Thursday, March 28, 2024

Osun govt investigates Adeleke’s death, explains why ex-gov was not given state burial

The Osun State Government on Sunday said it planned to give the first civilian Governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, a state burial when the news of his sudden death broke, but some violent mourners, who protested the demise of the lawmaker, disrupted its intention.
In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the office of the Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, on Sunday, the state government described the mourners as “enemies of the state,” saying they created fear and terror in the minds of the citizenry and friends of the state throughout the country.
Adeleke represented the Osun West Senatorial District before his sudden death on Sunday, April 23 at Bicket Hospital in Osogbo.
Recall that some irate mourners, most of whom were beneficiaries to the lawmaker’s largess, had protested his death and even attacked an ex-aide to Governor Aregbesola and a commissioner-nominee, Ms. Idiat Babalola, during Adeleke’s burial last Monday.
The statement reads, “We are still in shock and great pain over the transition of our friend, associate and brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.  He was a prominent son of our state and its first democratically elected governor. Until his death, he was the senator representing Osun West in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was an astute and colourful politician and a generous personality. 
“He was gregarious, enthusiastic and full of life and zest. His death is, therefore, shocking and totally unexpected. The state Government of Osun had intended to give him a befitting state burial, which he rightly deserved and which the state had prepared to undertake.
“Regrettably, however, the enemies of the state, through brigandage, violence and evil machinations, created an atmosphere of fear and terror in the minds of our citizenry and friends throughout the federation. Immediately the news of his demise filtered in, a band of vagabonds, crying more than the bereaved, took to the streets, looting and wreaking havoc. Journalists were roughened and their equipment damaged. Important dignitaries that came for the burial were equally molested by these thugs.  
“Senator Adeleke was a man of peace. He preached peace and lived it through his life. He left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because he could not stand violence. This was after he was beaten up by some leaders of the PDP during a meeting in a hotel in Osogbo. 
“It is a profound irony and most unfortunate, therefore, that a few disgruntled elements purporting to protest his death desecrated his funeral with violence and attacks on innocent persons. They dishonoured him and did his memory a great disservice by keeping his friends, political associates and well-wishers away from his burial.
 
“The best we could do in the circumstance was to declare three days of mourning throughout the state and fly national, state and our party’s flags at half-mast in his honour.”
Meanwhile, the state government has set up an investigation panel to probe the tragic death of Senator Adeleke in order to put the record straight on his death.
The deceased’s family members had told journalists that they did not know the cause of his death and that the result of autopsy carried out on the remains of the lawmaker would not be ready until about one or two weeks.
“In the light of this, the State Government of Osun, using the instrumentality of the law, is setting up an inquest to unravel the circumstances of this unfortunate and sad incident, in order to put the record straight on his death,” the statement added.

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