Yemisi Izuora
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the death of Chief Alex Akinyele as “a monumental loss to his family, the people of Ondo State and Nigerians in general”.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, Mohammed expressed deep shock and sadness over the death of the former Minister of Information.
The statement was signed by Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the President (Media) Office of the Minister of Information and Culture.
The minister, in the statement, described Akinyele, to whom he was well acquainted in his lifetime especially in the realms of public relations, as ‘an astute administrator and a highly-respected public relations practitioner’.
He said Akinyele’s tenure as Minister of Information, and later as the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, was characterised by his uncommon passion for Nigeria.
Mohammed said the family of the deceased, as well as his friends and associates, should be comforted by his legacy of service to humanity.
He prayed to God for the repose of Akinyele’s soul as well as for strength and comfort for his family.
Akinyele reportedly died on Thursday after a brief illness according to a statement by one of his sons, Akinfolarin Akinyele,
The late Ondo Chief was a former president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and former chairman of the Nigerian Sports Commission.