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Tag: Olusegun Mimiko

  • Appeal court’s judgment has corrected ‘executive rascality, impunity’ – Olanusi

    Appeal court’s judgment has corrected ‘executive rascality, impunity’ – Olanusi

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Appeal Court’s nullification of impeachment of Alhaji Ali Olanusi, a former Deputy Governor in Ondo State,  has corrected “executive rascality and impunity in the state”.

    Mr  Abayomi Adesanya, the APC Publicity Secretary in Ondo State, in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday described the judgment as “victory for democracy”.

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure on Friday, March 24, annulled the impeachment of Olanusi as the Deputy to the immediate past Governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

    The judgment came two years after Olanusi was impeached by the State House of Assembly.

    The three-man panel, led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, directed that Olanusi’s salaries and entitlements be paid from April 27, 2015, the date he was purportedly impeached, to Feb. 24 when his tenure expired.

    In the79 page-judgment, the judges said Olanusi was not given fair hearing during the impeachment process.

    The APC Publicity Secretary said the nullification of the impeachment by the court had corrected “executive rascality and impunity of the immediate past government in the state’’.

    He called on the former Deputy Governor of the state, Mr Lasisi Oluboyo, who replaced Olanusi, to immediately refund all monies, salaries, entitlements, privileges and vehicles received as a deputy governor.

    “We advise the former and illegal occupant of the office of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lasisi Oluboyo, to refund all monies accrued to him, either as salaries or allowances while illegally occupying the office of the deputy governor.

    “Oluboyo should also honourably return all government’s vehicles and properties at his disposal to the state government,” Adesanya said.

     

  • N500m “parting gifts’’ approved for Ondo political office holders, APC alleges

    N500m “parting gifts’’ approved for Ondo political office holders, APC alleges

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has alleged that the outgoing Gov. Olusegun Mimiko had approved N500 million as “parting gifts“ to political office holders.

    Mimiko’s eight-year tenure will end on Feb. 23, while Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the Governor-elect will be sworn-in on Feb. 24.

    The APC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, on Saturday alleged that the money was from the state Local Governments Joint Account.

    “We have authoritatively gathered that Gov. Olusegun Mimiko, whose tenure expires in 12 days’ time has approved a take-home package of N500 million (taxpayers’ money) as valedictory packages for the 18 council chairmen.

    “Other beneficiaries of the parting gifts are officials of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, who oversee the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Mr Governor himself.

    “Each of the council chairmen and senior civil servants (names withheld), who are involved in facilitating the documentation and perfection of the loot, are to part with N20 million, while Mr Governor goes with a lion share of N300 million.

    “We want to warn the Accountant General of the state and permanent secretaries not to succumb to pressure by Mimiko and his cronies to milk our state dry before the expiration of their tenure.

    “There shall be commensurate negative consequences for every wrong actions or inaction.

    “The action is a daylight robbery of the commonwealth of the good people of Ondo State, ’’ the statement read.

    Adesanya warned banks and other financial institutions in the state not to get involved in any “shady deal’’ with this outgoing government.

    Efforts to get reaction of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Eni Akinsola, were unsuccessful as calls to his cell phone were not picked. (NAN)

  • Salaries: Ondo workers drag A-G to banks

    Salaries: Ondo workers drag A-G to banks

    Workers in Ondo State on Thursday forcefully dragged the Account-General (AG), Mr. Felix Ajibokun to banks to begin the process of payment of workers’ salaries.
    The aggrieved workers, who earlier picketed the A-G office at Alagbaka Akure, the state capital, are being owed six months salaries.
    They were led by their Joint Negotiating  Council (JNC) Chairman, Mr. Sunday Adeleye and the State Chairman, Mrs. Bosede Daramola and other union leaders.
    They are pleading the government for one month salary to enable them celebrate the Christmas.
    The state governor, Olusegun Mimiko was said to have directed the AG to pay the workers.
    But, Ajibokun, who is expected to retire from service today (Thursday), had allegedly refused to commence the payment.
    Adeleye, while speaking with reporters, said the union leaders recently met Governor Olusegun Mimiko and they both resolved that the workers should be paid a month for them to have money to celebrate the Christmas.
    He said “about four days ago, we met with the governor and the Commissioner for Finance and the AG was directed to pay the workers salaries so that everybody can go home with something.
    ” Since then, we have been coming here but he has been avoiding us until today (yesterday)when we asked him when he will pay us, but he said no workers will be paid until after Christmas.
    “For your information, this is the man that will be retiring from service on Friday and the system is this, he is the only who has the legal right to pay workers and the moment he retires, it will take government up to three weeks to appointment another AG.
    “Let me tell, people are dying. What manner of parent are you, when you cannot buy your child a T-shirt.
    “We will continue to keep vigil on this premises until the AG is ready to pay the workers”.
    Ajibokun, however blamed poor banking network for the reason for the delay of the payment.
  • Ondo polls: Mimiko faults INEC’s listing of Ibrahim’s as PDP candidate

