Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Family confirms death ofAkhigbe

The head of the
Akhigbe family, Chief Joseph Akhigbe,
yesterday, confirmed the death of the former
Chief of General Staff, Vice Admiral Mike
Akhigbe.
Joseph said the eldest son of the deceased
called him on the telephone at about midnight
from the US and announced the death of his
father.
"At about 1am, Mike's first son called me from
the US and said his father, my brother, is
dead. He said his remains were still in the US
and that no arrangements had been made to
bring the deceased home," he said.
In their reactions, President Goodluck Jonathan
and Vice President Namadi Sambo expressed
sadness over Akhigbe's death.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben
Abati, the president while extending his
condolences to the wife, children and relatives
of Akhigbe, noted that though he may have
left the world of the living, he would live on
forever in the hearts and minds of all whose
lives he touched positively during his long and
remarkable career of national service in
military commands and in the political offices
he held as a military officer.
The president said Akhigbe would be especially
remembered and honoured by present and
future generations for serving with distinction
as military governor of Lagos and Ondo states,
and as chief of general staff in the military
administration that midwived the present
democratic dispensation in Nigeria.
Sambo, in a statement by his media aide, Umar
Sani, noted that Akhigbe served the nation
selflessly.
Former vice president Atiku Abubakar
described the death of Akhigbe as another
colossal loss to Nigeria at a point the country
needed his private counsel to deal with its
current challenges.
In a statement by his media office in Abuja,
Atiku said Akhigbe's remarkable contributions
to Nigeria's transition from military to civil
rule, which lasted nine months, could not be
easily forgotten.
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, expressed sadness
over Akhigbe's death.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Special
Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Imam
Imam, the speaker described Akhigbe as a
gentleman officer whose contributions, and
that of his peers towards restoration of
democracy in Nigeria in 1999 would remain
indelible in Nigeria's history.
"As a proof of his commitment to democratic
ideals, Akhigbe continued to render selfless
services to the nation post-1999 until his
death. Nigeria has lost one of its eminent sons.
I extend my condolence to his family, Fuga
community in Edo State, the Nigerian Navy and
Nigerians as a whole," he said.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State
described the death of Vice Admiral Akhigbe,
as a great loss to the state and country.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary,
Mr. Peter Okhiria, the governor said: "It is
with a sad heart that I mourn the death of Vice
Admiral Akhigbe, an elder statesman, a pan-
Nigeria nationalist, a man of uncommon
qualities and an illustrious son of Edo State.
"He no doubt discharged his duties creditably
and left huge prints in the sands of time.
Indeed, we owe him a great debt of gratitude
for his invaluable contributions which led to
the nascent democracy being enjoyed in the
nation today."
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko
described Akhigbe's death as a great loss to the
nation.
Condoling with his family in a message issued
in Akure yesterday, Mimiko said the late
Akhigbe was an exemplary officer whose life
after retirement was also worthy of emulation.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State
in his reaction, described the former chief of
general staff as a courageous leader who
always spoke truth to power even in the face
of daunting challenges and at great risk to his
personal life.
In a statement by his Press Secretary, Felix
Ofou, he said the deceased was a disciplinarian
who lived with the insistence that the interest
of the masses must be considered before
critical national decisions were taken.

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