The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo;
his wife, Dolapo, who is a grand-daughter of HID Awolowo; an elder
statesman and first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef
Jakande; and governors of Lagos and Osun states, Akinwunmi Ambode and
Rauf Aregbesola, on Sunday paid glowing tributes to the late matriarch
of the Awolowo Family, Hannah Dideolu. She died on Saturday, 67 days to
her 100 birthday.
Also, the All Progressives Congress
leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; a former APC Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande;
Governors of Ondo and Oyo states, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and Abiola
Ajimobi, respectively, were also at the Ikenne home of the Awolowos to
mourn the late HID.
A Peoples Democratic Party’s chieftain,
Chief Ebenezer Babatope, and a former Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode
Fayemi, were also among other prominent Nigerians who eulogised the late
matriarch of the Awolowo Family, who died on Saturday at exactly at
3.15pm, in her Ikenne home.
Mama, also known Yeye Oodua, who would
have been 100 years on November 25, was said to have attended a meeting
of her forthcoming centenary birthday, before retiring into her room,
where she breathed her last.
According
to a statement signed by her eldest daughter, Mrs. Omotola Oyediran, on
behalf of the family, HID “died gloriously having spent the last day in
the company of her children, grand children, great-grand children and
close family members.”
While extolling the virtues of the late
matriarch, Jakande, also known as ‘Baba Kekere,’ described the late HID
as a virtuous woman with rare qualities. These qualities, he said,
informed her late husband’s decision to refer to her as “a jewel of
inestimable value.”
He said the deceased represented a woman
who was so devoted to her husband and stood by him and his political
associates during their treasonable felony trials.
He said, “She was an unforgettable woman,
an example of good virtues who worked tirelessly for Yorubaland and
Nigeria as a whole. She stood by us in the days of our political
trials.”
Babatope, on his own part, said he was in
shock for about 10 minutes when he heard the news of HID’s death. He
also noted that she was an understanding wife who stood by her husband,
through thick and thin.
“Mama represented everything good in a
woman. Mama and Papa Awolowo were difficult to emulate when it comes to
their love and devotion to each other. As much as I tried, I could not
match them.
“Mama was very understanding; she visited all Papa’s political associates who were incarcerated.”
Ambode described Mama as a symbol of womanhood in Nigeria, and her death was quite significant and worth celebrating.
He, however, added that “it is painful that she died 67 days to her 100th birthday.”
Fayemi likened HID Awolowo to the heroine of the South African struggle, Winnie Mandela.
He noted that Mama remained committed to
the ideals of her husband, and stood her ground when the opposition
wanted to lure her to dump her husband’s conviction for an egalitarian
society.
He said, “Mama was courageous, committed, dependable and she had conscience. She lived for her people, she lived for humanity.”
Aregbesola said politicians should learn
from the exemplary lives of Mama and Papa Awolowo and live a life that
would impact lives of others.
“Papa had the vision and mission but Mama
was always at home, she nurtured the children, grandchildren and the
greatgrand children.
“This is an illustration of how a
political family should be. There was no hint of conflict in all the
years they spent together.”
In the same vein, Mimiko said when viewed
from a political angle, “the Awolowo family represents default option
in good governance, and HID stood as the second leg of that synergy.”
“Mama was always there for Papa. Her memory was sharp. Their union taught us to be good politicians.”
Tinubu described her as “the best gift to humanity; a nationalist and a great mother.”
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