Sanwo-Olu, Aregbesola mourn late Lagos senator, Osinowo

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed sadness over the sudden death of Senator Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo, who passed away on Monday morning at the age of 64 after a brief illness.

Sanwo-Olu described Oshinowo’s death as a rude shock coming at a time when the state and indeed the entire nation had just started benefiting from his wealth of political and administrative experience.

Tribune Online reports that Osinowo was the senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District at the Upper Legislative Chamber of the National Assembly before he breathed his last Monday morning.

Sanwo-Olu expressed this feeling in a condolence message, signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Gboyega Akosile, saying Senator Osinowo’s demise had thrown the state into mourning.

The governor urged Lagosians, whose interests the late lawmaker represented at the National Assembly to use his death as a reminder that the battle against the ravaging coronavirus pandemic is far from being won.

“The death of Senator Bayo Osinowo is painful. He died at a time when we have just begun to consolidate on our successes and see a ray of hope in our fight against the COVID-19. We must not allow the death of Senator Osinowo to deter us from forging ahead in our quest to finding a lasting solution to the dreaded disease.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu further said: “I am saddened by the death of this fine gentleman; a loyal party man and committed democrat, with a deep understanding of the State’s social and political landscape.

“Senator Osinowo was an extremely loyal politician, who started his political journey with the progressives and remained in the fold until his unfortunate exit today.

“There’s no doubting the fact that he would be missed by the entire political class, particularly his immediate constituents in Kosofe, the Lagos East Senatorial District and the State as a whole,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor added that the best honour to give the deceased would be for the government to speedily achieve a turn around in the state’s health sector by ensuring that no single life was lost on the account of poor health.

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“We will continue to give priority attention to our health sector, improve on service delivery, trainings and other critical areas in the sector so as to ensure that no life is lost due to poor health facilities,” he said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu condoled with the immediate family of the departed, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; President of the Senate, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan over what he described as the loss of a “dear colleague.”

He also sympathised with members of APC in Lagos and at the national level as well as the Lagos State House of Assembly, praying God to grant the soul of the beloved Senator Osinowo eternal rest in Aljannah firdaus.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in a eulogy, recounted Osinowo’s friendship and support as political associate spanning decades.

He described Osinowo as one who was vivacious, versatile, didactic, ebullient, engaging, witty, zestful and an unapologetic Senator Bola Tinubu man.

Recounting his connection with Osinowo, Aregbesola said: “We met soon after his release from a prolonged detention with the winner of June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola, an experience that, according to him, was close to death.

“Bayo never finished regaling us with snippets of his gulag experience that could best be described as harrowing and life-threatening, yet he survived.

Senator Osinowo was a core loyalist to our cause and tendency in all spheres and climes and a bold and courageous defender of the Mandate Group.

“I can never fully requite the debt of service, favour and commitment I owe Senator Osinowo. He gave me an overwhelming support for the Osun Governorship project.

“As a matter of fact, he took it personal. He engaged and was responsible for the 12-man bodyguards that provided water-tight security for me from 2004 to 2010. He mobilised resources from far and wide for the elections and legal tussles.

“To be sure, Bayo recruited Prince Adelowo Adedeji (OBAFOOT) to our circle. Obafoot then donated his palatial country home for our use in Ilesa as residence and operational base till today.

“The resources, both human and material, rallied by Senator Osinowo for that cause were legendary. Only Allah SWT can adequately reward him for the kind gestures.”