By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf has commiserated with the state government, Ebira Nation and Nigerians over the demise of the Ohinoyi of Ebira Land, Alhaji Dr Ado Ibrahim.
In his condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Yabagi Mohammed on Sunday in Lokoja, the Speaker described the Sunday morning demise of the monarch as a huge loss to the entire nation.
Yusuf said that in view of the position of the late Ohinoyi in the nation’s history especially in the business world, a huge vacuum had been created.
He described the deceased Royal Father as a man of peace, love, bravery and the definition of true royalty in modern times, noting that the state would miss his wisdom, tenacity and unifying disposition.
The Speaker also commiserated with Governor Yahaya Bello, the APC candidate in next month’s gubernatorial election, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, the state executive council members, state and national assemblies from the central senatorial district.
He prayed for the repose of the Ohinoyi in eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus and called on the family and loved ones to accept that death was the necessary end of every mortal as he prayed Allah to grant them fortitude to bear the loss.
In similar vein, the Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman has commiserated with the people of Ebiraland the entire state over the sudden demise of the Ohinoyi in the early hours of Sunday.
The Rector who disclosed this in a statement signed by the Head, Media Unit of the Polytechnic, Mrs Uredo Omale on Sunday in Lokoja.
He expressed the heartfelt condolences of the Governing Council, Academic Board, Management, staff and students of the institution.
In the statement, the Rector commiserated with Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, Kogi State Council of Traditional Rulers, Ebira Area Traditional Council, Okene LGA Traditional Council, people of Ebiraland and Kogi State as a whole.
He described the demise of the revered monarch, the Ohinoyi who is also the Vice-Chairman, Kogi State Council of Traditional Rulers, as a sad event.
“I also deeply and sincerely commiserate with the entire Attah family of Okene and members of the immediate family of the sage whose exit has left a huge vacuum hard to fill.
“Indeed, the passage of the patriarch is a huge blow not just to his immediate family, Kingdom and Kogi State, but also the entire traditional, religious and bureaucratic institutions in Nigeria which have hugely benefitted from his reservoir of intellect, resourcefulness and immutable wisdom.
“As one of the oldest and most revered monarchs in the country, he stood out boldly in humanitarian commitment, philanthropism, bridge building and peace promotion.
“At Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, our loss is rooted in his ceaseless counsel, uncommon peace building initiatives, exemplary devotion to ethics and moral values and invaluable fatherly support. These, we sorely miss.
“However, we will continue to take solace in the iconic, inspiring and exemplary message of his life, which we will imbibe and use as compass in our service to humanity”, he said. (Ends)