Prince Tony Momoh, a former Minister of Information and Culture, on Friday mourned the passage of Chief Samuel Ogbemudia, saying he would be sorely missed.
Ogbemudia, former military and civilian governor of the defunct Midwest and Bendel State respectively, died at 84 on Thursday, at a private hospital in Lagos.
Momoh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone that the late Ogbemudia carried out a lot of development in the old Mid-Western State and Bendel State. “Everyone who ever worked in old Bendel State, now Edo, has always looked at what he did as a yardstick,’’ he said.
In sports, the former minister said that if what the late governor did in swimming had been followed through, many world class swimmers would have been produced by now.
“He was a personal friend and will be sorely missed. Ogbemudia really worked hard, he was the most dedicated leader we had. “Nothing will be too much to immortalise him further,’’ he said.
Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya, presidential candidate of KOWA Party in the 2015 election, described late Ogbemudia as a towering figure in the national and political sphere of the country.
” His contribution to the progress and development of the nation’s polity will be long remembered.
” I urge the bereaved family members to remain strong in the knowledge that we are holding them in our thoughts and prayers.
Late Ogbemudia was military administrator of old Mid-western state from 1967 to 1975.
Ogbemudia also was elected civilian governor of Bendel State after winning the August 1983 gubernatorial election under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria.
Source – NAN
