Alexander Opeyemi Akinyele, Nigeria’s former Minister of Information is dead.
The death of the Ondo born public relations specialist was announced by his son, Constantine Akinfolarin Akinyele.
He said on his facebook page that his father died after a brief illness on Thursday night but did not state where he died.
“With thanksgiving for his life, I am sad to announce we lost our father and grand father Chief Alexander Opeyemi Akinyele earlier today after a brief illness. May his soul rest in peace. He will be missed by his children, grand children, family and friends,” he wrote.
Akinyele, 81, a PR guru after serving as the Minister of Information, later became chairman of the Nigerian Sports Commission.
He was also a former president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
In 1995, former Nigeria’s military head of state, Sani Abacha, appointed Akinyele as head of a National Reconciliation Committee with the objective of opening dialogue with interest groups in the country to support the democratic transition program of the government.