Across Edo North, former students, colleagues and family members are mourning Mr. Mayor Tajudeen Ojeifo, a retired vice principal and respected teacher whose life was spent shaping young minds and guiding future leaders.
Ojeifo died on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Agbede after a protracted illness. He was 73.
To many who knew him, he was more than a classroom teacher. He was a firm but selfless educator, an articulate voice of discipline and hope, and a man whose impact reached far beyond school walls.
A product of Auchi Polytechnic and the University of Benin, Ojeifo devoted most of his working life to teaching in secondary schools across Edo North. Shortly after his Higher School Certificate programme, he taught at Imade College, Owo, before spending the greater part of his career at Government Technical College, Igarra, where he influenced thousands of students over the years.
Those who passed through his hands remember a man who was blunt, energetic and deeply committed to education. Colleagues described him as a teacher who gave his best, not just to his students, but also to the community he served.
His death was announced in a statement issued on behalf of the family by his son, Mr. Frank Ojeifo.
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He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Vivian Ojeifo; five children; three grandchildren; and two younger brothers, Mr. Sufuyan Ojeifo, publisher of THE CONCLAVE online newspaper, and Mr. Kabir Eromonsele Ojeifo, a senior management staff member at the Federal Capital Development Authority, Abuja.
As news of his passing spread, tributes poured in from friends, associates and former students, many of them recalling not only his strength of character but also the warmth behind his stern presence.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and OFR honouree, Chief Oladipo Okpeseyi, in a condolence message to Mr. Sufuyan Ojeifo, recalled one of his last conversations with the late teacher.
“My dear Suffy, OMG, Mayor is gone? We spoke warmly a while back and the last time we saw at Owo was when he said he would soon relocate to Agbede,” Okpeseyi wrote.
He described Ojeifo as “one of the seniors, bold and strong leaders we had growing up” who “remained very articulate and appreciative of every assistance with his signature smile always.”
In words that captured the life he lived, Okpeseyi added: “Though frail he was full of life and hope for a better tomorrow… He was a committed and dedicated school teacher who helped to mould future generations of leaders.”
Also mourning him, Mr. Abiodun Ogundele, an APC chieftain in Ondo State, said he was “deeply saddened” by the news.
In his condolence message to Mr. Sufuyan Ojeifo, he wrote: “Please accept my sincere sympathies during this difficult time. I pray that God grants his soul eternal rest in His heavenly kingdom and comforts you and your entire family.”
For Chief Tajudeen Aderibigbe, the Nene of Owo and an oil sector businessman, the loss was also personal. One of Ojeifo’s former students at Imade College, he recalled his last meeting with his former teacher in Owo and remembered how he helped shape not just his life, but the lives of many others. He prayed for the repose of his soul and for strength for the family he left behind.
In death, Mayor Ojeifo is being remembered for a life of quiet service and lasting influence. In Igarra, in Owo, and across Edo North, his legacy lives on in the many men and women he taught, guided and inspired.
Crediblenewsng.com
