Diya’ll get befitting burial — Gov Abiodun

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Diya’ll get befitting burial — Gov Abiodun

GOVERNOR Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, yesterday, disclosed that the state would honour former Chief of Army Staff, late Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya, by giving his remains a befitting burial, as former military administrator of the state.

Diya died on Sunday at 79.

Speaking during a condolence visit to Diya’s family residence, in Lagos, Governor Abiodun described the late Diya as a gentleman and an illustrious son of Ogun State, who deserves to be honoured with a befitting burial.

He said: “Late Gen. Oladipo Diya was a former military Administrator of Ogun State in the mid-80s. He was an illustrious son of Ogun State in whom we are especially pleased. His contribution to Ogun State would be remembered for many years. We need to honour him by supporting his family with a very befitting his farewell. 

“Considering his antecedence and what he stood for, he was extremely cerebral, very humble and a Christian; at a point in time, he was a Vice President of Nigeria. 

“One of the lessons you can learn from Gen. Diya is that when God is with you, man can sentence you, but God would uphold you. A committee would be set up that would comprise members of the Ogun State cabinet and the Diya family.”

Meanwhile, more tributes continue to pour in for the late army general.

Paying a condolence visit to the Diya family, former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uche Ogah, said: “Gen. Diya was a man that believed in the entity called Nigeria and a gentleman to the core. His Lagos home was like my home. I usually come to him for advice.”

 He was a patriot— Afenifere 

Also, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, described General Diya’s death as another loss of a patriotic Nigerian and an illustrious Yoruba son.

Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Jare Ajayi, said: “He contributed his quota through his participation in the civil war which was fought to keep Nigeria one. He further did his bit afterwards including his services as military governor of Ogun State.”