GOVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, on Monday, broke his silence over the death of Speaker of the State Assembly, Honourable Michael Adeyemo, describing Adeyemo as the best Speaker he ever worked with.
Since Adeyemo’s death on Friday, Ajimobi had visited Anatomy department, University of Ibadan, where Adeyemo’s corpse was deposited as well as the late Speaker’s family house in Lanlate but has declined to speak to journalists on the incident.
Ajimobi, who finally spoke when some Obas of Ibadan land paid him a condolence visit, at Governor’s office, Ibadan, said he’s refusing to speak was because of his close relationship to Adeyemo when he was alive.
He especially, said Adeyemo stood out in legislative leadership, in view of his outstanding intellect, humility, integrity and knowledge.
“Since his exit, I have refused to speak because he was so close to me and he was very patriotic, diligent, hardworking, committed to the progress and development of this state.
“Regardless of the age, it was very short. I have witnessed and read about many Speakers in Oyo State. I have worked with two, I have heard about six. Without any equivocation, he is the best Speaker that I ever knew in terms of intellect, humility, integrity, knowledge.
“It’s painful that we had to lose him but take solace in the fact that it is usually not how long but how well. He did very well and he was very religious. He was religious and Godly and I have no doubt that he will rest in perfect peace,” Ajimobi said.
The Obas of Ibadanland who visited were, The Ibadan monarchs that visited were,
the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun; Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin; Ekarun Olubadan, Oba Amidu Ajibade; Ashipa Olubadan, Oba Eddy Oyewole; Ashipa Balogun, Oba Lateef Adebimpe; and Ekarun Balogun, Oba Kola Adegbola.
Balogun, who spoke on behalf of the monarchs, said, “He’s a great Speaker and young man, ordinarily far from the departure from this world. At 47 years, he abandoned us and left. We least expected it.
“We are very sorry about what happened and wish him to rest in peace. We wish his family the very best of God’s attention in the future. We sympathise with the state House of Assembly. We are very much aggrieved at what happened. May his soul rest in peace.”
The state government, in a statement on Monday, affirmed the burial of Adeyemo on Thursday, at his hometown, Lanlate.
Thursday’s burial will be preceded by a valedictory plenary and lying in state at the House of Assembly.
Activities to bid the former Oyo Speaker farewell will also include a Christian wake, at Oke-Ado Baptist Church, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Samson Ayokunle, also paid a condolence visit to Ajimobi, on Monday, where he stressed that human beings were expected to positively impact the lives of others, rather than focus on material acquisitions.
This is as he harped on the need for the President Muhammadu Buhari led the government to urgently arrest the killings in the country, else the nation was at risk of famine and economic stagnation.
Ayokunle made this remarks when he paid a condolence visit to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on the loss of Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Michael Adeyemo.
According to Ayokunle, the continued bloodshed in parts of the country like Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Adamawa was pushing Nigerians to abandon their farms thereby threatening the food security of the nation.
He bemoaned the spate of killings in churches as evidence that the federal government was incapable of securing the nation, urging Nigerians to ‘Watch and Pray’.
“The bloodshed in Nigeria has become unbearable. The ground is opening up and eating up the blood of people every day and the blood of these people is crying to God for vengeance.
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“How can our nation prosper with daily bloodshed? Are human beings cows? Now, it has shifted to the house of God with priests and parishioners murdered. This means there is no place that is safe and nobody is safe.
“We have waited for too long, praying and having dialogues. It has to be Watch and Pray now.
It has to be faithful to works. We need to let those governing know that the primary responsibility of government is to protect lives and properties and provide security for Nigerians. If this continues, there cannot be developed.
People cannot go to their farms because they know they are not safe there. Then we are inviting famine unless something urgently is done by the government of the day at the national level,” Ayokunle said.
Deputy Governor of Oyo state, Mr Moses Adeyemo, who welcomed the CAN President, said he took solace in that God was all-knowing and would accord paradise to the righteous.
and then