    Ondo polls: Mimiko faults INEC’s listing of Ibrahim’s as PDP candidate

    The outgoing governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko on Friday faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the listing of Jimoh Ibrahim as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

    According to him, Eyitayo Jegede is the lawful candidate of the party.

    He also pointed out that the Justice Abang judgment INEC relied upon has nothing to do with Jimoh and Jegede.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Mimiko said: “I am shocked. In logic, in law, in politics, there is no basis for it whatsoever. The Jimoh Ibrahim factor in all of this is predicated on a court order given by Justice Abang. Incidentally that court order is about zonal and state executives of PDP. That order is about 2009 election.

    “Neither Jimoh Ibrahim nor Tayo Jegede were parties to the suit. So, when that judgment suddenly came because when the name of Ibrahim was sent to INEC after a primary election which was conducted in Ibadan without INEC monitoring it, without security agencies, SSS or police, when the name gets to INEC and this Abang judgment was attached, INEC took the right decision initially by making it clear that to start with, it is not state or zonal executive that is empowered by the electoral act to conduct election, number two, the Abang judgment on the basis of which they were putting pressure on INEC to accept Jimoh Ibrahim as a candidate was referring to 2009 election.

    “There is nothing about 2016 election in that judgment. So, on the basis of this, a nitro, INEC refused and discountenanced the name of Jimoh Ibrahim as a candidate.

    “Then they went ahead and filed form 48 and from the blues, the same Justice Abang mandated INEC to replace the name of Eyitayo Jegede who emerged through a primary process that was supervised by INEC, security agencies on live television with all delegates that were supposed to participate, then Abang ordered that Jimoh Ibrahim should replace Eyigayo Jegede,” he said.

    “Ordinarily, we should have disregarded the order because like I said, Jegede was not a party to the suit, neither was Jimoh Ibrahim. But we were also advised that it was very important for us to appeal so that if anybody is up to a mischief, we would have taken the plank off the person.

    According to him, they immediately appealed.

    “When we had filed in our papers, submitted our briefs and gotten date, that should serve as a stay of execution. We don’t want to take chances because somebody in INEC told us that they obey the last order in the commission.

    “Some went to court and obtained two different orders mandating INEC not to substitute Eyigayo Jegede. We served one on INEC around 10 am yesterday, and we served INEC with the order one at the close of business around 3 pm. Only around 7 or 8 pm, we got to know that INEC for no justifiable reason had substituted the name of Jegede and replaced it with that of Ibrahim.

    “The question to ask is on whose order has INEC done that? Apart from the fact that we have two restraining orders on INEC, INEC knows fully well that Jimoh Ibrahim’s primaries was in Ibadan. There was no report by any security agencies that the security situation in Ondo state warranted the movement of the primaries to Ibadan or anywhere outside the state for that matter.” He said

    He also pointed out that the time for substitution of candidates has even elapsed under INEC’s guidelines.

    INEC’s action, he noted, can potentially cause a breach of peace in the state.

    He said that his administration in the last seven and half years has done everything possible to put good governance on the table.

    “We see this action as potentially dangerous. It can cause conflagration in the state and that is why as the chief security officer of the state, I have come to alert Mr President of the potential danger of this injustice so that we can nip it in the bud.” He added

    On the President’s response, Mimiko said: “Mr president has promised to look into it and that if there is any injustice, we should be rest assured that it will be rectified.”

    Speaking on protest in the state, he said: “The whole day from 5 a.m, I have been on phone with stakeholders to ensure they keep the peace in the state. The extent of the protest you have seen has been reduced by our intervention to ensure that there is no breach of peace.

    “I have assured them that this injustice will not stay. We will continue to explore all avenues to make INEC see reasons why this impunity must not stand.

    Asked whether he still has confidence in INEC conducting a credible election, he said: “If INEC finds it difficult to obey court order, a credible election starts with a process like this.”

  • Adeyanju hails Mimiko at 62

    Adeyanju hails Mimiko at 62

    • .-RSays, he is ‘Perfect Nigerian mentor’.

    In Nigeria, we have an acute shortage of real heroes and mentors. Most people who occupy leadership positions are people who go into politics do so to make a name or fill their pocket with money. Many of them are not interested in mentoring a new generation of leaders.

    I have had the privilege of meeting leaders of all categories and I can say without mincing words that most people in Nigeria who become leaders have no business with leadership. I have spent hours with some leaders and from whom I waited eagerly for words of inspiration and motivation that never came.  Quite a number of them spent time focusing on mundane issues, caught up in the web of materialism. There is nothing inspiring about them or their leadership lifestyle.

    I was introduced to Governor Olusegun Mimiko the Iroko by my older brother (Femi Fani-Kayode) who had a very soft spot for me and had repeatedly told me that if I was to develop leadership skills, I needed a visionary leader as a mentor. He believed Governor Mimiko was that leader. He spoke to me about how ideologically inclined Governor Mimiko was.

    From that first meeting, I could immediately tell that Governor Mimiko was going to have a strong impact on my life. He spoke about issues – socio-political, economic, historical and personal – with a knowledge and passion that was both iluminating and inspiring. At that first meeting, he told me that his abiding principle in his interaction and discussion with younger people was the desire to ensure that every conversation was a teaching moment, an opportunity to pass on wisdom, an opening to motivate.

    It was at this first meeting that he gave me, perhaps, the best analogy about leadership that I have heard. Iroko, as he is fondly called, believes that a leader is like a medical doctor, sworn and committed to daily apply himself to treating the patients who come to him.

    In the years that have gone by, I have often been a guest at his table. Meal times in the Mimiko household are an occasion not just to break bread in fellowship but to have enlightening trans-generational conversations about a wide range of issues.

    It was at his meal tables that I gleaned my first leadership lesson from him. Governor Mimiko has a core group of people with whom he has shared friendship for well over 20 years and with whom he often shares a meal, particularly breakfast. Their friendship is real and deep in a manner that enables them to talk to him frankly and help keep his feet on the ground. These are people who are not scared to vehemently oppose him on any matter, people who can look him in the eye and tell him how wrong his train of thought or intention on any particular issue is.

    The lesson I took from that is how important it is to have a core group of people with whom I can emulate such friendship. In a country where people often become trapped by power, surrounded by yes men and unable to get a true picture of the real perception of the public on issues, such friendships are a key ingredient to success.

    It was also from him I learnt my second and third leadership lessons. At the time he made his intention to run for office public, he was opposed by President Olusegun Obasanjo. Anyone who knows Baba knows that he does not oppose in half measure. It was a struggle that involved the use the apparatus of state to temporarily deprive Mimiko of the mandate of the people which was freely given to him.

    The two things that struck me about that struggle are – how Governor Mimiko has never said anything negative or derisory about Baba in public (at least to my knowledge) and how he remained committed to his goals until the Supreme Court delivered its landmark judgment that signified victory.

    From this tussle I learnt how important it is to be respectful – even to people who consider themselves your enemy. I also learnt the importance of patience and perseverance.
    As the years have gone by, I have seen Governor Mimiko apply his principles and ideology to governance. A very generous family man, I have seen him implement a number of policies and programmes designed to improve the welfare and lifestyle of the people he leads. These policies mirror his personal beliefs about life and what the minimum standard of living should be.

    One of such policies is the Abiye programme – a programme designed to provide free and qualitative healthcare for pregnant women and children aged 0-5 years. The cardinal objective of the programme is to eliminate maternal mortality and infant mortality as much as possible.
    This programme, which involved the establishment of Agbebiye/Mother & Child centres spread across the state and the establishment of the Ondo Mother & Child Hospital in Oke-Aro, compelled traditional birth attendants to refer pregnant women to nearby health facilities where they can receive qualitative healthcare before, during and after delivery.
    In its 3 years of operations, the Ondo Mother & Child Hospital has handled over 25,000 under- five children, 17,000 pregnant women, 1,000 gynaecological patients, 10,000 safe deliveries and 2,500 caesarean sessions free of charge.
    This has helped reduce the State’s alarming maternal mortality rate from 745 per 100,000 live births in 2009 to 172 per 100,000 live births in 2015. My research shows me that this figure will be significantly lower when the statistics for 2016 are released.

    This programme has helped Ondo State become the only State in Nigeria to achieve MDG goal 5 of reducing Maternal Mortality by 75%. As a result, the State has won two editions of the Bill Gates Leadership Award.

    Another of such programmes is the State School Bus programme. This simple programme involves the use of government provided buses to ferry children in uniform to and from school absolutely free. Established on June 12, 2012 the School Bus Programme provides transportation of an average of 53,000 students monthly. A report I saw showed that prior to the inception of the programme, most student spent an average of N100 getting to and from school daily. A simple calculation will show that this programme helps parents and guardians save around N113 million monthly.

    Iroko is one of the most humble Nigerian leaders I have ever met. An experience I can never forget is an incidence when I travelled to see him. By the time I got to Akure, I discovered that he had left for an urgent engagement in Owo – a 45 minute drive away.

    He asked me to turn around and gave me directions on the phone. I got to where he was to discover that he had stopped his convoy and waited for us on the road for over 20mins. When we got to where the governor was standing, Churchill Umoren my friend who had travelled with me was so amazed that he kept saying how “How can a governor park his convoy for 20mins and wait for a small boy like you?” My reply was that Iroko personifies humility.

    The Governor did not stop there, he left his bulletproof car and joined me in mine, a 2003 Toyota Corolla which did not have air conditioning, for the duration of the trip and asked Churchill to enter his car so we could talk privately. That incident with Governor Mimiko is a regular occurrence. I believe the he forgets most times that he is the Governor of a state.

    I could go on and on speaking about the polices and ideology of governor Mimiko and how they have affected the lives of the people he leads. When you meet the Iroko, you can never be in doubt as to where he stands: he stand for restructuring and true federalism. His programmes and policies are about the welfare of the people he leads. Every social services provided for the people are FREE, the schools, hospital, school buses, etc.

    I could speak about the Medical Village in Ondo town which houses the Gani Fawehinmi Mother and Child Hospital, Kidney Care Centre, the Gani Fawehinmi Diagnostic Centre and the University of Medical Sciences (First of its kind in Africa).
    I could also speak about his Cocoa Revolution Project (CRP) which has seen Ondo State grow to account for over 40% of Nigeria’s total cocoa production and which saw chocolate produced in partnership with the chocolate giant, SPAGnVOLA, with cocoa beans from the Oda Cocoa Estate win the 2015 Silver Award from the London Academy of Chocolate.

    When I wanted to contest for the position of National Publicity Secretary of our great party few months ago, Iroko was the first person I consulted before I took the big move. His words were: “If PDP is serious and ready to change, it will ensure you get it unopposed. This will send a loud sound to Nigerians and especially the young generation that the party has changed. This party will be lucky to have you as Publicity Secretary. You young people will start a revolution with the party. Nigerians will trust the party again if you guys are the face of the party”.

    At another time, I took some young politicians to him and he was speaking and motivating us and these were his words: “There are too many people without conscience in politics. They have no soul and I am so discouraged to the point of giving up on many occasions but it is every time I see you guys that I say to myself I must not give up; there is still hope.”

    But this was not meant to be a political piece on Governor Mimiko. It is an article written in celebration of a father, mentor and friend. It is an article written to share with its readers a little about this man who has helped shape the course of my life in so many ways.

    I write this to celebrate Governor Olusegun Otaibayomi Mimiko at 62. Sir, if you see this – may the Lord bless you, and keep you, and cause His face to shine upon you. May there be many more years to celebrate.

