Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council on Wednesday held a special session in honour of the late former Minister of Information, Professor Dora Akunyili, who died on Saturday in India.
Professor Akunyili died in a Specialist Cancer Hospital in India after a two-year battle with cancer.
The council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan had the Vice President, Namadi Sambo and several ministers in attendance.
They took turns to eulogise late Professor Akunyili, describing her as an honest woman whose life impacted positively on Nigerians.
President Jonathan described her as a role model for modern day women and prayed that God would grant her soul eternal rest.
President Goodluck Jonathan said the first impression he had of the late former boss of the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration (NAFDAC), Professor Akunyili, was the way she dressed as a typical Nigerian.
‘A Woman Of Strength’
“I first met her when I was Deputy Governor in Bayelsa State. A very upright woman. When she was Information Minister, she was a very courageous person. A role model per excellence that I believe so many young ladies would emulate. Her impact in NAFDAC was much more than as the Minister of Information. But her passion was unique. A virtuous woman. This is how God wants it. God saved her life from the deadly bullets of evil men. He could still have saved her life from cancer if He had so willed,” President Jonathan said.
Vice President Namadi Sambo, in his tribute, said Akunyili’s death was a great loss to Nigeria, as “she was a patriotic and dedicated Nigerian. NAFDAC is a sanitised institution, because of her”. He added that she developed a system through which the country would be re-branded.
In her tribute, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said: “It is a sad time for us as we remember her. A woman of strength and conviction who fought hard to ensure drug counterfeiting becomes a thing of the past. NAFDAC was consistently voted as the best agency of government during her time. A committed mother and devoted wife. An excellent Nigerian woman whom many looked up to”.
The Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Musa Sada, in his tribute described late Professor Akunyili as “a patriot from whom one always wants to learn”.
“Even at the expense of her life, she didn’t look back at what she believed in. She lived for Nigerians. She was an extremely intelligent person,” he said.
The Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, said: “I met her before I became Vice Chancellors of UNN and she became a professor during my Vice Chancellorship. She was a woman of courage. She was courageous enough to speak up at a trying moment of our national history. A religious and prayerful woman. The cold hands of death has taken away a woman very hopeful in all situations. Very conversational. As a country we have lost a gem and we pray that God give us such a woman of honour and respect”.
The Labour Minister, Emeka Nwogu, said her death came as a rude shock.
Other ministers also had several things to say about her.
In his tribute, the Information Minister, Labaran Maku, who worked with her as Minister of State for Information and Communications, described her as an outstanding public servant.
“She put her life on the line. She took the world to Anambra to battle producers and importers of fake drugs because she wanted the best for her nation. She took me as a junior brother and we worked together. She showed me great work. She permitted me to jointly address the press after FEC,” Mr Maku said.
The Rebrand Nigeria Project was introduced by late Professor Akunyili’s and Mr Maku pointed out that the project would still continue even after her death.
Maku further moved a motion for special and deep condolences to Mr President, the Women of Nigeria and the Nigerian fashion industry, who through her promoted a national dress code, to Nigerians for the loss of a mother in public service, to the Igbo nation and to her family.