Saraki, governors pay tributes to late Adeyinka Adebayo

Senate President Bukola Saraki and  governors  from the South West Zone on Thursday converged on Ibadan  to pay their last respects  to the late  Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo.

The Naijaroyaltyculture.blogspot.com reports that the corpse  of  Adebayo, a  former Military Governor of  the Old Western Region, was  received at the Government House Arcade at  2.20 pm on Thursday

The corpse was received by  Maj.-Gen. Martins Abraham, the General Officer Commanding(GOC), 2 Division, Nigeria Army,  and governors from the South West Zone  led by the host governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

The late Adebayo, who  died on March 8 in Lagos at 89 years, was military governor between  1966 and 1971.

Naijaroyaltyculture.blogspot reports that the corpse was  later moved to the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, for the lying-in-state ceremony.

Paying tributes to the late Adebayo, the senate president  described the deceased as one of  those who worked to ensure the sustainability of  the nation’s unity.

Saraki, who also commended governors in the South West Zone  for giving a befitting burial to Adebayo, condoled with the family of the deceased.

He urged the younger generations in leadership positions  to sustain the legacy of peace and unity  which Adebayo promoted.

Ajimobi, who spoke on behalf  of the governors in the zone, described the late general as a fine gentleman  and a shining example to  younger generations.

He pointed out that although Adebayo’s career spanned  about three decades, he was never linked  to corrupt practices.

The governor described Adebayo’s exit as a monumental loss to the Yoruba nation  and  the country as a whole.

Earlier in his address of welcome, Alhaji Olalekan Alli, the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, said the event was at once  a painful loss and celebration of  a fallen patriarch.

Alli said that the occasion availed  all the opportunity to celebrate a former governor, worthy leader, elder statesman and respectable personality.

Among the governors present at the occasion were  Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and  Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), while Ekiti and Ogun were represented by their deputy governors.

Also in attendance were Adebayo’s widow, Modupe, the son of the deceased and  former governor of Ekiti, Adeniyi , as well as former APC interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.

Adebayo, born in 1928 at Iyin Ekiti in Ekiti State, attended All Saints School, Iyin-Ekiti, for his primary education as well as  Eko Boys High School and Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti.

He was the first National General Staff Officer, Grade 2,  Nigerian Army Headquarters,  from 1961 to 1962 and the first indigenous Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army from February, 1964 to November, 1965.

Adebayo served as the Chairman, Organisation  of African Unity (OAU) Defence Planning Committee from 1963 to 1965 and military governor, Western Nigeria,  from 1966 to 1971.

He was the Commandant, Nigerian Defence Academy,  from 1971 to 1972 and  finally retired from the Nigerian Army with the rank of Major-General in July,  1975.

The late Adebayo participated actively in the resolution of the Biafran crisis and was later appointed Chairman, Committee on Reconciliation and Integration of the Igbo back into Nigeria  by Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the then military Head of State.