AKINWALE ABOLUWADE, IBADAN
The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan; and his Ondo State counterpart, Lucky Ayedatiwa, were in attendance on Friday at the one year memorial Fidau prayer of the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, former governor of the Pacesetter state.
Also in attendance at the memorial prayer held at the late politician’s Oluyole, Ibadan residence, were the former governor of the state,
Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala; his wife, Kemi; Chairman, Senate Committee on Land and Transport, Dr. Abdulfatai Buhari; Senator Teslim Folarin; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite; and a former Commissioner for Finance in Oyo State, Zackeus Adelabu.
Ajimobi, two-term governor of the state, died in a Lagos hospital on 25th June 2020, at age 70.
Members of the family of the deceased at the venue include his widow, Florence Ajimobi; and his son, Idris.
The deputy governor of Oyo State in his address on the occasion, remarked that Ajimobi did his best for the state, stressing that “The former governor before Ajimobi, Alao-Akala is here, so what do you expect us to say. He had done his best for the state and he had gone.”
Alao-Akala, who described Ajimobi as a close confidant who left an enduring legacy, said, “He was a nice and a very frank man, an extrovert. I missed a friend and a confidant.”
A former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, said that Ajimobi left behind a legacy of economic growth and sustained infrastructure.
Shittu added, “As a governor, he started very well and ended well. One of his distinguishing qualities as a leader is infrastructural development. Asides road development, he also built a number of schools and facilitated positive changes in the education and learning of the state.
“For us, as members of the All Progressives Congress, he was a bridge builder, he used his eight years in office to endear people to our party.”
Bello urged politicians to do good things that the people would remember them for, while Sheikh Habeebullahi Buhari, simply said that Ajimobi was an epitome of everything as he left a good legacy behind.
“He was my former boss. He was an epitome of everything. He had come and gone. The most important thing is that he played his role and he left a legacy. Not just a legacy but a good legacy.”
