Tag: mourn

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has described the death of the President-General of the Market Men and Women Association of Nigeria, Alhaja Abibat Mogaji, as a great and monumental loss for the nation’s commerce and economy.

The Governor said in a statement at the weekend that Alhaja Mogaji was a pillar of support for many people in her life, as she served as an oak of succour to the less-privileged.

He described Alhaja Mogaji as a legend, a colossus and a titan whose contributions would remain indelible in the minds of many.

Governor Fayemi, however, said he was happy that the late market leader lived to a very ripe age and contributed to the nation’s economy as an investor, entrepreneur, employer of labour and a big-time merchant.

Describing Alhaja Mogaji as an “activist par excellence”, he recalled that the deceased used her position to mobilise market women to fight for their economic rights and empowerment.

The Governor said Alhaja Mogaji was in the forefront of women emancipation and participation in politics, most especially in having a say in the election of their political leaders.

He described the son of the deceased and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the greatest gift bequeathed to the nation by the nonagenarian.

Governor Fayemi urged Asiwaju Tinubu to seek solace in the fact that her mother was a blessing to Lagos State, Yoruba land and Nigeria.

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, described the death of Alhaja Abibat Mogaji as a big blow not only to Lagos State and market women all over Nigeria, but also to Delta State, which shares a close affinity with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, son of the deceased and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a proud daughter of Delta State.

Anambra State Governor Peter Obi said he was saddened by the incident, which he described as a huge loss.

The Chairman of the Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, at the weekend visited Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to commiserate with him on the death of his deputy, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka.

Dangote described Mrs. Olayinka’s death as “a great loss” to the country.

Former Chief of Defence Staff Lt.-Gen. Alani Akinrinade; SenatorAjayi Boroffice (Ondo North); members of the Ekiti State Caucus of the House of Representatives and Lagos lawyer Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) also visited the governor.

Members of the Ekiti Caucus of the House of Representatives include Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, Mr. Bimbo Daramola, Chief Robinson Ajiboye, Dr. Ife Arowosoge and Mr. Bamidele Faparusi.

Dangote said: “It is a great loss and all of us will die at God’s appointed time. We pray for the repose of her soul and urge her family to take it easy. She has served the people and state well. She has served you (Fayemi) well.”

In the condolence register, Akinrinade wrote: “You hardly let us know that you were going through so much pain. You were always cheerful and diligent in your contributions to our struggle. We are all grateful to have had you with us. May your gentle soul rest in peace.”

Boroffice said the late Mrs. Olayinka made remarkable impact within her short time in politics and added value to governance.

He said she emerged on the scene at a time when there were few women in politics and made a difference.

In the register, Boroffice wrote: “It is my belief that our great sister has been transformed from mortality to immortality. The legacy she left behind will continue to inspire us to give more to our people.”

Bamidele, who spoke on behalf of the Ekiti Caucus, said: “The Ekiti State Government, under your leadership, did its best to keep her alive. There is little we can do other than to accept this as a reality of life.

“May God grant you the fortitude to bear this loss and give you the grace and wisdom to fill the vacuum that has just been created.”

Falana said the late Mrs. Olayinka emerged a leader through hard work and “conducted herself with grace and sartorial elegance”.

He said she told him to be free to criticise the government when necessary, adding that she took criticisms with grace and maturity.

Falana said: “During my daughter’s wedding in Lagos, she made it, despite her critical health condition. She sang and danced vigorously.

“She and the governor impressed me with their tenacity in the struggle to reclaim their mandate, and after their inauguration, she urged me to remain critical of the administration.

“We are not mourning her; we are celebrating her. She and the governor transformed Ekiti State from the land of brigandage to the land of honour.”

Former Minister of Education Prof. Tunde Adeniran described the late Mrs. Olayinka as a conscientious and patriotic Nigerian, who demonstrated great discipline, humility and loyalty in public service.

He prayed God to console the family of the deceased and the people of Ekiti State.

Fayemi thanked his visitors for their support, saying nobody can question God on the death of his deputy.

He said: “This is a collective loss to all of us. We all share in the grief. It is a loss to our party, a loss to our state and a loss to all of us.

“She put in her best. Even at the height of excruciating pain, she was ready to bear the pain of others. We cannot question God; he knows best. His plan is not our plan.

“God knows why he took her away from us, away from the trials and temptations of this world. We shall miss her greatly.

Former Military Governor of the old Rivers State, Air Vice-Marshall Ernest Adeleye (rtd) and the Chairman of the Board of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr. Jide Adeniyi, also visited the governor.

The Lisa (Prime Minister) of Ondo Kingdom, Chief Ilemobayo Akinnola, is dead. He died on Wednesday in a private hospital at Lagos.

President Goodluck Jonathan and Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko yesterday commiserated with the people of the state and the deceased’s family.

