Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo has said the series of messages on unity being
preached by Nigerians, especially the leaders, across the country,
can
only make sense if the preachers live by the principles of the message.
He stated this yesterday during the
burial of Mrs Omowumi Akande, the wife of erstwhile governor of Osun
State and Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Chief Bisi Akande.
Osinbajo, who paid glowing tributes to
the Akande’s matriarch, made reference to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who
he described as a detribalised leader.
“We can talk about Nigerian’s unity only
when we act what we preach. Our strength as a nation lies in our
diversity and size. Many states of Nigeria are far bigger than many
nations of Africa and some parts of the world. The economy of Lagos
State, for instance, is six times of Rwanda’s. We must learn to stand
together and work together. This is the great message of Mr. President,”
the acting vice president said.
Osinbajo, therefore, appealed to
Nigerians to support the ideals of peace and unity which, he said, many
great leaders stand for.
Emphasising on the unity legacy set by
Tinubu, Osinbajo went down memory lane: “Our great leader, Asiwaju
Tinubu, is a visionary. When he was governor of Lagos State, he
assembled all of us as commissioners without any consideration to where
you have come from. While I am from Ogun State, Dele Alake and Bamidele
Oyeyemi are from Ekiti State. Rauf Aregbesola is from Osun State, Lai
Mohammed is from Kwara State.”
He disclosed that he was with President Muhammadu Buhari in London when he received the news of the death of Mrs Akande.
Osinbajo said the president was touched by the news and quoted him as saying: “How will Baba (Chief Akande) feel now?”
Osinbajo also disclosed that Buhari had
called Akande to commiserate with him. The acting president stressed
that the late Mrs Akande is being celebrated after her death because she
was a virtuous woman.
He enthused that the deceased and her husband were like twins.
“Mama’s loyalty to Baba was unequalled.
She and Baba raised their children well. We are happy to see the
children she left behind doing well. Mama, no doubt, has left a good
legacy behind. She had lived a life we are happy to remember with joy.
We are celebrating the life of this great woman,” Osinbajo said.