Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has described the late Dr Oluwole Oluleye, as an exemplary and quintessential leader who inspired many with his selflessness, humility, simplicity and sincerity in all that he did.

Fayemi described the late Oluleye, a former Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, and later Petroleum Trust Development Fund, as a leader who, not only shunned politics of bitterness but engaged in politics for development of both the masses and society.

The Governor spoke on Wednesday at the funeral service held for the late Dr Oluleye at his country home, Efon Alaaye. The funeral was attended by an array of dignitaries including the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, a former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu and many top government functionaries.

According to Fayemi, “Every death diminishes us especially if it is the death of someone who is an exemplar in all its best, Dr Oluleye was an exemplar. He was a quintessential Ekiti leader and he was always very warm to everyone, as many here may know. he was a co-contestant in our recent gubernatorial election in Ekiti State and all through the process, I’m sure all of us who were in the contest with him will see one thing that his politics was without bitterness, his politics was for development and he consistently engaged me in the course of that race in a wide range of discussions that we really have to transform our state and he has served with distinction all over.

“I think his last official assignment was when he came to see me in 2013, I was still governor and he was the secretary of a project monitoring committee that President Jonathan set up to look at all the abandoned projects round the country. So, apart from coming from a distinguished family, he distinguished himself in every assignment that he was given, and for us this is a great loss to Ekiti.”

Governor Fayemi urged members of Oluleye family, friends and well-wishers to take solace in the worthy legacies and examples that he left behind adding that the government and people of Ekiti State will always remember his works and his contributions to the development of the larger society.

The governor said his works and contributions to the state and the country would be remembered for a long time. He advised the children to continue to remain relevant in the society and promised to honour their father appropriately

“On the eve of the presidential election when a group from Efon came to see me, we had a private conversation and he had some dreams for our people here and for our state that we discussed and it’s unfortunate that he is no longer here with us but I want to make this solemn pledge to Efon people that his dream would soon come through for us here. And to our sister and the children, there is no reason to despise, it’s a sad loss, we didn’t expect it.

“For us as a state, we just have to honour him in an appropriate manner, I don’t want to play politics with that, I am going to communicate to the family what we would do to remember Dr Oluleye for all that he did while he was here and for his services to the federal republic of Nigeria,” he said.

•Photo shows, L-R; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; flanked by children of the deceased, Tokunbo Oluleye (left) Temidayo Oluleye (second left) and Tinuke Oluleye (right) , during the burial of the former PPPRA Executive secretary, Dr Oluwole Oluleye at St Paul's Anglican Church Efon Alaaye- Ekiti . . . on Wednesday.

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