The Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund in the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Dr Sanusi Mohammed Ohiare, has described as shocking the news of the death of Mrs Kemi Nelson, former South West Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
Mrs Nelson who previously served the nation as Executive Director, Operations, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) also former Honourable Commissioner in charge of the Lagos state Ministry of Establishment, Training and Job Creation died recently after a brief illness.
According to Dr Ohiare, Mrs Nelson was a ‘nationalist, grassroots mobilizer, women activist and quintessential politician”, stressing that her death was a great loss to Nigeria, Lagos state and the APC family
“I join millions of the members of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and indeed, Nigerians to mourn the death of an amazon and excellent politician of great value, Mrs Kemi Nelson. She was a great woman, grassroot politician and women mobilizer.
“I have had the privilege of working with her during our party’s 2022 national convention and she was everywhere making sure things were put in proper perspective.
“It is therefore shocking to hear of her death few weeks after the party’s convention and emergence of the APC flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
“Like many other women, Mrs Nelson made significant and remarkable economic and political contributions to national development in the face of challenging circumstances.
”Though, women are known to be homemakers and custodians of family values, people like late Mrs Nelson exhibited and demonstrated competence in managing public institutions and leadership positions.
“She engaged in activities and jobs hitherto regarded as the exclusive of men and in most cases slugged it out with men in all areas of human endeavours”
“Indeed, it will be difficult to talk about politics in Lagos state, the South West and Nigeria without mentioning her outstanding contributions, cooperation and effective participation to political and socio-economic development of these areas”, Dr Ohiare stated.
Ohiare recalled Late Mrs Nelson’s sojourn into which politics starting in the late 1980s during the regime of former President Ibrahim Babangida-led military regime when she joined the National Republican Convention (NRC), one of the two parties founded and funded by government. At the time, there were not too many female politicians in politics. She became exposed to party politics as she was saddled with big assignments including the chairmanship of NRC’s electoral committee for the par¬ty’s presidential primaries in Osun State. At different times, Nelson was Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Job Creation, Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation,¬ during the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as governor of Lagos State.
She was the Party’s Lagos West Senatorial Candidate 1992, Member, National Ways and Means Committee and the National Finance Committee of NRC and a national delegate to the party’s convention in Port Harcourt 1993.
Until her death, she was the South West Zonal woman leader, of All Progressive Congress (APC).