Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed sadness over the sudden death of Sen. Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo, who passed away on Monday at the age of 64.
Osinowo, who died after a brief illness, was representing Lagos East Senatorial District at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
Sanwo-Olu, in a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile, described Sen. Osinowo’s death as a rude shock.
He said Osinowo’s death came at a time when the state and indeed the entire nation had just started benefiting from his wealth of political and administrative experience.
The governor said that Osinowo’s demise had thrown the state into mourning.
He urged Lagos residents, whose interests the late lawmaker represented at the National Assembly, to use his death as a reminder that the battle against the ravaging coronavirus pandemic was far from being won.
”The death of Sen. Osinowo is painful. He died at a time when we have just begun to consolidate on our successes and see a ray of hope in our fight against the COVID-19.
”We must not allow his death to deter us from forging ahead in our quest to finding a lasting solution to the dreaded disease.
”I am saddened by the death of this fine gentleman; a loyal party man and committed democrat, with a deep understanding of the state’s social and political landscape.
”Sen. Osinowo was an extremely loyal politician, who started his political journey with the progressives and remained in the fold until his unfortunate exit today.
”There’s no doubting the fact that he would be missed by the entire political class, particularly his immediate constituents in Kosofe, the Lagos East Senatorial District and the state as a whole,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor said that the best honour to give the deceased would be for the government to speedily achieve a turn around in the state’s health sector, by ensuring that no single life was lost on the account of poor health.
”We will continue to give priority attention to our health sector, improve on service delivery, trainings and other critical areas in the sector, so as to ensure that no life is lost due to poor health facilities,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu condoled with the immediate family of the deceased, ex-governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and president of the Senate, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan over the loss of a ”dear colleague”‘.
The governor also sympathised with members of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos and at the national level, as well as the Lagos State House of Assembly.
”I pray that Almighty Allah grants the soul of our beloved Bayo Osinowo eternal rest and grant him a place in Aljannah firdaus,” Sanwo-Olu said.
