From Kemi Yesufu
For two days Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, practically stood still as it hosted events to celebrate the life and times of the late executive director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin. The events in Abuja on Wednesday, July 13 and Thursday, July 14, 2017, closely followed a lecture in honour of the late professor on July 10 in London , United Kingdom, during the International Family Planning Summit.
Osotimehin, former minister of health, who also served as the pioneer director-general of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), died in New York, United States, on Sunday, June 4, 2017, at the age of 68.
First on the solemn lineup was the service of songs hosted by NACA, the agency at which Osotimehin gained national recognition, at the National Christian Centre, Abuja. Friends and associates of the former health minister came in their numbers to participate in the service in which the choir from Osotimehin’s home church, St. Matthew Anglican Church, Maitama, Abuja, held sway. The choir led guests to sing hymns and a medley of songs.
In his sermon, Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, admonished guests to live a life that would be described as worthy of emulation, like many have said of Osotimehin.
Okoh, who was represented at the service of songs by the general-secretary of the Anglican Communion, Venerable Ayodeji Fagbemi, called on Nigerians, especially members of the ruling class, to remember that all will one day account to God. He reminded Nigerian leaders that, at the end of their lives, the people would give their verdict, just like those who came to service of songs in honour of Osotimehin took turns to speak glowingly of his contributions to mankind.
Fagbemi decried what he termed years of a lack of courage by the country’s political class to solve longstanding problems, resulting in millions of Nigerians living in poverty.
“Nigerian leaders who have contributed to the woes of this country will be repaid by God. They will not go unpunished,” he said.
Calling on the family of the late Osotimehin, a UN under-secretary, to take solace in the life he lived, judging by how speakers at the event eulogised him, the clergyman also advised the Osotimehins to remain close to God and seek his help in times of need.
Director-general of NACA, Dr. Sani Aliyu, in his welcome address, went down memory lane, describing the founding head of the agency as a colossus who developed the model for the national response to HIV/AIDS, which his successors have built on and modified with ease
Kicking off the goodwill messages on the day, former minister of health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, told gests how he once mentioned to Osotimehin that he picked him as one of the top three health ministers in the country’s history. Chukwu, who took over the charge of Nigeria’s health sector from Osotimehin, stated that his predecessor’s tenure, though short, produced milestones in public health.
The current minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, dubbed the late Osotimehin a visionary. Reminiscing on the his days as a lecturer in the University of Ibadan, he said Osotimehin has always championed youth and women empowerment. According to him, promoting health, particularly the reproductive health rights of women, adolescents and young people, came naturally to the late UN administrator.
Adewole, who said Osotimehim epitomised humility all his life, remembered how he made history as the youngest provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, in 1989, campaigning on the younger generation being given a chance. He also reminded the congregation of how, as head of NACA, Osotimehin campaigned for universal access to HIV treatment, prevention and care.
“For those of us who called him boss, we knew that with him there were no grey areas. It was either black or white. He was never shy of promoting family planning, telling everyone, ‘we have to do something positive about our population,’” the health minister said.
On his part, president of the Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Victor Omoshehin, observed that Osotimehin’s death was a huge loss to the estimated 3.1 million people living with the virus. He listed key interventions initiated by the founding NACA DG, saying NEPWHAN members ere eternally grateful to him.
UNFPA Country Representative, Diene Keita, said her late boss was a humble and hardworking man with foresight. She opined that the deluge of goodwill from different parts of the world was not only because Osotimehin was an international figure, but also because he treated the high and low with much respect.
Kehinde, Osotimehin’s lawyer-daughter, who attended the service with her mother, Olufunke, thanked all those who stood by her family in their trying moments.
She spoke on her father, saying, “He was a dotting and loving father. He was the very best. He started his ministry of protecting the rights of girls from us his daughters.”
The encomiums for the late minister continued at the memorial service organised by the UN in Nigeria on Friday, July 14. The event, which had members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of donor agencies in attendance, saw Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, disclosing that President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Osotimehin for a two-year extension of his service at the UN shortly before his death.
He revealed that the Federal Government had written the UN Secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, to retain Osotimehin in his team.
“Two months ago, I actually had to write a letter to the UN Secretary-general at the instruction and encouragement of Mr. President and the Acting President.
“The letter was to inform him that Nigeria was immensely proud of what Osotimehin was doing for the past six years and that we would appreciate very much, since he has the right to appoint his team, to retain him for the next two years,” he said.
Despite hosting an event to celebrate Osotimehin earlier in the day, Adewole still joined other dignitaries for the UN memorial service, including the minister of solid minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, minister of state for health, Dr. Osagie Enahire, minister of state for budget and national planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, chairman of the National Population Commission, Eze Duruiheoma, and Dr. Mohammed Kamal, the representative of the First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari.