Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has expressed regret on the death of the former President of the defunct National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS), Mr. Segun Okeowo.
Fayemi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, described Okeowo’s death as the end of an era of a freedom fighter whose legacy inspired future generations to the defence of the rights of the oppressed.
He said Okeowo’s place in the annals of the nation’s history is forever secured with championing the cause of the Nigerian students in his capacity as NUNS leader during the ‘Ali Must Go’ protest of 1978.
Fayemi said Okeowo’s fearlessness and refusal to be silent in the face of tyranny is a lesson to those in positions of leadership to always respect the rights of the people they are leading.
The Governor noted that personalities like Okeowo inspired many , including himself) to join the students union movement as undergraduate at the University of Lagos, a development which he said, had prepared him for the roles he played as a pro-democracy activist and human rights campaigner, and now as Governor of Ekiti State.
He also said Okeowo used his wealth of experience as an educationist to reposition the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board.
The Governor urged the family of the deceased to take solace in the fact that he left behind a good name and worthy legacies they can build upon.
Last modified: January 29, 2014