on the sands of time as a committed and dedicated Nigerian who distinguished himself in the service of his country meritoriously. In public service where he served as Minister of the Federal Republic twice, he left a legacy of selfless service and transparency, while bringing to bear his rich private sector experience in the discharge of his duties.
In the private sector, he left indelible marks of success in the various organisations where he worked or had an interest. He was appointed Product Manager (Marketing Department), Lever Brothers Nigeria (LBN), where he worked from 1968 to 1970. From 1974 to 1976, he was the National Sales Manager, International Packaging Industries, Ikeja. As Managing Director/Co-Founder, and later Chairman and Chief Executive of Pyramid Paper Products Ltd., he worked assiduously to make the products of the company a household name in the country. He later established Crown Paper Group where he was the Founder/Group Chairman until his death.
Senator Martins-Kuye had an unparalleled passion and love for Ago-Iwoye and its people. A reason why his chain of businesses parade a large number of Ago-Iwoye indigenes as employees, thereby impacting positively on their lives. On several occasions too, he used his position in the public sector to facilitate employments to Ago-Iwoye indigenes and other people across the country, many of who are gradually getting to the pinnacle of their careers.
As an astute politician, he mentored many people who can be referred to as his political disciples within Ogun State and beyond, who are today highly successful in their political careers.
When alive, Martins-Kuye was very humble to a fault. His humility was such that he treated everyone, both young and old as his peers, relating with them on the same pedestal, not minding the fact that he could be father or grandfather to many of them. To him, everyone is his brother. This attribute gave a lot of people sense of belonging and unfettered access to Martins-Kuye, who dined and wined with the highly and lowly placed people on the same table.
Chief Martins-Kuye was a community leader who served his community diligently and passionately. In his home town, he was honoured with the title of Asiwaju of Ago-Iwoye and Seriki of Ago-Iwoye, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of the town. The Awujale of Ijebuland also conferred the chieftaincy title of Otunba Fesojoye of Ijebuland on Chief Kuye to appreciate his contributions to Ijebuland. As a devout Muslim, who lived by the tenets of Islam, he was honoured by the Ogun State Muslim community as Aare Musulumi of Ogun State, in appreciation of his contributions to Islamic religion.
As a generous man and philanthropist of immense proportion, Chief Martins-Kuye gave scholarship awards to indigent students, while he placed some downtrodden people on monthly salary to give them succour. It is on record that his houses in Ago-Iwoye and Lagos were beehive of activities always, with people coming in large number to seek one assistance or the other, while he took his time to attend to all of them without discrimination.
The political dexterity in Martins-Kuye started manifesting during his undergraduate days at the University of Ibadan, when as a Students Union Activist, he contested and won the position of the Secretary of the University of Ibadan Students Union Government in 1966/67.
He later went into full time politics after putting his various businesses on a sound footing. Aare Martins-Kuye started off as a grassroots politician, and having built a strong political base in his local environment, he graduated to state and national level where he made impactful contributions to national development.
During the Transition programme of Gen. Sanni Abacha, Chief Martins-Kuye was the Ogun State governorship candidate of UNCP. In 1992, he was elected as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and became Acting Senate President in 1993. He also contested for the governorship seat under PDP in 1999 but lost the election to Chief Olusegun Osoba.
Aare Martins-Kuye was appointed Minister of State for Finance and served from 1999 to 2003. He was appointed Pioneer Chairman of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and served from 2009 to 2010. He was again appointed Minister of Commerce and Industry, where he served from 2010 to 2011.
The indelible marks of Chief Martins-Kuye in the education sector cannot be forgotten in a hurry. Of particular reference was his donation of money and long bus that was conveying students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, to and fro campus when the university was newly established. His numerous contributions to the development of the university and other tertiary institutions cannot be quantified.
For his education, Chief Kuye attended Joint Provincial Teachers College and graduated in 1961. He proceeded to University of Ibadan where he graduated with B.Sc Sociology in 1968. He also attended Harvard University Graduate Business School, Harvard, USA, and graduated in 1983. He won John Wesley Prize in English Language.
A man of great intellect and highly successful businessman, Chief Jubril Martins-Kuye was conferred with the National Honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).
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