PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to immortalise the late Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo who passed away yesterday afternoon about two months short of her 100th birthday with some form of national monument.
Fondly known as Mama, Mrs Awolowo, the wife of the former premier of the Western Region and Nigeria's only ever leader of the opposition died quietly in her sleep yesterday. Immediately news of her passing broke, her Ikenne home was besieged by friends and well wishers who came to pay their respects.
Early callers included former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, acting Ogun State governor Yetunde Onanuga, ex-governor Gbenga Daniel and secretary to the Ogun State government Taiwo Adeoluwa. Others were the state secretary of the Social Democratic Party Alhaji Abimbola Awofeso, the All Progressives Congress senatorial candidate for Ogun East in the last elections Dapo Abiodun, the wife of the current governor Olufunsho Amosun and the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Gboyega Isiaka.
Already, President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a message of condolence to the Awolowo family. His wife, Hadjiya Aisha Buhari has also visited the wife of the vice president Dolapo Osinbajo, who happens to be Mrs Awolowo's grand-daughter.
Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina, said: “On behalf of the federal government and people of Nigeria, President Buhari extends sincere commiserations to the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of the jewel of inestimable value on the death of their famed matriarch, just a few weeks before her hundredth birthday. The president joins them and millions of admirers of her late, revered husband, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in mourning Chief (Mrs) Awolowo who will be long remembered and celebrated as the famous spouse and pillar of strength of the late nationalist, political leader and sage.
“President Buhari believes that Chief (Mrs) Awolowo will always be honoured too for the indelible legacy of very significant, behind-the-scene contributions to communal, state, regional and national development which she has left behind. The President prays that God will comfort Chief (Mrs) Awolowo’s family, relatives, friends, associates and admirers, and grant them the fortitude to bear her irreparable loss."
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, said the late Mrs Awolowo was a mother to the nation and has left a huge vacuum in our lives. He added that the late H.I.D Awolowo would continue to be remembered for her humanitarian and philanthropic deeds and said she lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation.
He called on both federal and Ogun State government to honour the late Chief Mrs Awolowo by immortalising her. Mrs Awolowo, 99, was the Yeye Oodua of Yorubaland and would have been 100 years old by November 25 this year.
Preparation had begun to celebrate her expected centenary birthday. Her first daughter, Mrs Omotola Oyediran, said her mother spent five minutes with her family, had her routine daily chores of meetings and prayers among others, before she breathed her last by 3:05pm.
Comments
Post a Comment