Eulogies Pour As Curtains Close On Ernest Shonekan

IT has been a tragic week for the country, as Nigerians have been pouring eulogies to mourn its former leader, Ernest Shonekan, who died on Tuesday aged 85 due to natural causes.

While the deceased’s brother, Adeboye Shonekan, announced the former president’s demise, key dignitaries including Nigeria’s current President, Muhammadu Buhari, among others, have offered tributes to the late Baba Sale of Egbaland, as he was popularly known.

Buhari eulogised Shonekan, during a visit to his Ikoyi’s residence, as a globally revered statesman, who “left his flourishing business career to become the Head of Government, at a delicate time when the country needed someone of his calm mien and pedigree to save the ship of state from sinking.”

Recall that the late Shonekan was the head of the interim government that led Nigeria between the military governments of Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha ( August to November, 1993).

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo- Olu, as well as the Ogun and Yobe governors, respectively, Dapo Abiodun and Mai Mala Buni, accompanied the President.

On his part, Sanwo- olu described Shonekan as a technocrat whose service immensely contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy, especially during his years of financial operations as the head of the United African Company ( UAC).

Other dignitaries such as the Egba Land Monarch, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, poured tributes to the late President, reminiscing on fond intimate experiences such as “playing squash,” among others.

“I remember those days I used to play squash with him; I used to beat him and he used to beat me too; he had a squash court in his house and so it was convenient to play with him. We pray that God would replace E. O. Shonekan for Egba; another Egba son will do better in Jesus’ name.”

The deceased’s family has also announced that it’s making all necessary preparations to aid a befitting burial for the late Shonekan.