CJN, Anyim, Maku, others pay tribute to Akunyili The late former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Dora Akunyili, began her final home journey on Monday with prominent personalities paying tributes to the deceased for her service to the nation and humanity. Among those at the night of tributes, which held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja were Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar; and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim. Others included the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of Information, Labaran Maku; former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo; and the Director-General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii. Also in attendance were Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; Cardinal John Onaiyekan and former Anambra State governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, with whom Akunyili contested and lost the Anambra senatorial seat in 2011. A popular musician, Oyenka Onwenu, who led a delegation of members of the National Centre of Women Development to the event, also rendered a song titled, ‘Ochie Dike’, in honour of the deceased. According to Onwenu, ‘Ochie Dike’ relates to mainly men in the mould of ‘warriors of old’. Akunyili, a renowned pharmacologist and erudite scholar, was born July 14, 1954, and she died at 59 on June 7, 2014 in the United States of America after about two years battle with cancer. She was until her death a member of the just-concluded National Conference. Justice Mukhtar described the deceased, who will be buried in Enugu on Wednesday (tomorrow) as “very friendly and warm woman”. The CJN said, “To say that Nigeria has lost a great future in Dora akunyili is an understatement. I pray the good Lord will condole her family and the nation and I pray the Lord God will rest her soul.” Anyim, who delivered a short tribute, said it was heartbroken to realise that Dora, as the deceased was fondly called, was gone. On her part, Okonjo-Iweala said with the impact of Akunyili’s service to the nation, “it means one person can make a great difference in whatever one devotes oneself to. She urged women at the event to learn from the life of Akunyili, who she said was able to combine her public life with good family life and was able to raise six elegant children. Soludo narrated that there was a family tie between him and the deceased, which he said spanned about 70 years. He said his wife was Akunyili’s niece. “It is difficult to think that Dora is gone.The crowd will disperse but the family will never remain the same without Dora,” he said. Maku, who earlier served under the late Akunyili as a junior minister described the deceased as a very courageous woman. “She will be long remembered for what she did and may this nation never forget her,” Maku said. Akunyili’s successor at NAFDAC, Paul Orhii, described Akunyili as “an uncommon breed”. He recalled several occasions when he had to run to Akunyili for guidance when he faced difficulty after resuming duties as NAFDAC DG. “I think the fortunate thing for me was that I was not in the country when Dora Akunyili was transforming NAFDAC. Maybe I would have been too scared to accept the appointment,” he said. “She was a woman who was passionate to make life meaningful to all Nigerians,” Orhii added. Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: editor@punchng ift.tt/1parnGp ift.tt/SmQ3N0 [[Boost your social presence with NAIRALIKES nairalikes ]] #nigeria x #nairalikes #vanguardng
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 23:23:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015