On Wednesday, a special court session and lying-in-state were held in Akure as part of the ongoing funeral preparations for Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, the late former governor of Ondo State.

After a prolonged battle against prostate cancer, Akeredolu passed away in Germany on December 27, 2023.

On Wednesday afternoon, his body reached the capital of Ondo State, Akure, and was brought to the Governor’s Office in Alagbaka for a lying-in-state.

Following his burial, the late Senior Advocate of Nigeria’s body was brought to the state High Court headquarters in Akure, where a special court session was held in his memory.

The present governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the chief judge of Ondo State, Justice Olusegun Odusola, the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and Chief Olusola Oke (SAN) all attended the events.

Among those present were the governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Douye Diri, the deputy governor of Ondo State, Mr. Ayo Akinwande, the minister of state for youth development, and Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, a former governor of Ondo State.

During the court session, Aiyedatiwa paid tribute to his predecessor, Akeredolu, stating that he will be remembered for his efforts to fortify the state’s legal system.

According to Aiyedatiwa, his late boss used the law effectively to combat criminal activity while in government.

“We remember with pride today his sense of urgency and intervention and unusual dedication to the cause of access to justice.

“His support for the multidoor court system, improved delivery of Alternate Dispute Resolution system and welfare of judges and judicial officers, are well documented.

“Shall we forget his drive for necessary and expeditious law making? For records, he, as governor, who sponsored the Executive Bill for a law to establish the Ondo State Security Agency and Amotekun Corps, to assist in maintaining law and order in the state.

“His government also sponsored a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of Ondo State Security Trust Fund.

“Others include but are not limited to a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of an independent office of the Auditor-General, which provides for the audit of public accounts.

“There was also the bill for a law to establish the Ondo State Agency for Violence Against Women and a bill to establish the state Public Complaints, Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Commission as well as a bill for a law to regulate the rearing and grazing of livestock and to provide for the establishment of ranches,” he said.

Justice Olusegun Odusola, the chief justice of the state, praised the late former governor as a man of courage.

Odusola said, “Arakunrin (Akeredolu) was a courageous fighter, who faced the serious security challenges in the state with such ingenious courage that his approach has become a national model.

“He was amazingly down to earth and this great asset is also his major weakness in a society where sycophancy is the order of the day.Whatever he promised to do, he would fight to accomplish.

“He had a desire to build an ultra-modern facility for the high court and had started the journey but could not to do so partly because of his ill-health but largely because the individual who stood as the eye of the executives in the administration of the judiciary could not interpret that dream.”

Oke, who spoke on behalf of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, said, “Governor Akeredolu was a hero. He left behind a great name. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. His was a life well spent.

“As is often said, a life well lived is like a powerful work of art, beautifully created and remembered by all. In the words of Benjamin Disraeli, the legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.

“Governor Akeredolu was forthright, truthful, fearless and courageous. He was a fierce defender of the oppressed.

“He spoke truth to power not minding the consequences, and took sides with those from low income background, the underdog and the oppressed. He was the voice for the voiceless.”