Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr. Michael Adeyemo, 47, who died of heart attack last Friday, was buried yesterday, amid tears, in his hometown of Lanlate, on Ibarapa axis of the state.
If tears could bring back the dead, Adeyemo would have risen as members of his family, wife, the state’s legislators, members of the executive council and his beneficiaries, paid last respect to him.
Adeyemo begun his final journey home on Wednesday, with a service of songs at Oke Ado Baptist Church, Ibadan, and a special sitting by members of the House of Assembly yesterday morning.
The special plenary was attended by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, and his wife, Florence; a former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala; Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian Conference of Speakers and the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Edward Ubosi, who led speakers of Lagos, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Osun, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Niger, Delta, Kwara, Enugu, Ondo and Ogun states Houses of
Assembly to the plenary; and scores of other dignitaries.
Adeyemo’s remains left Ibadan for Lanlate after the special session and lying-in-state ceremony in the House of Assembly complex. In Lanlate, an open air funeral service jointly organised by Oke Ado Baptist Church, Ibadan and First Baptist Church, Lanlate, was held at the New Park, Lanlate.
At the funeral service, President of Ibadan Baptist Conference, Rev. Stephen Adekunle, in his sermon, entitled: ‘When your life becomes history’, noted that life is ephemeral and people should impact meaningfully on their societies.
Speaking during the special plenary earlier, Governor Ajimobi, said the speaker’s demise was a great loss to the state, the current administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), adding that the death was unexpected.
In his tributes, Ubosi, who spoke on behalf of the the Nigerian Conference of Speakers, said the death of the speaker was a calamity and great loss, not only to Oyo State, but, also, to the entire country, adding that the deceased was a bridge-builder.
Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly, Mr. Musa Abdulwasi, who presided over the special session, said: “In the time I knew him, we had come to form a great bond beyond mere comradeship and we only just began our political journey together. His sudden death has cut that dream short and triggered many questions which are left unanswered.
“He was a fine legal practitioner who became a patriotic lawmaker; he was God-fearing and a responsible son, husband and father.”
Glowing tributes were also paid to the late Adeyemo by members of the state House of Assembly.
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