A former Minister of Power and Steel Dr. Olu Agunloye who was a friend to late Prof. Femi Odekunle, a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), headed by Prof. Itse Sagay, who died from complications of Coronavirus has narrated how eminent Nigerians rallied to save the life of Nigeria’s first professor of criminology.
Agunloye, who wrote about the final moments of Prof. Odekunle, described his death as sad.
According to him, it was Chief Joju Fadairo who discovered at 8.30pm on Sunday, that Odekunle was sick and in danger.
“We both couldn’t get Femi on phone for about one week and Joju decided to call his wife. From that moment, we worked all night to activate the diverse circle of Femi’s friends. And they sprang to action within two hours. Since then, they worked frantically to ensure that Femi got the best care possible,” he stated.
Agunloye, who is a former Minister of State for Defence, said he and his friends tried very hard but Odekunle didn’t make it.
He died at about 6.30pm, after a 12-day battle for life, Agunloye disclosed.
“When I spoke with his wife twice between 1pm and 3pm on Tuesday, I could hear in the background loud heavy rumblings of the man struggling to breathe with great difficulties and excruciating pains even though he wore an oxygen mask.
“As a matter of fact, Femi’s friends rose stoutly to his support over the last 48 hours, but it was just too late. Top government functionaries amongst them led by Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola along with President’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, SGF Boss Mustapha and two sitting governors tore through bureaucracies and red tapes and pulled stunts but the damages to Femi’s health appeared to have gone too far for remedy. It is sad, very sad.
“Prof. Odekunle was my close friend of 54 years. We first met in Independence Hall when I entered UI as a Prelim student in 1966.”
