‘Dad was a stickler for excellence’

Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

A FORMER Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Jumoke Akinjide, on Tuesday said she would miss everything about her father, the late Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN).

She told reporters: “I will miss everything. He was the pillar of the family. He was an inspiration. He was our mentor. He was the one that kept everybody sitting on the ground.

“He was very deep. When everybody has said their own, he would speak from an angle that nobody really knew or thought about.

“One thing he imparted in us is excellence. He taught us to excel at anything we did. Even if you were a sweeper, he would say you should do it excellently well.

“He loved Nigeria. Of course, he was sad to see how things were turning out, the breakdown of institutions, law and order, economy and the social and ethnic fabric of the country.

“But, he was always hopeful that we would overcome the challenges and Nigeria would emerge a great country that will lead the Black race eventually. Law was his passion, politics was his hobby.”