wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, has described the late Awolowo’s wife, Hannah Idowu as “a remarkable mother, wife and a fountain of inspiration”.
Mrs Buhari, who was paying a tribute to the late Mrs Awolowo in the course of a visit to the deceased’s grand daughter, Mrs Dolapo Yemi Osinbajo, the wife of the Vice President, said it was “impossible to recall Chief Awolowo’s impressive political record and contributions to our democratic development without recognising the significant role the late Hanna Idowu played in his successes in life.”
At 99, the wife of the President said the late Mrs Awolowo had lived a fulfilled life, and left indelible footprints on the sands of time.
She extended her condolences to the family, the government and people of Ogun State over the death of what she described as “an extraordinary woman that deserves extraordinary accolades”.
The Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, also joined other Nigerians to mourn the death of Mama Awolowo, saying that the matriarch of the Awolowo family lived a fulfilled life.
She was an upright Nigerian with an impeccable and immaculate character, worthy of emulation, the VC remarked in a statement by the University ‘s Director of Public Communication, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo.
Quoting the words of Victor Hugo, the VC said “It is nothing to die, it is frightful not to live”; for Mama Awolowo, she came, she fought and she conquered.
Prof. Adewole said she has lived and done her best, “she is irreplaceable. She will forever live on in our memories.”
“On behalf of council, senate, congregation, management, staff and students of the University of Ibadan, “ we commiserate with the Awolowo family and Nigerians. We pray that her gentle and tender soul rests in perfect peace. Indeed a gem has gone to be with the Lord”, the VC said.
The immediate past Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji described the late matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty as a rare breed among women.
Ikuforiji stated this in a in a condolence message on the death of Mama to the Awolowo family yesterday.
According to the former speaker, Mama was “ a rare breed among women and an uncommon heroine that would forever remain a huge symbol of stability on the home front”.
He added: “With more women like Mama Awolowo in Afica, there is no doubt that the era of large scale divorce in many homes today will be a thing of the past .”
Ikuforiji stated further that “as our dear Mama Hannah Dideolu Awolowo finally departs this planet to join our hero and late sage, Pa Obafemi Awolowo , in glory, It is very important for us all to note that Mama’s life is that of celebration, and not mourning.
“For an uncommon woman of her calibre to have given her all to Papa Awolowo through thick and thin, and stand firmly behind her husband while implementing earth-shaking revolutionary socio-economic and human development programmes for his people in the defunct Western region of Nigeria, thus liberating them from poverty, lack, and deprivation for life, now is the time to celebrate her for all her good works and her uncommon love for her husband, and humanity while she was with us. “
He stated that it is very important to teach the young ones, particularly the female folks, that they should embrace the rare virtues of love, trust, and perseverance in order to enjoy a blissful marital life like the late Mama Awolowo.
He prayed for “the peaceful repose of the great soul of this uncommon heroine of love and trust who stood firmly behind her husband, through good and bad times, to enable him actualize his dreams and aspiration for his people .
“Much as we would have loved to keep Mama Awolowo with us permanently so as to keep drinking from her wealth of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, the Almighty God however decreed it long ago, at the beginning of creation, that every human being that he created must live and die at one time or the other. So, that makes it impossible for us to want to keep a precious jewel of Mama’s calibre for ever with us. Our joy is however in the fact that she lived up to the very ripe age of one hundred, which we would have all celebrated with her , had Mama waited for some more sixty-seven days before closing her eyes.. “ Ikuforiji asserted .
“I therefore, on behalf of my entire family, commiserate with the entire members of our Papa Obafemi Awolowo, the good people of Ikenne, indigenes of Ogun State, and indeed all Yoruba sons and daughters, both at home and abroad. on this sad occasion of the loss of Mama H.I.D. Awolowo. May the Almighty God grant us all the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” Ikuforiji prayed