Ace Nigerian film maker, Ola Balogun has commanded that after his death, his organs should be donated and his corpse handed to medical institutes.
The 81-year-old, gave the directive in his will which he shared with TheCable Lifestyle on Wednesday.
Balogun wrote in a document titled ‘Public Rendition of My Last Will and Testament’ that he was prompted by a recent health scare, having been diagnosed with a new disease just days after his 81st birthday on August 1.
The filmmaker who is now receiving treatment at Josek Medical Centre in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos state said that he could not draft a formal will with a lawyer hence the need for a public expression of his dying intentions.
Balogun said, “My inspiration was Obafemi Awolowo and he wrote his will weeks before his death.
“A new medical alert has compelled me to again seek treatment at the Josek medical centre, Ogba, Ikeja barely a week after I was fortunate to celebrate my 81st birthday on August 1st,” the document said in part.
”So I m writing these few lines in haste, not knowing whether or not I am fated to come out alive from my latest encounter with illness.
I do not have the material possibility at the present moment to seek the assistance of a legal practitioner to help me draw up a final version of my last will and testament. I have chosen to resort to the present public document so that I can leave instructions behind in case my physical being should succumb to death within the next few days or weeks.
I am motivated in this decision by the sterling example of the great Chief Obafemi Awolowo who calmly sat down to draft a final version of his will a few weeks before his death.
”I believe, as did the late sage, that departure from this earthly existence should be something well thought out and orderly, like preparation for a long journey.”
Once his death was medically recognised, Balogun ordered that his body should be “speedily dissected” to remove usable parts, such as kidneys or eyes, to donate to those in need.
He also directed that the remainder of his body be donated to medical institutes, to be used in the training of future doctors in morbid anatomy.
“I decided to do this because I think my body should still help others after I’m dead,” Balogun added.
“I further direct that immediately after my physical demise would have been medically certified, my remains should be speedily dissected so as to extract any vital organs that might be useful for donation to persons in need of vital organs such as the kidneys, the eyes etc,” the statement added.
”After that I hereby order that the residue be promptly offered to suitable medical institutions for employment by future doctors who are learning how to perform dissections within the course of their study of morbid anatomy.
”The above decisions as to the disposal of my corpse are based on the firm conviction that my physical remains should, if possible, be useful to the living.”
Balogun was an icon of the Nigerian movie industry and had a career that spanned several decades. He has made films and documentaries in English, Yoruba, Pidgin and Igbo.
In 1972, Balogun directed his first full length film, Alpha, a move from documentary to narrative film.
His major works include ‘Alpha’, ‘Ija Ominira’, ‘Amadi’, ‘Nigersteel’, ‘Ajani Ogun’, ‘Musik Man’ and ‘Oorun Moru’.
He is one of the first generation of Nigerian filmmakers with the late Hubert Ogunde, Jab Adu, the late Ade Afolayan (Ade Love) and Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala).
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