Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The Senate on Saturday sent a 9-member delegation to commiserate with the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose over the death of the former Military Governor of the defunct Western Region, Major Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo.
Adebayo, a native of Iyin Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti State, died on March 8, 2017 at the age of 89.
The late Adebayo, is the father of the first executive governor of Ekiti State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Otunba Niyi Adebayo .
The Senate delegation, led by the Senator representing Ondo Central, Tayo Alasoadura, was received by the governor at the government house in Ado Ekiti.
Alasoadura, who described Adebayo as a detribalized Nigerian, who fought tirelessly for Nigeria’s unity, particularly during the civil war that ravaged the country between 1967 and 1970, the Senate commiserates with the people of Ekiti State and Nigeria atdepartedver the death of this great Nigerian.
“General Adebayo , to us in the Senate, was a father of the nation, who worth being celebrated. He served the people of the old western region with zeal and he later excelled in the task of nation building by holding strategic positions within the military hierarchy.
“On behalf of the Senate, we express our heartfelt condolences to your Excellency and to Ekiti people by extension. We knew that the vacuum created by General Adebayo’s death will be difficult to fill”, he
said.
Fayose, who commended the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and other distinguished members of the upper legislative arm, urged them
to use their offices to sway the federal government to immortalize the departed illustrious Nigerian.
The governor said General Adebayo was one of the tripods stabilizing the nation’s democracy, especially in his Ekiti State countryhome, saying he shall be sorely missed.
“It was because of the contributions of this great Nigerian that made me to tell the federal government to name a befitting monument after this great Nigerian.
“As a military governor of the old western region, General Adebayo opened our eyes to modernity. He did excellently well and I wish that the federal government must organize a state burial in his honour.
“General Adebayo relates freely with whoever God chooses to govern Ekiti regardless of his political affiliation. All he needed is development and not parochial sentiment of one political party or the other.
“I want to on behalf of the people of Ekiti State thank our distinguished Senators for displaying again that Nigeria is one. The unity of this nation is sacrosanct and it must not be sacrificed on the altar of morbid politics,” Fayose added.
