Jonathan, Amosun condole Soyinka over death of daughter

Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta

President Goodluck Jonathan has sent a message of condolence to Professor Wole Soyinka and other members of the Soyinka family on the death of the Nobel laureate’s daughter, Iyetade at the age of 48.

Iyetade, a medical doctor died yesterday at the UCH Ibadan.

Jonathan asked God to comfort Prof. Soyinka about the painful exit of the daughter.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, western Nigeria has also expressed his condolences to Professor Soyinka.

In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the governor, Mrs. Funmi Wakama, the governor described the death of Iyetade as “most unfortunate and regrettable.”

“It is most unfortunate that the cold hands of death has snatched away Dr. Iyetade Soyinka at the prime of her life, when her knowledge and expertise would have been invaluable to her immediate family and the society at large. Our heartfelt sympathy goes to Professor Wole Soyinka and his family at this trying period, although we know that only God can comfort him,” Amosun stated.

The governor also extended his heartfelt condolences to the mother, children and other family members of the deceased and prayed the Almighty God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Iyetade Soyinka was born on 6 June,1965 in Ibadan, Oyo State, western Nigeria. She attended Staff School and Queens School, Ibadan, before studying Medicine at the University of Ibadan.

She has been struggling with her health condition in recent years before she finally bowed to death yesterday.

She is survived by her parents, two children and numerous siblings.

Reacting to the death of her sister, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, described her as a friend, partner and a close confidant, noting that the family will miss her ever smiling face.

According to him: ”I am short of words but there is nothing we can do. It has happened and it has happened. May her soul rest in perfect peace. We will miss her a lot for her intelligence, affable, ever smiling and sometime capricious. She was a very close confidant to me and we will always miss her.”