In a statement by his media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President described Akinnola’s death as a national loss.

He said: “On behalf of myself and the Federal Government, I commiserate with the deceased’s daughter, who is the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), Mrs. Omobola Johnson, other members of the Akinnola family as well as the Government and people of Ondo State.

“I join them in mourning the illustrious Lisa of Ondo Kingdom, who distinguished himself in life as a renowned educationist, administrator, entrepreneur, industrialist and leader of his people.

“I urge his family, friends, associates, dependant and admirers to be consoled by the knowledge that he lived a fulfilled life and has left a legacy of notable achievements in various fields of human endeavour for his offspring and others to build upon.

“I pray that God Almighty will console the bereaved and grant Akinnola’s soul eternal peace.”

Mimiko described Akinnola’s death as “the passage of an icon”.

In a statement, the governor said: “Chief Akinnola was an icon of tradition, grace, elegance and leadership. He established his presence anywhere he found himself.

“He was a politician, who became a commissioner at a very young age in the old Western Region. He was a leader in Ondo as exemplified by his title of Prime Minister of Ondo Kingdom and a business man of repute, as obvious from his interest in net worth business enterprises.

“He was known as a colourful and tasteful man in social circles and committed his time and resources to philanthropy. Many people have benefited from his milk of kindness.

“I commiserate with the ICT Minister, Mrs. Johnson, her siblings and the rest of the family and pray that the good Lord will grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.”

The National Executive of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the weekend described the death of its leader in Ondo State, Chief Wumi Adegbonmire, as “a shock”.

The party said it was not expecting the Secretary to the Ondo State Government (SSG) during the administration of the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati to die so soon.

It said the late Adegbonmire, who was the Asiwaju of Akureland, had always been active in the party.

ACN National Vice-Chairman, Southwest, Senator James Kolawole spoke during the national executive committee’s visit to the late Adegbonmire’s family in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Describing the late Afenifere leader as a principled man, Kolawole said: “We were not expecting Baba to die now because every time we visited him, he was always healthy.”

He said the late Adegbonmire’s contributions to the sustenance of the country’s democracy would remain evergreen in the memory of Nigerians, particularly, the Yoruba.

Kolawole said: “When Baba Adegbonmire was at the University of Ife, I was in Ibadan. He was a man of principle. He was popular in the early 60s with his write ups in the national newspapers.

“He was consistent in his political association and unbiased in his political analysis. We will stand by his family because he did a very good job for the party. We have ordered the ACN in the state to set up a committee that will work with the family to ensure a successful burial ceremony for our great leader.”

The widow, Solape, said her husband spent most of his life ensuring that the legacies of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo were sustained.

She said: “I am happy that I witnessed 90 per cent of Adegbonmire’s political life. He was part of the political struggle during the military and civilian era and whatever political moves he made, he always carried the children and I along.

“I will continue to be happy because his unstained records had been opening ways for the children. Where ever they go to and mention his name, they always tell them to keep their father’s good name.

“I am also happy that my husband spent the last 24 hours of his life with Christ. He celebrated my birthday for me in the church, where he partook in the Holy Communion. The priest was even surprised when he kissed me. He died peacefully.

“When I look back at his valuable contributions, I always remain grateful to God, though I never envisaged that he would leave me so soon.”

The late Adegbonmire’s son, Demola, who spoke on behalf of his siblings, described their father as “a disciplinarian, who wanted the best for his children”.

In a statement yesterday, ACN’s National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the late Adegbonmire as “a political giant, a notable administrator and a remarkable public commentator”.

Mohammed said: “The timing of Chief Adegbonmire’s death could not have been more sobering, coming at a time our country is in dire need of men and women of integrity, discipline and unwavering commitment to progressive politics and national ideals.

“As a close associate of the progressive icon and globally-acknowledged political titan, the late Awolowo, right from his university days, and one who served his state with distinction in many capacities, the late Adegbonmire left a lasting legacy of service, which will be an inspiration for today’s generation of politicians.

“While we mourn his departure, we have no doubt that his legacy will endure and that his memory will inspire the younger generation, who may be averred to engaging in politics because of the sheer greed and selfishness of most members of today’s political class.”

He said the late Adegbonmire contributed immensely to the party’s growth in Ondo State, adding that the ACN will continue to pursue the progressive ideology for which the deceased “lived and died for”.

Mohammed expressed the party’s condolences to the family of the late politician and the people of Ondo State.

The ACN governorship candidate in the October 20 election in Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said the late Adegbonmire lived a life worthy of emulation.

Akeredolu said: “We learnt a lot from him because he lived a good life. His contributions were beyond the ACN. All his life, he laboured for the good of his people, the state, Nigeria and, particularly, his political party.

