A former minister of state for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has mourned the passage of a former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, describing him as a man who was accessible and worked for the good of all.
In a statement he signed on Thursday, the former minister stated that the news of the death of Alhaji Jakande, the first civilian governor of Lagos state, was indeed a very sad development for Lagos and Nigeria, “even though he died at the ripe age of 91 years.”
According to Obanikoro, “he was a man with uncommon passion for the good of his people. He lived a very ordinary life that made him accessible to all. He was blessed with an expansive patience and great listening ear.
“Little wonder he was able to understand and aggregate the interests of Lagosians like no other person in the history of the governance of the state. He governed Lagos with the fear of God and sincerity of purpose.
“We just lost the best governor to ever govern any state in Nigeria and Lagos in particular. His development programmes on education, housing, healthcare and road infrastructure have stood the test of time. His name became synonymous with the growth of the state of aquatic splendor.
“A state he loved, cherished and served like no other man on record. He was a man with impeccable record of
selflessness and a devout Muslim to the very end.”
Obanikoro prayed for the repose of his soul and for his family to be fortified to bear his irreparable loss.
