Agagu,65, who was the former governor of OndoState, died on September 13. Apart from other visitors, thousands of people, both high and low trooped from across the 18 council areas of the state to witness his burial.
This was even as his family has condoled the families of 13 persons who died in the plane crash conveying Agagu’s corpse to the state Thursday. Casket bearing the remains of the late former governor Casket bearing the remains of the late former governor A Commissioner in the State Deji Falae, a protocol officer Daji Bernard and two other liaison officers in the Ondo State government’s Lagos Laison office were among the 13 persons that died in the crash .
The accident led to the scaling down of funeral activities ‘’to its barest and basic minimum,” as it was made a ‘’private family affairs devoid of pomp and pageantry.” However, Agagu’s body was transferred into a new casket before being buried as the old one with which it was involved in a plane crash had cracks contrary to the belief that it was intact.
Agagu’s family made a stop-over in Ondo town yesterday to purchase a new purple -coloured casket from BELL with which the body was conveyed for the funeral service at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Iju-Odo, Osooro. See more photos here Sources also said that apart from the purchase of a new casket, the MIC Undertakers which provided the first casket held onto the corpse for hours before releasing same following alleged intervention of a top security chief.
Dignitaries at the funeral service included the Minister Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade who led the Federal Government delegation; Communication Technology Minister, Omobola Johnson; former Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo, rtd; former governors of Oyo and Ekiti States, Adebayo Akala and Segun Oni; Osun’s ex governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ogun State’s ex governor Gbenga Daniel. Also present were business Mogul Jimoh Ibrahim; former Deputy governor of the late governor Omolade Oluwateru; as well as the former Managing Director of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Joseph Makoju.
There were also rights activist Tunji Abayomi; Senator Boluwaji Kunlere; wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bola; former Speaker, State House of Assembly, Victor Olabimtan; Senator Gbenga Ogunniya; Sola Oke; Eddy Olafeso; Otunba Solomon Oladunni; Princess Oladunni Odu; Dr Tayo Dairo and Taofiq Olawale Abdusalam among others.
Most of the mourners wore customized Ankara fabric with the picture of the deceased in the colour of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, with the inscription, ‘’Dr Olusegun Agagu, 1948-2013”, boldly written on it. At exactly 1;45pm a motorcade and BELL hearse bearing the corpse of the former governor drove into St Paul’s Anglican Church for the service earlier fixed for 11am.
The church was filled to the brim just as canopies were used to provide shelter for well wishers outside the church building. His remains were finally lowered into the grave at exactly 3:35pm.His final resting place which is at the right hand side while going into the Church through the main entrance, had earlier been completed.
The tomb was constructed with marble. Jonathan, others eulogize Agagu Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday eulogized the late former governor of OndoState, Dr Olusegun Agagu, describing him as an intellectual and a man of honour. Speaking through the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, rtd, Jonathan said that Nigerians would miss the former governor “very dearly.”
Agagu’s family condoles families of victims of plane crash
The condolence letter read, “The family of the late Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, even in its own bereavement, deeply mourns the death of all those who lost their lives in the ill-fated plane crash which occured when Dr. Agagu’s body was being taken home for burial. ”In deference to all the families who are in bereavement, and out of respect for the memory of the departed, the Agagu family has decided to scale down the details of the funeral to its barest and basic minimum.
Accordingly, the funeral will now be a private family affair, shorn of all the pomp and pageantry of a State funeral. ”It is also instructive to note that the traditional Christian wake was entirely cancelled yesterday. ”
The Agagu family deeply commiserates with all the bereaved families and prays fervently for the repose of the souls of all the departed, even as the family continues to remain in close contact with all the families affected by this tragedy.’’
Others who condoled the families included the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, the Edo State State Governor, Adams Oshiohmole, his predecessor, Lucky Igbinedion, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, Chairman of Fresh Party, Rev Chris Okotie, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the All Progressive Congress, APC, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, United Progressive Party, UPP, among others.
Source: vanguard
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