First Ekiti gov, Bawa dies, Fayose expresses shock

The first military administrator of Ekiti State, Colonel Inuwa Bawa (rtd), has died.

Col. Bawa was said to have died in a hospital in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Friday.

Reacting to the death, Governor Ayodele Fayose, described the death as “shocking and a great loss to the people of the state who are appreciative of the pioneering role he played in the state.”

Fayose, who reacted through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, said “his death came at a time we just finished mourning late General Adeyinka Adebayo.”

Fayose said Bawa came to Ekiti at a time Ekiti needed a man like him for take off and despite the odds he met on ground as the first Military Administrator, he practically squeezed water out of stone to lay a solid foundation for the state.

“The late Colonel Inuwa Bawa braved the odds as the pioneer governor of our dear state to lay a very solid foundation on which others have been building. It is an understatement to say he worked assiduously for the progress of our state, he did work tirelessly for our state and its take off.

“Despite the hitches associated with someone pioneering the take off of a state, he was able to harness the human resources of the state to give the people the encouragement and motivation needed for the sustenance of the state.”

“Bawa’s astute leadership qualities did not allow the efforts of our fathers who fought for the creation of the state to be in vain. Every Ekiti son and daughter will remember Bawa for his efforts and giant strides given the limited material resources available to him and his team.

“We pray God to give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and we, the people and government of Ekiti State identify with them in this period that they have lost a fine gentleman and military officer,” he said.