“He transcended party politics. When you talk about Akure politics, it was one Wumi Adegbonmire and one Akure. When you talk about Ondo State politics and progressive politics, it was Adegbonmire and others.”

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi described Adegbonmire’s death as “a monumental loss to the progressive camp”.

Ajimobi, in a statement, said he received the news with shock.

He said but for the efforts of the late Adegbonmire and those of other progressives, the Southwest would have remained “under the stranglehold of the conservatives”.

Ajimobi said the late Adegbonmire’s write-ups as a columnist with the Nigerian Tribune during the First and Second Republics shaped the politics of the time and defined the role of the progressives in politics.

He said: “Omo Ekun was unsparing of the conservatives and their ill-advised policies. Soaked in vitriol and unapologetic about its convictions, no study of the politics of the time, especially the way journalism shaped politics, would be complete without a mention of the contributions of the late Adegbonmire’s Omo Ekun.”

Ajimobi described the deceased as a bridge-builder and principled politician, who would stop at nothing in the pursuit of his beliefs.

He said Adegbonmire’s death has robbed the Southwest of his “wealth of experience, which is needed at this critical time to bring the zone out of its current socio-economic challenges”.

The governor urged the late Adegbonmire’s family, friends and associates to take solace in the fact that he lived a fulfilled life and did his best for his fatherland.

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi described the deceased as “one of the pillars of democracy in the Southwest and Nigeria”.

In a statement, Fayemi said the late Adegbonmire was “one of the most reliable Awoists, who never wavered in the cause he believed in until he breathed his last”.

He said the late Adegbonmire believed in the ideology of the progressives and preached it throughout his life.

The governor said the late politician excelled in all responsibilities given to him by the party and the Adefarati administration.

He said ACN members looked up to the late Adegbonmire for counsel during the last governorship election in Ondo State.

Urging the family to be consoled by the late Adegbonmire’s “honesty and selfless service to humanity”, Fayemi said: “While we mourn the exit of this great politician, we are consoled by the good life he lived and pray that God will grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

Senator Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo North District) said: “I received with sadness the news of the death of Chief Adegbonmire, our symbol of progressive politics in Ondo State.

“The late Adegbonmire, an astute administrator, writer, consistent politician and unblemished statesman, made a mark in the history of democracy, both in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

“The frontline Afenifere leader was a loyal party leader. His fidelity to the tenets of dignity and integrity, as well as marriage to the ideology of progressive politics, was steadfast like a fearless leopard, which never changes its skin.

“The staunch member of the Action Group (AG) metamorphosed with the party into its present form before death took him away from us. His contributions to national issues and his heroic role that gave us our democracy stemmed from the values of discipline, dedication and conviction.

“Pa Adegbonmire’s records while he held sway as a university librarian; Chairman of the Ondo State Investment Corporation and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) provide an enviable mentorship for the coming generation.

“I commiserate with the ACN leadership; the Elders’ Forum he led while alive; members of our party and the people of the state on the departure of the crusader of the politics of ideology.”

Activist lawyer Charles Titiloye urged the Ondo State government to immortalise the late Adegbonmire.

Speaking with reporters in Akure, the state capital, Titiloye said the late Adegbonmire was a politician worthy of emulation.

He said: “The late political leader did not believe in flirting with every government in power. He is one of the few consistent politicians in the state.

“After the tenure of the Adefarati administration ended, he remained a consistent voice in the opposition. He refused to be part of the political prostitution that was the order of the day. Politicians should emulate him so that Nigeria’s democracy and politics can grow.”

Condemning the incessant defection from one party to another by politicians since 1999, Titiloye said: “It has become ridiculous that we cannot know where they belong in terms of ideology. Some elders now carry their old caps in their hands begging for stipends from any government in power.”

The former Secretary of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Akure branch, urged Governor Olusegun Mimiko to name a befitting structure, road or institution after the late Adegbonmire.

Otunba Adegboyega Adefarati, son of former Governor Adebayo Adefarati, described the deceased as a “loyal, honest and dependable ally”.

North governors under the auspices of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) yesterday described as a great loss the passing away of the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr Abdullateef Adegbite.

The NSGF said the late Adegbite would be sorely missed by his family, Muslim faithful and indeed all Nigerians.

According to the Chairman of the forum, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu who doubles as the Niger State governor, Nigeria has lost an outstanding lawyer, teacher, scholar and philanthropist who devoted his life to the service of God and humanity.

A statement in Minna by his spokeman, Danladi Ndayebo described the late Adegbite as a bridge builder who worked towards peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians.

The statement said the forum is pained by Adegbite’s demise especially that it came at a time when the guidance and advice of religious leaders are required to steer the ship of state.

It urged Nigerians to be consoled by the virtues he left behind which would continue to serve as a guiding light to the successor generation.

It prayed Allah to grant the deceased Aljannah Firdaus and the bereaved family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.