    Happy birthday!!!

    Signed:

    Deji Adeyanju

  • Group makes case for Owo/Ose constituency

    A group, Owo/Ose Egaliterian Group (OEG) has said that it is its turn to
    produce the next governor of Ondo state under the plaform of any political
    party.

    It emphasised that it was illogical for Akoko Division in the same Ondo
    North to have the governorship and senatorial seats simultaneously.

    A statement by its Coordinator, Akin Famadenuyi said the group was concerned about the capability of whoever should aspire to lead Ondo state now in the face of the dwindly revenue and zero industrial base.

    It said the present prevailing situation demands for intergrity of a visionary leadership with unflinching loyality to the cause of the progressives party.

    OEG recalled that it was a concensus in the state that the office of the governor should be rotated round the three senatorial Districts begining with late Chief Adebayo Adefarati (North) Dr Olusegun Agagu (South) and the
    incumbent Olusegun Mimiko (Central).

    The statement reads: “It is most reasonable to continue in that direction
    unless the North which is next in turn find it difficult to produce an acceptable candidate.

    “Akoko has been the most beneficiary of political offices holding either elective or on appointments since the advent of the present democratic dispensation, they have produced Governor, two deputies, speaker, House of Assembly, Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President, Ministers and others including the incument Senator, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice.

    “The concensus is that when the governor comes from Akoko, the Senator
    should come from Owo/Ose axis and vice versa, but now Akoko has an array of
    aspirants in the race which is morally wrong.”

    OEG urged the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples
    Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties to zone the governorship
    slot to Owo/Ose Federal Constituency particularly Ose local government in
    the interest of justice and fairplay.

  • Ondo: APC aspirant warns electorate on Mimiko political antics

    Ondo: APC aspirant warns electorate on Mimiko political antics

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Mr. Niyi Adegbonmire SAN on Thursday warned the people of the state not to fall for the political antics of the state governor Olusegun Mimiko ahead of the November 26, gubernatorial poll.
    Adegbonmire alleged that the governor had embarked on campaign of calumny by blaming the current hardship in the state on President Muhammdu Buhari, whereas Mimiko mismanagement’s attitude had been the bane for this.
    The aspirant spoke with reporters, at his party secretariat in Akure, the state capital, shortly after submitting his letter of intent and also paid his N2million developmental levy ahead of the party primary.
    The lawyer faulted Mimiko on his recent programme tagged “Eto Igbe Ayo” where bags of rice and beans are distributed to the people in Ikare Akoko in Akoko North East local government on the ground of reducing hunger in the state.
    He noted that despite that it is not a bad idea for people who are more blessed by God to assist the less privileged, he believes the plot by Mimiko to be distributing rice for the people at this critical political stage was to lure the electorate to vote for his party.
    Adegbonmire, who was the son of the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), late Wumi Adegbonmire further said: “the people should have asked the governor where he got that money from to buy the rice and beans at a time he is battling to pay his workers five months salaries, workers at the two tertiary institutions are on strike, and no infrastructural projects are going on?”
    The aspirants urged the people to learn from their neigbouring state where the political antics of their governor is to be distributing food stuffs, claiming there was no money to pay the workers but later discovered that he was allegedly keeping some huge amount of money in his accounts.
    On his ambition, Adegbonmire said he was in the race to give to the State the best needed change that the people of Ondo State had been yearning for in terms of good governance.
    He commended the Party leaders across the 18 local governments for their tolerance and continued efforts at building a virile Party in the State in spite of economics hardship imposed upon the people by the present administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko led government.
    He urged the leaders to provide a level playing ground for all the contestants through which a popular candidate could emerge.
    He said his administration, if given the mandate would focus on good governance by putting in place a mechanism, in line with the Party manifesto and constitution to give succours to the people at grassroots and also ensuring equal allocation and distribution of wealth
  • Mimiko’s foreign trip: PDP critises APC

    Mimiko’s foreign trip: PDP critises APC

    The Ondo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state over its comments on the recent working visit to the United Kingdom (UK) in spite of the ongoing industrial action by workers in the state.

