What Aiyedatiwa said during visit to Akeredolu’s Ibadan residence

Ondo governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has said his late boss, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, was a courageous leader who governed Ondo with great courage, leaving behind many legacies in the over six years he was in the saddle.

Aiyedatiwa said this during a visit to the Jericho, Ibadan residence home of Akeredolu who died in Germany on Thursday.

The former Deputy who was sworn in following the death of his boss as the governor on Wednesday, was accompanied on the condolence visit by the members of the State Executive Council and House of Assembly members.

The new Ondo governor promised that he would sustain the legacies of his former boss while speaking to journalists during the visit.

According to him, the late Akeredolu was a sincere, courageous, selfless and patriotic leader who fought for his people, championed development and touched many lives.

Aiyedatiwa said the death of his boss was not only a loss to the people of Ondo state, but to the Southwest region and Nigeria at large.

He added that Akeredolu’s struggle for a peaceful, fair and just society can never be forgotten in a hurry, just as his contributions to the socio-economic and infrastructural development of Ondo state, the Anglican Church and the legal profession in Nigeria will remain indelible.

He said he was happy that Akeredolu has left wonderful children that can sustain his good name behind.

Aiyedatiwa said: “We are here as a government under my leadership as the governor of Ondo state on behalf of the people of Ondo state to pay a condolence visit to the immediate and extended family of our former governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, who passed on yesterday. We are here in his private home here in Ibadan.

“We have to do this because he has always been our leader, a courageous one for that matter, one who has governed Ondo state in the last six and half to seven years, with great courage and with some many legacies he has left behind.

“He is an exemplary leader, a courageous one, a leader that believes in fairness, equity and justice. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria who speaks on national issues so that adjustments and proper decisions can be made concerning any issue in Nigeria. So he’s known for that, as an activist.

“Today, he’s no more and we have to pay him that respect by coming to the family to condone and commiserate with them, and we have done that. We pray that God will grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. And for those of us that he has left behind, to be able to emulate some of the values, the sterling qualities that he is known for so that we can keep on with the legacies that he has left behind.”

The Governor was received by the younger brother of his late boss, Pastor Kola Akeredolu who commended Aiyedatiwa for the visit.

Aiyedatiwa led others to the signing of the condolence register while there were also prayers for the deceased governor.