The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has lamented that he missed the opportunity to be with his mother during her last moment.
In his speech at the Service of Songs held at The Archade of the Oyo State Government House, Agodi, Ibadan on the funeral of his late mother, the governor said the news of her death was hard for him to bear.
Makinde recounted how he promised to see his mother the weekend after the Ondo poll and hesitated to pick her calls for failing to stop by to see her as arranged .
He said he was shocked to be woken up the following morning with the news that his mother had died.
“It is still very hard for me. The relationship that I shared with my mother is like no other one. I spoke with her on Monday immediately after the Ondo State election and I told her that I would see her over the weekend. I left for Port Harcourt on Wednesday morning.
“Throughout Wednesday, she was calling me and I was saying to myself that even if I picked the call, since we were out of town, it won’t make any sense because I guessed why she was calling me. She wanted me to stop by and see her, so I didn’t pick the call.
“By Thursday morning, they came to wake me up and said, they were knocking on my mum’s door and she wouldn’t answer. Maybe about 15 to 20 minutes later, they forced the door open and saw her; she was gone.
“I can only say that it is hard to question God. I thought she should be about 85 but that did not happen. My mum was a tough woman. She came to Ibadan with nothing, according to her. She was just looking for a green pasture and Ibadan then happened to be the capital of Western Region, so she came just like anyone would come.
“She met my father, I think she came when she was 18. One year later, she was pregnant with my eldest brother. She had him at slightly above 19. So, I started thinking to myself that this woman started early.
“She started working as an interpreter at UCH and later, as a telephone operator and what she won’t take from you is for you not to take your education or studies seriously because according to her, it would be double jeopardy if she refused to go to school because she was having us and we also refuse to go school.
“It was an experience for me to have spent a little above 52years of my life with my mother. I will forever cherish that relationship,” he said.
The Vicar, St Paul’s Anglican Church, Yemetu, Dr Samuel Osungbeju, in his sermon, recounted the good deeds of the deceased.
Among those who were present on the occasion were Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, former Governor Rasheed Ladoja, former Deputy Governor, Taofeek Arapaja; President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr Supo Ayokunle, Pastor Femi Emmanuel and Arch Bishop Segun Okubadejo.
