Agagu’s Burial Holds Today Despite Crash Deaths

The remains of former governor of Ondo
State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, will be
committed to mother earth today as
planned, despite the loss of lives in the
crash of the aircraft conveying the former
governor’s corpse to Akure, Ondo State capital. Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
in Ondo State, Ebenezer Alabi, said: “We
just consulted with the family and have
decided to go ahead with the burial. “More so, the son of the former governor
survived and the son-in-law survived. There
was no scratch on the casket. “So while the family sympathised with those
that lost their lives and their loved ones,
they have decided to go ahead with the
burial as was initially planned.” Also, the body of the former governor,
which was still intact despite the plane
crash, is in transit to Iju-Odo, his country
home and final place of rest. It was gathered that the family of late
Agagu in Iju-Odo had ordered that his
remains be conveyed to his home town,
yesterday, by road to continue with the
burial arrangement, which a family source
will be done as planned. 11 persons, including a Commissioner in the
state, Deji Falae, top government officials
and the crew lost their lives in the crash
which happened at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, MMIA, Lagos. Meanwhile, Mrs Olufunke Agagu, wife of
late former Governor of Ondo State, Dr.
Olusegun Agagu, and her daughters, Solape
and Omowunmi, have relocated to Iju-Odo
in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the
state for today’s burial of the ex-governor. It was gathered that the wife of the former
governor insisted that burial arrangements
of her late husband will take place as earlier
scheduled. A family source said Mrs Agagu
insisted that burial plans should go ahead
after she confirmed and spoke with her son (Feyi) and son in-law, who were involved in
the crash. The Christian wake-keep was held as
scheduled, yesterday, while the body will be
interred today.

Olusegun Agagu, Former Ondo Governor Is Dead

Dr. Olusegun Kokumo Agagu, the
immediate past governor of Ondo State
is dead. Agagu reportedly slumped and died in
his House in Ibadan, Oyo State,
yesterday afternoon after returning
from a trip to United States. Another
source said he died in his Ikoyi residence,
in Lagos. Agagu, a senior member of the People’s
Democratic Party, PDP, was to meet with
President Goodluck Jonathan next week
along with some elders of the party from
the South West on the lingering crisis in
the Party. Confirming his death, Ondo State
Chairman of the PDP, Ebenezer Alabi,
said “We spoke extensively by 10 a.m.
today, we even shared jokes.” Born February 16, 1948 at Iju Odo in
Okipipupa local government area of
Ondo state, Agagu commenced his
elementary education at St. Luke’s
Anglican School, now known as St. Paul’s
Anglican School Okitipupa, in 1954. In January 1958, he moved to live with his
cousin, Edward Fagbohun in Ibadan, Oyo
state where he continued his primary
education at Ebenezer African Church
School, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. He continued his primary education in
Kano in 1959 at Ebenezer Methodist
School and Baptist Primary School
Sabon-Gari, Kano State but went back to
Ebenezer African Church School, Ibadan
where he completed his primary education in 1960. He was in Ibadan
Grammar School between January 1961
and 1967 where he passed his West
African School Certificate and the Higher
School Certificate examinations. He was admitted into the University of
Ibadan in 1968 to study Botany but later
changed to Geology in which he
graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in
Second Class Upper Division, in 1971. Agagu went to the University of Texas
between 1973 and 1974 for his Masters
degree in Geology, and obtained a Ph.D
degree in Petroleum Geology from the
University of Ibadan in 1978. Agagu was appointed by President
Olusegun Obasanjo as Minister of
Aviation in 1999. He was elected Governor of Ondo State
from 29 May, 2003 until February 2009. Agagu was aged 65.