Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise and Centre for Change, on Wednesday expressed sadness over the death of former Military Governor of Lagos State, Rear Adm. Ndubuisi Kanu.
Okei-Odumakin, in a condolence message in Lagos, described the death Kanu, who was also military governor of Imo as devastating.
Reports state that Kanu died in the early hours of Wednesday at the age of 78.
“A great ‘Iroko’ has fallen in our forest and we deeply mourn him. Goodnight, great patriot,” she said.
Okei-Odumakin described the deceased as a worthy National Democratic Coalitio (NADECO) leader, adding that he would forever be remembered.
“The naval chief gave his all to the anti-military struggle in one of the darkest moments of this country’s history.
“He was at the forefront of the struggle for the restructuring of Nigeria into a proper federal arrangement.
“He stood against injustice of any form and defended righteousness at all times.
“He was a regular face at all remembrances for our departed heroes and he has just become one of them,” she said
The organisation president noted that there was no one who knew “the ebullient spirit” that would not be devasted by his death at “this critical moment.”
The naval chief was a former military governor of Imo in 1975 and that of Lagos State in 1976.
He was also a member of the pro-democracy group, NADECO, which fought for the revalidation of late Moshood Abiola’s annulled June 12, 1993 presidential mandate.