Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and his counterparts from Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as well as the Minister of Finance and coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala have condoled with Governor Kayode Fayemi on the demise of his deputy, Mrs Funmi Olayinka, who died on Saturday.
Senator Ajimobi, who together with his wife, Florence, visited Governor Fayemi at the Governor’s House, Ado-Ekiti on Monday, described the late Olayinka as “a lady of substance who had lived an exemplary life” and achieved a lot for her age and the people of Ekiti State.
The Governor who expressed optimism that she had gone to rest with the Lord, urged Ekiti people to support the Governor and the family of the deceased so that the late Deputy Governor’s service could be justified.
In his remarks, Aregbesola, who stormed the Governor’s office on Monday night, described the death of Olayinka as a great loss not only to the Government and people of Ekiti State but also to the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria because of her loyalty, commitment, diligence and service to the people.
He said only God can make a replacement for the gap that the death had created.
Signing the condolence register at the Government House Ado Ekiti, Governor Aregbesola said it was
“such a pain to lose a polished, smart and diligent person like Mrs Olayinka in our government in Ekiti”.
“Conscious of the transience of life, we are consoled by the fact that her short life was very eventful and successful. We pray for eternal bliss in the bosom of God and the grace of God for her family”
, he said.
Aregbesola also joined Governor Fayemi to pay a condolence visit to the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, who was still in the mourning mood at about 10pm on Sunday night.
Meanwhile Governor Mimiko has said that early detection of cancer before its spread is the only guarantee for safety against the deadly disease and has therefore urged women to engage in regular medical check of their breasts in order to prevent breast cancer.
Mimiko who was accompanied by his wife, Olukemi, and some of his aides to pay a condolence visit to Governor Fayemi , said the late Olayinka
“bore the burden of cancer with unusual courage”.
He expressed his commiseration with the Government and people of the State; saying that the he shared their pain and loss.
In her condolence message, Dr Okonjo-Iweala expressed regret at the loss of one of Nigeria’s finest Deputy Governor.
In her words:
“It is with great regret and deep sense of loss that we learnt of the passing of our beautiful, intelligent sister, the Deputy Governor. She was a true representative of Nigerian womanhood. May her soul rest in perfect peace”
.
Legal icon and proprietor of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti , Chief Afe Babalola said the service rendered to the people of Ekiti State by the deceased increased the grief brought by the death and made the departure an irreparable loss.
Babalola disclosed that his varsity is working in partnership with a US-based University to establish the department of Pharmaceutical Science so as to carry out researches on possible cure for cancer.
Last modified: April 8, 2013
