Family members, friends, colleagues and other well-wishers gathered in Edo State yesterday to celebrate the life and times of the slain Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde.
At the occasion, friends and colleagues of Oyerinde, as a demonstration of the worthy life and cause he led while alive, pledged and raised N50 million to insure and ensure the education of Oyerinde’s children to any level desirable.
Led by the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole and some senior members of his cabinet, the gathering had human rights activists, public office holders and ordinary citizens, including Mr. Femi Falana, SAN; the Trade Union Congress President, Comrade Peter Esele; the Nigeria Labour Congress Vice-President, Comrade Isah Aremu, the Deputy Managing Director of Thisday newspaper, Mr. Kayode Komolafe; a classmate of the slain aide, Mr. Rufus Olanrewaju; and Oyerinde’s widow, Mrs. Funke Oyerinde, amongst other guests. In an emotion laden remark, the widow of the deceased, Funke, said she had not come to mourn her late husband, but to celebrate his life and times.
She narrated how she has been struggling as a single parent to cope with the upbringing of the children after the demise of her husband, a situation she said was made worse by the death of her mother three months after she lost her husband.
She thanked Governor Oshiomhole for being there for the family and also thanked the others for helping one way or the other to ameliorate their condition. But she reserved very strong words for the killers of her husband. Funke said; “As for the killers, if you are here, you will never have peace.
His spirit will continue to haunt you. Your children, grandchildren and all your family, whatever they lay their hands upon they will never succeed because you denied my children from enjoying the love of their father.
For this, your children and wives will always experience complications when they are about to give birth.” In another emotional speech, a classmate of Oyerinde, Mr. Rufus Olanrewaju, summarised Oyerinde’s worthy life in three points.
According to the lawyer; “Olaitan was a very strong believer in God. He never abandoned his friends. He was always serious and meticulous in whatever he does.” In his statement, Oshiomhole described Oyerinde’s killers as cowards.
He said he travelled to Abuja to take action on a position paper the slain aide had expertly prepared on the unlawful plans of the opposition when news got to him that he had been killed.
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