Prominent Nigerians, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi and a former Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday, paid their last respects to a former governor of Oyo State, the late Adebayo Alao-Akala, in his hometown Ogbomoso, where his body was laid to rest.
Other dignitaries at the event include Oyo State deputy governor, Rauf Olaniyan; Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Oyedele Salako; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Taofek Arapaja, among others.
At the burial, Osinbajo described the former governor as an open-minded politician, who would be missed for his magnanimity and compassion.
He said the late governor served the interest of his people when he was in power and gave quality counsel to those who were around him.
He stated that the late politician was an accountable personality who improved the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state from N300 million to N1 billion while in office.
According to him, he was responsible and respectful to the views of individuals and would be missed for his counsel and compassion.
On his part, Governor Makinde described him as one who loved everyone regardless of his or her political differences, saying he would be honoured accordingly.
Makinde, who declared that the state government would immortalise the late former governor, said a committee headed by his Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, has been put in place to work on how best to honour the late politician.
He said: “In the last conversation I had with governor Alao-Akala, I called to inform him that I would like him to be the one to flag-off the Ogbomoso-Fapote-Iseyin Road project and he said to me, ‘Seyi, just call to give 48 hours notice and I would be there.’
“He knew there was the time to tear down and a time to rebuild together. The former governor recognised the fact that particular time was not the time for us to project our political differences but a time to come together in the interest of Oyo State.”
The governor maintained that apart from supporting the family of the governor, he would also redeem whatever pledge Alao-Akala made to students of Ogbomoso Baptist Conference College. – The Guardian.
