Governors, political offices, industry captains and many other notable Nigerians converged in Ibadan on Friday at the funeral service of Olufunmilayo Sunday Makinde, the older brother of the governor of the state of Oyo, 'Seyi Makinde.
The list of dignitaries in the service held at the Anglican Church Anglican Bishop Akinyele, Ibadan, included the president of the Governors of the Democratic Party of the Peoples (PDP) and the governor of the state of Bauchi, the senator Bala Mohammed; Governor of the State of Osun, Senator Nurudeen Adela Adeleke; Governor of the State of Plateau, Caleb Mutfwang; Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of the State of Delta, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Monday Onyeme; a former governor of the State of Osun, Prince Olagunye Oyinlola; wife of the governor of the state of Oyo, Mrs. Tamunomini Olufunke Makinde; and Alhaja Mutiat Amaja, wife of a former governor of the state of Oyo, Senator Rashidi Laraja.
Others included the interim president of the PDP, Ambassador Umar IIIya Ladagum; Former Vice Governors of the State of Oyo, Ambassador Taofek Arapaja, Mr. Hamid Gbadamosi and Mr. Hazeem Gbolarumi; President of the PDP Trustee Board, Senator Adolphus Wabara; and Honorable Domingo Udeh-Okoye.
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, also attended; Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Senator Yinus Akintunde, the Honorable Abass Adigun Agboworin and the president of the House of the Oyo State Assembly, the honorable Adebo Ogundoyin.
Others were the main judge of the state of Oyo, Judge Iyabo Yerima; the Secretary of the State of the State of Oyo, Professor Olanike Adeyemo; the chief of cabinet of the governor of the state of Oyo, the honorable according to Ogunwuyi; the Head of Service, Mrs. Olubunmi Oni; The state commissioners of Oyo, who serve and former political subjects, traditional rulers and religious leaders.
Governor Makinde, responding to a sermon delivered by Bishop Williams Aladekungbe of the Anglican diocese of northern Ibadan in the funeral service, declared that for Nigeria to overcome the trap of poverty and become a prosperous country, his economy must be built to resist all storms.
The governor added that the country must also raise entrepreneurs and improve the education standard, stating that, despite Nigeria's natural resources, its people could continue to be poor until its leadership establishes the right things in their place.
Governor Makinde said that mineral resources are not enough to free a nation of poverty.
According to him, the experience of a country like Venezuela, which despite its huge oil reserves, cannot maintain a candle in Finland, which has based its growth in the development of its human capital, is sufficient to teach Nigerian leaders To administer the country. Good natural resources, invest more in educating your youngest generation and building more entrepreneurs.
He argued that this reality caused his administration in the state of Oyo of the State with education since he assumed position in 2019.
He said: “While preached, the bishop raised some problems. He said Nigeria has no reason to be poor because we have natural resources. But natural resources alone do not lead to prosperity and that is just reality.
“The country with the highest oil reserve worldwide is Venezuela and is poor. So, to have prosperity, we must raise entrepreneurs and raise the education standard.
“I was in Finland with my team and tried to consult why the country developed so much. I asked him if they had oil, they said no. I asked him if they had gold and silver and said no. I asked what they have and said it is education.
“Then, in the state of Oyo, since we arrived six years ago, we decided Entrepreneurs to turn natural resources into something that can get us out of poverty.
“Yes, God has blessed us and we should be grateful to him for that. The first industrial revolution was coal. Nigeria was rich then because we had coal, but no one is using it again because the world has moved to oil. Very soon, they will move away from oil to something else. So, we must be prepared. We must go beyond depending on natural resources to have an economy that can resist all storms. ”
The governor, who praised his deceased brother, called the Lower, like a good man, a good brother, a good husband and a good father, told how he sacrificed his university education to join the Navy so that his brothers could have A better life. .
Governor Makinde said that although he did not expect Engr. Makinde to die so soon, he and the family had comforted themselves in the fact that he lived a good life and in God's promise that there would be resurrection after death.
“I didn't expect me to die for the next 20 years. I thought when I arrived at 85, I would be around 78 years and even we would all be alive.
“People ages and know they would die. People get sick and we discover that in the short term, they could leave us. But you prepare if you are in such a situation. But I wasn't sick.
“Yes, his death was really shocking and I am really afflicted, not because it did not go well in life; not because he did not play his role for us. Yesterday I told him that he decided to renounce his university education so that our parents could take care of the rest of us.
“I am so surprised that his death was so unexpected, but what can I do? What can we do as a family? We have to submit to God's will.
“I gained strength personally in God's promise. So, today, my little message is similar to someone in this type of situation about 2,000 years ago. You may have read about three brothers: Mary, Martha and Lázaro. Martha replied “I know he would rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
“My brother, Suno, was a good man, a good brother, a good husband and a good father. He was not a perfect man and nobody is. But he was in fact and really an officer and a gentle man. So, I have faith like Martha to get up the last day and we'll see [each other] again.
“Smindo is gone, but he left us a legacy. His legacy was really without obligation, forgiveness without delaying and transparency in his treatment with everyone. This is how I will remember, ”added the governor.
He announced the donation of a sum of N25 million to the Church to immortalize his brother, saying: “To begin the immortalization process, on behalf of the entire Makinde family, we will donate n25 million to the Church.
“Sundo has lived and left, but his words live and, in fact, they will go well with him. Now we have the living to live our lives to the glory of God so that even if we die, Martha's words will be true in our case. “
Previously in his sermon, Bishop Aladekungbe pointed out the inevitability of death, stating that Eng. On Sunday Makinde had done his part and now stayed for those living to do everything possible to serve God and fulfill their purposes on earth.
He also commissioned the country's leadership on the need for the effective management of the country's natural resources, stating that it is the only way in which the country could leave the crisis.
He said: “There is something fundamentally incorrect in our management or poor management of our natural resources. It is also clear that if we continue to evil these resources, we will remain stuck.
“Let's stop securing loans. Loans are not transparent. They are expensive. The basic resolution is that if the current trend of loans continues, it will be a disaster for Nigeria.
“If we manage our natural resources well, Nigeria has no reason to be poor. We simply need to gather our efforts to eliminate corruption and manage our resources in the interest of our country and that of our people.
“Let me say that the resources of a country do not belong to the pockets of some powerful and rich individuals. They belong to the State, to be used for the benefit of people. “
Also read: Sympathizers crowd of the residence of the deceased government of the Makinde government in Ibadan