Forty eight hours after sending a condolence message to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, over the death of his father, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, visited the Governor at the State House, Marina, to personally sympathize with him.
80 year-old Pa Ademola Fashola, died Monday after a brief illness.
On Jonathan’s entourage were former President ,Olusegun Obasanjo, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, Ministers of Petroleum, Information, Sports and Chairman of National Sports Commission, NSC, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Labaran Maku, and Bolaji Abdullahi respectively as well as Senator Ben Obi, Presidential Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs.
Chief Imam of Abuja, Central Mosque, Alhaji Musa Muhammed, who was also on the team led the prayer session.
In his address, President Jonathan, while mourning the death of Pa Fashola, said “I know that this is the period that we need his presence, most especially, as a parent that will assist one in handling a number of responsibilities. That was why I told my Chief of Staff that we must pay a visit to the Governor, his wife and the entire family.
“It is a sad event for you (Fashola) to have lost your father at this point. But we must also thank God for the life that he had lived. We were indeed happy that your father though had left us at a very painful moment, he also lived a fulfilled life.
“He lived to maturity. Most especially, he had been able to replace himself tenfold before departing. You (Fashola) and your siblings are still with us. So many people didn’t have the opportunity of replacing themselves before they departing this world.”
Speaking, Fashola thanked Jonathan and his entourage for finding time to visit him.
He extolled the virtue of his late father, saying he was a great man who influenced him in so many ways.
Meanwhile, former Deputy-Governor of the state, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan, has also commiserated with the Governor over the death of his father.
Sosan, who was Fashola’s Deputy between 2007-2011 said “Even though he gave up at the age of 80, his demise is painful as we have lost a true, honest, steadfast, committed and highly dependable elder statesman whose contributions to the growth of modern Lagos through strong support and advice, is legendary.
“Pa Fashola, even at that age was a man no one would want to lose, especially at a time like this.
“I therefore, on behalf of myself and my family send our condolences to Governor Babtunde Raji Fashola on this great loss, while we pray that the Almighty Allah would give both the immediate and extended families and Lagosians the fortitude to bear the loss.”
She urged the Lagos helmsman “who I was privileged to work with in life to, please, take solace in the fact that Papa had lived a fulfilled life and should not allow his demise to demoralize him from delivering democratic dividends to the people of the state.”
On his part, Balogun said, “Pa Fashola was a great man who spoke the truth at all times, with fear of God as his watchword.”
Similarly, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Don Etiebet, in a condolence message, said: “May the soul of Pa Ademola Fashola rest in perfect peace and while we mourn the loss of the pillar of strength and the foundation of achievements and focus of His Excellency, we pray that Almighty God will give him the grace to withstand the irreparable loss with fortitude.
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