The Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Comrade Issa Aremu, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, former Governor of Kwara State, who died early Wednesday morning at the age of 84.
In a statement issued in Ilorin, Aremu commiserated with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq and the people of Kwara State, describing the late Adebayo as “a rare statesman, nationalist and a principled Progressive democrat.”
The MINILS DG stated: “Nigeria’s progressive political community had lost a rare statesman, nationalist and a principled Progressive democrat in Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo.” He recalled that “the late statesman commendably struggled against military rule and, together with other compatriots, entrenched democratic rule.”
Adebayo, born on February 24, 1941, had a distinguished career that spanned academia and politics. He served as a lecturer at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), before entering politics where he became a Second Republic Senator, Governor of Kwara State, and later Minister of Communications and Transportation between 2003 and 2007.
Aremu noted that “very few are as successful in politics as the Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, who was a Governor, Senator and Minister (GSM).” He emphasized that the late politician “would be remembered for his steadfastness in progressive politics and his bold imprint on public education as a teacher and administrator.”
The labour leader concluded his tribute with words of comfort for the bereaved family: “The Director General prays that his family bears the strength to fill the vacuum of the departed statesman.”
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