It was harvest of tribute on Wednesday as the remains of the former
minister of Information and Communication, Prof Dora Akunyili arrived
the Anambra State capital, Awka.
Indigenes of the state, who
gathered at the Women’s Development Centre, Awka to pay tribute to the
Amazon described her in various glowing superlatives, each recalling
their experience with her.
The Anambra State governor, Chief
Willie Obiano told the audience that he had concluded arrangement to
name Prof Dora Akunyili as the State’s Ambassador Plenipotentiary before
her death.
This
idea, he said, was conceived because of the good representation the
state had received from her, with the hope that she would use the
position to boost the state positively.
Obiano said that the death
of Akunyili was a loss to the entire Anambra people and Nigerians at
large, and that her absence would be felt for a long while.
Former
Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon said Akunyili, despite her busy
schedule, was a good wife to her husband, and called on the family to
have courage as their mother, Akunyili lived a good life and also
impacted in the entire country.
It was, however, a time of emotion
as the husband of the late Akunyili, Dr Chikle Akunyili mounted the
podium to recount some memorable times he had with his late wife.
Chike
recounted how his wife had so much faith in Nigeria to the point of
insisting on being in the National Conference, despite her failing
health, and how she had during her days as the Minister of Information
and Communication flung a green card at US Embassy officials, deciding
to keep her Nigerian Diplomatic passport.
“I remember when she was
running for the senate, in our community, she had over 10,000 votes,
and some ballot papers were remaining, and when APGA people came to her
and said they wanted to thumbprint on the left over papers, she effused
and said ‘what will I tell my God’.
“She was forthright to the
point of death, and for those who think that she is a hater of the
Igbos, I can only say sorry to them. She is one person who believes in
doing things right, to the point that she even sacked my immediate
younger brother from NAFDAC during her days”.
Dora’s remains will on Thursday be interred in her husband’s hometown in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government of Anambra State.
Dailypost
reports that as the corpse arrived the Women Development Centre Venue,
fans of the former NAFDAC DG defied an instruction that all guests must
be tested of the Ebola Virus before gaining access to the hall.
They all surged forward into the hall.
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