Two former heads of state, President
Ibrahim Babangida and General Abdulsalam Abubakar, yesterday, jointly
paid a condolence visit to Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, and
his siblings over the demise of his father, Pa Ibrahim Ademola Fashola,
praying for peace in the country. Read more
Speaking during the visit, at Lagos
House, Marina, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd) declared: “I keep
saying that without peace, there wouldn’t be any country, without peace,
there wouldn’t be people, and without peace, there wouldn’t be means of
livelihood.”
He also used the opportunity to
congratulate the Governor on the future he is building for Lagos State,
and the country in general, praying that as he leaves his present
office, he would assume greater responsibilities in the country.
General Abdulsalam added that he and
President Babangida are visiting to pay their condolence to the Governor
and his family. He prayed for the repose of Pa Fashola’s soul.
Also speaking, former President Ibrahim
Babangida, prayed to God to give the Fashola family the courage to bear
the loss, adding that it is gratifying that Papa left behind an
important gift in Governor Raji Fashola.
“In Islam, we do pray for long life, but
long life does not mean living for 100 years or 500 years. We are
gratified that Papa left, and he left one important gift, that is
Governor Raji Fashola. So we are grateful that God has spared his life
to see a Governor that everybody respects in this country. And I also
pray that one of your children will also take the footsteps you have
taken after Papa”, General Babangida added.
In his response, Governor Fashola
thanked both leaders for the visit, saying they have not only honoured
his late father, but also honoured his family, and prayed that honour
will never depart from their households.
Governor Fashola also lent his voice to
the appeal for peace in the country by both leaders. He said he was
making the call because his late father was a man of peace. “Nothing for
him was forever worth any conflict. If things became too difficult, he
simply moved on.
‘’And I hope that the leadership that
you both provide for this country will continue to endure, and that
through that leadership, much more enduring peace would spread around
this country, and that the promise of this country will come to pass in
your lifetime’’, the Governor said.
Also present during the visit were the
First Lady, Dame Abimbola Fashola, the siblings of Governor Fashola and
some of the grandchildren of Pa Ademola Fashola.
Culled from The Nation newspaper
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