    A statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Ayo Fadaka said even though the workers strike is unfortunate,but such action is not restricted to Ondo State as the spate of industrial action is ignited by the poor understanding of economic management of the APC led Federal Government.

    PDP said: “It is widespread development across the nation as the factors responsible for it, here is a common development across the nation. It is instructive to declare that the insinuation concerning the Governor’s trip abroad in spite of the workers strike demonstrates clearly the poor understanding of the APC operatives on the workings of government.

    “The fact that the Governor embarked on a working visit does not in any manner indicate that the apparatus of governance equally took a walk.

    It explained that  while the Governor was away, the Commissioner for Finance was in Abuja in respect of the N14billion staggered loan the State is accessing to settle Workers salaries, the Deputy Governor equally attended a NEC meeting with the Vice President and the House of Assembly also sat to give approval to the Executive’s quest to get the aforementioned loan.

    The statement said”It is also germane that we emphatically declare for the umpteenth time that Governor’s trip to the United Kingdom was sponsored by the authorities of the Chattam House who also took care of his stay and feeding while he was their guest.

    “It was a working visit for the Governor who used the opportunity to enunciate the many achievements that have been recorded in our health sector, a factor that is responsible for his invitation in the first instance, and the need for the Governor to share this experience on a world platform.

    “It is germane to mention that the Ondo model in health care will be of help in many developing nations since it has been made public in a cathedral of policy formulations that the Chattam House represents”.

    PDP said the APC operatives in the State should learn a lesson in playing opposition, saying” It is our sincere opinion that it should constructively criticize developments in our State without being outlandish and pedestrian.

    “The claim that the Governor lives in opulence in the Government House is the kind of cheap talk that reigns in a drinking joint,they should learn how to logically proffer the other view without being petty and it is only when they do this that they will attract the attention of the people.”

    It maintained that the APC current stance of peddling abuses on the person of Governor Mimiko confirms their limitations, manners, quality of upbringing and ability to efficaciously play an opposition’s role.

  • Mimiko’s wife is gift to humanity – Boroffice

    The senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice, has showered encomium on the First Lady of Ondo State, Mrs OluKemi Mimiko as she marks her 49th birthday anniversary.
     
    In a congratulatory note issued by his media aide, Kayode Adeniyi, the senator said Mrs Mimiko‎ is an indescribable gift to humanity. 
     
    “Over the years, through her accomplishments and interventions, she has distinguished herself as a virtuous woman and role model that is worthy of emulation by her contemporaries and the younger feminine population. 
     
    “I draw inspiration from 2 corinthians 9 : 15, to join other family members and well wishers to appreciate God for this indescribable gift to humanity. I wish her many more celebrations in good health,” he said. 
  • Wike, Mimiko, others bid late mother of Gov Umahi farewell

    Wike, Mimiko, others bid late mother of Gov Umahi farewell

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike was among eminent personalities that attended the wake-keep of late Mother-General Margaret Umahi, mother of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi at Agu-Ugwu, Umunaga Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    Other dignitaries at the programme which took place on Thursday 31 March, 2016 include the Governors of Bayelsa, Henry Seriake Dickson, Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Gombe, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Delta, Ifeanyi Okowa, Ondo, Olusegun Mimiko and the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

    Speaking at the programme, The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi noted that his mother lived a good life while, describing her as a mediator between God and man.

    He lauded his fellow governors and political associates for their sacrifices, love and honor shown him, his family and the people of Ebonyi State by attending the burial programme of his mother to commiserate with them.

    He expressed happiness over the love that exists between the present crop of governors which he noted is beyond party affiliation.

    Governor Umahi particularly thanked the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for accommodating good number of Ebonyi indigenes who lived and do business in the state.

    Speaking on behalf of the Governors at the occasion, Governor Henry Sariake Dickson of Bayelsa State said they were in the state to solidarize with their colleague and the people of Ebonyi state on the death of their mother as well as honor her for a life well lived.

    He noted that the worthy legacies of late Margaret Umahi will always be remembered and assured members of the Umahi’s family of their support.

    Governor Sariake Dickson prayed God to grant members of the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and for the soul of the deceased to rest in peace.