Contrary to reports that Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Adunni Olayinka died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with Cancer, hospital sources who did not want their names in print have confided in Huhuonline.com that the former banker died since Monday but the family only chose to delay the public announcement until Saturday.
Olayinka, who had been deputy governor since October 2010, had been battling the disease for long but went into a coma and was on life support for some time. The chief of staff to the governor is expected to be sworn in as her replacement.
In a related development, National Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the death of Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka as a devastating loss to the family, the government and people of Ekiti State and the Action congress of Nigeria family.
“The sudden demise of Ekiti Deputy Governor, Funmilayo Olayinka is a big blow and comes at a time when she is most needed to play a vital role in the transformation of Ekiti,” Tinubu wrote in a personal letter to Governor Kayode fayemi.
“She rose like a meteor and brought compassion and grace to the exalted office of the deputy governor. She was a leading light amongst women of her generation and creed. Alongside the people of Ekiti, I share in the sudden and painful loss of this great daughter of Oduduwa and rising star.
Praying for solace for her family and Ekiti sons and daughters through this trying period, he asked for strength for her husband and the family she left behind and encouraged Fayemi to be strong and remain undeterred in the onerous task of fully developing Ekiti State, which the deputy was herself committed to since coming to power.
“Her painful death sadly reminds us of the parlous state of our health care system in Nigeria,” he added.
“The lives of millions of our men and women are in jeopardy as they suffer under the disease of cancer without early detection and adequate treatment. A national cancer centre of international standard needs to be established with proper funding and subsidized cost for testing and treatment.”
He urged Nigerians to continue the struggle against cancer and hold out their candles for all who have died and those suffering from the terrible disease, saying this would get the government to do something about a coordinated national response to cancer.
