Family, members, friends, political associates and professional colleagues gathered in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to celebrate late former Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu at his posthumous 68th birthday.
Akeredolu died last year December in Germany following a protracted battle with prostate cancer.
The event organised by ‘Friends of Aketi’ to celebrate the life and times of the departed late Ondo State Governor held at Jogor Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, also featured the of a book titled, “The Essential Aketi,” in Akeredolu’s memory.
At the well-attended event was the President of the African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina, who described Akeredolu as a “man of the people with a good heart and empathy.”
Adeshina said, “Aketi was a bold man, forthright in his interventions and courageous in his convictions. He gave his all in whatever he set out to do. He was uncompromising and inspiring at the same time. I always wondered about his heights.
“It made him to always stand out as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association. As Governor of Ondo State, he took Ondo State to greater heights. As the leader of the Southern Governors’ Forum, he was the irrepressible voice; he spoke truth to power to amplify the voice of the voiceless. He was a political giant, who trod where others had feared to tread. A man of whom fear was afraid.”
Adesina said though Akeredolu left early, his good works and love for others remained behind to remind everyone “of a man who once walked on earth and left a legacy for humanity.”
Representing Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Fola Oyekunle, said Akeredolu left an indelible mark in the South-West states and Nigeria as a whole, particularly in the areas of security and human development.
“His visionary leadership and administrative acumen transformed Ondo State and its impact resonated beyond the state borders,” Oyekunle said.
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ondo State Governor, who was spoke for by his deputy, Olayide Adelami, described Akeredolu as “a true patriot who sought justice for the weakest.”
He said Akeredolu recorded landmark achievements in infrastructure, education, human capital development, and employment opportunities, as well as improvements in the state’s security architecture.
Aiyedatiwa recalled that Akeredolu’s collaboration with other South-West governors led to the establishment of the South-West Security Network, codenamed “Amotekun,” which has remained a “monumental and indelible achievement.”
Abiodun Oyebamiji, Ekiti State Governor, represented by his deputy, Taiwo Olatunbosun, described the late Akeredolu as a “special being, created specially and given to us at a time he was most needed in the annals of our country and, of course, the South-West and Ondo State.”
He said Akeredolu “served and struggled to make life better for humanity” and was a “voice of the voiceless in society.”
In their separate tributes, the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Folake Solanke, Akeredolu’s brother, Wole, his sister-in-law, Justice Alero Akeredolu and her daughter, Teni Akeredolu, among others, all rendered glowing tributes to the late former governor.
