You never know when your time will come but I’m sure you’d liked to be remembered in a positive way after you're far out of here.
Dora Akunyili was one of the greatest being God created. He moulded her into the womb of her Mama who eventually gave birth to her over 50 years ago in Makurdi, Benue State, but brought up in Nanka,Anambra State in Nigeria.
Late Dr. Dora lived an exemplary life. I likened her to "Dora the Explorer". An epitome of what Nigerian citizen should be. A fearless woman. The woman of her own words. A patriotic politician.
Even before she was appointed as the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Akunyili, a pharmacist and academic, made the news when she returned unspent funds to the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), where she served as the South East Zonal Secretary. On assumption of office at NAFDAC, Akunyili confronted the entrenched mafia of fake drug importers and miraculously escaped assassination on two occasions. Her eight-year tenure in the Agency made Nigeria a reference point in the global war against fake drugs, for which she missed being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize very narrowly in 2007.
When she was appointed Minister for Information and National Orientation, Dora Akunyili launched a campaign to rebrand Nigeria and Nigerians. She introduced the slogan "Good People, Great Nation".
One of the most profound contributions of this great woman was her brave clamour for the right things to be done when a pall of secrecy was cast over the true situation of the health of former President Umaru Yar' Adua. She insisted on full disclosure, and courted the displeasure of Yar' Adua's inner cabinet. She was one of those whose actions moved the hands of the establishment to allow then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan assume full power.
Late Dr. Dora Akunyili's love for her dear nation still made her answered the call to serve Nigeria as a Delegate to the defunct National Conference, until she had to be flown abroad for medical attention where she gave up.
Nigerians will never eat her name and excrete it. Dr. Dora Akunyili's name will never be forgotten because she died serving Nigeria.
There are others who will forever live on. Their names will be written in history book. Someone like Patrick Sawyer who gave Nigerians a free pack of EBOLA. We will forever remember you. I don't need to say there is God o! You must have met God by now.
History will not also forget that over 200 Chibok girls were abducted during GoodLuck Ebele Jonathan's administration. We're still hoping that they will return today. Whether Boko Haram is Islamic or unIslamic, their names will never be forgotten even if we capture them tonight.We will also praise the likes of Dr. Oby Ezekwelisi and her team of #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS.
Although she's still young but hajia Sekinah Adeyemi, a mechanical engineering student is a woman with great vision impacting lives through a non-profit organization, AIESEC. Mariam Adeoye is another young hajia who believes so much in justice and decided to write a constitution for her school before she graduated this year.
You know I have lived long enough that I have met great people like Sulaimon Aledeh, Jubril Folami, Mayokun Akpoterabor, Simon Ateba, Ibrahim Fatoyinbo, Ojebola Mathew, Tene John, Deji Oladoye, Jide Johnson amongst others who are dear to my heart. If you see me now I have grown more beards and in the nearest future I would like to be seen and when I'm gone as a great radio drama producer, news programme director, news anchor, script writer, international broadcaster and above all, a liberal Muslim scholar who impacted lives positively.
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