Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa fixed the dates on Monday after a state cabinet meeting which did not go without ripples over the exclusion of certain names from the burial planning committee.
The Ondo State Government has fixed February 23 and 24 for the burial of the late governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu, SaharaReporters can authoritatively report.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa fixed the dates on Monday after a state cabinet meeting which did not go without ripples over the exclusion of certain names from the burial planning committee.
SaharaReporters learnt that the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Princess Oladunni Odu, fumed as her name was not included in the committee for the burial ceremony for the late former governor.
“The burial has been fixed between February 23 and 24. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who also doubled as the Chairman of the Committee made the announcement on Monday,” a source at the meeting said.
The source added, “SSG (Odu) got wind that her name was not on the list of the committee and during a meeting with the governor, Aiyedatiwa, at the governor's office, she raised her concerns about it.
"It became a whole lot of argument and charged at the governor for not including her on the list of the committee. But it took the intervention of other cabinet members at the meeting to calm the nerves of the woman. In fact, I'm aware that the meeting did not end peacefully due to the manner Odu behaved."
“Don't forget that Odu also has eyes on the seat of the governor and she is ready to contest in the governorship race,” another source added.
SaharaReporters reported on January 5 that the body of the late former Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, arrived in Nigeria from Germany.
According to a post on the X handle of the late governor’s spokesperson, Richard Olatunde, the plane conveying the body arrived at about 3:39 p.m. on Friday, January 5, 2024.
The late Governor’s remains were brought into the country from Germany, where he passed away.
The body was received by his wife, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, his children, and siblings led by Prof. Wole Akeredolu, the immediate younger brother.
SaharaReporters had reported that the governors from the six states of the Southwest region of Nigeria including, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, and Ekiti under the aegis of South-West Governors Forum, said they would be collaborating with the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the family of Akeredolu, to give the ex-governor a befitting burial.
The governors on Friday through Governor Dapo Abiodun who led three other South-West governors on a condolence visit to the family of late Governor Akeredolu at their Jericho, Ibadan residence said that the Forum has communicated the same to the family of the late governor.
The governors had said that a joint committee would be set up to achieve the cause.
Other governors in attendance during the condolence visit include Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti and Oyo state deputy governor, Bayo Lawal, who represented Governor Seyi Makinde.