HON SOB AGUNBIADE: TODAY AT THE SENATE, MY MENTOR AND LEADER LATE BAYO OSHINOWO WAS HONOURED IN PLENARY ~ INN Nigeria

Senate Leader suspended Order 17 to allow family members, close friends of Late Senator Bayo Osinowo into the Chamber.

Minority Leader seconded the Order cited by Senate Leader.

Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Abubakar reads the biography of Late Senator Bayo Osinowo.

“Bayo was a soft guy, very soft spoken. he was a complete grassroot politician and you can’t move him from there. We will continue to miss him. For the family we have only one thing to say to you, you will always be with Bayo and Bayo will be with you. Even as we mourn him today, we also celebrate his life.” – Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe

“I want to join my colleagues and the Senate President to commiserate with the family of Bayo and that his soul will rest in peace.” – Senator Orji Uzor Kalu

“Bayo was always repeating a verse of the Quran: “So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?” What our colleague told us is we must exemplify our lives and be fair to everybody as we see them. For the family, take solace in the fact that he has left something. May Allah grant Distinguished Senator Bayo Aljannah firdaus. – Senator Sabi Abdullahi

“He was a jolly good fellow. He has come, he has seen and conquered. We pray to God almighty to grant his family, his children, his wife the fortitude to bear this loss.” – Senator Philip Aduda.

“I rise to align myself with all sentiments about our colleague, Mr Bayo Osinowo. Senator Bayo Osinowo left his mark on the sands of time. Here was a man who indeed was a major pillar in the politics of Lagos State.

My prayer is that the Almighty God should grant the family the fortitude to deal with this loss. May his soul rest in perfect peace.” – Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

“All that is said about my dear brother and egbon is the true position of things. Mr. President, my big brother, my friend Senator Bayo Osinowo is no more. Putting together the last 17 years of his life as a Parliamentarian has been very eventful. Today, we all celebrate Democracy Day but one of those that paid the price of this democracy we celebrate is Senator Bayo Osinowo.

Seven years of his life was spent in incarceration. This is one man that doesn’t desert people.” – Senator Solomon Adeola.

“Senator Bayo Osinowo played all his politics in Lagos but was a proud son of Ogun State. One thing that he has demonstrated very philosophical is somebody that knows the ephemeral nature of this life. He wasn’t afraid of death. All we can do is to take lesson from his life that we should strive everyday to do more good than bad. To take everyday as Grace from Almighty God that as we are seated here, tomorrow anything can happen.

I pray the Almighty Allah will grant him Aljannah firdaus and be with his family and his extended family. Good bye our brother, good bye our friend.” – Senator Ibikunle Amosun

“I speak this morning to pay tribute to my political mentor. When you listen to him during the Budget Defense, you could see the depth of his knowledge. He took me as a mentee, and also as a de facto Vice Chairman for him at the Committee. Mr. President, I’ve lost a big brother and friend. I pray his soul rest in peace.” – Senator Tolu Odebiyi

“I stand to join my colleagues in mourning the death of one of us. I want to join his family, the people of Lagos State and particularly our colleagues in mourning one of us. He lived a good and religious life.” – Senator Danjuma Goje

“I want to join my colleagues in conveying my condolences to the family of our great brother, Senator Bayo Osinowo. I want to condole with the family and to say its not how long one live on earth but how effective he was on the lives of the people. We have lost a great colleague and I want to pray that God who allowed him to come will take care of those he left behind.” – Senator Sam Egwu

“Senator Adebayo Sikiru was a great mobilizer of men an resources. We will all miss him. To the family, we pray that God will uphold and console you.” – Senator Francis Fadahunsi

“For every journey that has a beginning must have an end and for every sunrise there must be a sunset. Senator Bayo was a benefactor to thousands of poor people who today would be asking ‘Where would our next meal come from?’ He was a great politician, his death came to us here as a rude shock and it is one death too many in this chamber.

One thing I rise to celebrate here is the generosity of his spirit that considered the poor in the society. Today we can proudly celebrate this spirit to support any good cause. The question for everyone of us today is what shall we be remembered for? I will like to commiserate with the family.

The best we can do for you is to be with you at this moment of grief.” – Senator Rochas Okorocha

“I join my colleagues in paying tribute to a Distinguished gentleman, a statesman by all standards, Late Senator Sikiru Osinowo. To me it was a privileged to have met him and it dawned on me when he was gone. I can attest to the fact that he was extremely loyal to democracy, loyal to Late MKO Abiola and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Late Osinowo lived a life that was worthy of emulation.

He was extremely rich not because as a politician but as a successful businessman. This tribute is mainly to honour his family, his associate but more
to remind ourselves that someday, everyone owes this death but how would you want to remembered? Finally, I join the rest of us in bidding Senator Osinowo a farewell.- Senator Opeyemi Bamidele

“Late Osinowo was a symbol of discipline. My expereince with him spoke volume about respect and love and orderliness in the society. I wish that the Almighty God will grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss.” – Senator Degi Eremienyo Wangagra

“I pray the Almighty Allah will grant him eternal rest and for the family, God will always be there for you.” – Senator Aishatu Ahmed

“Senator Bayo Osinowo was my mentor and my leader. I pray God Almighty will grant him Aljannah firdaus.” – Senator Sirajudeen Ajibola

“I wish to attest to the humility and generosity of Senator Osinowo. While condoling with the family, I want to rejoice with them for having a very good father and I pray Almighty Allah grant him Aljannah firdaus.” – Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe

“Senator Osinowo was a religious person and a perfect gentleman. We pray that the Almighty Allah will grant him Aljannah firdaus. On behalf of the entire people of Kogi State, I want to condole with the entire family and the good people of Lagos State.” – Senator Isah Jibrin

“Senator Osinowo was a very passionate Ijebu person. He was always coming around to associate with his people. He was a very selfless person. He was not only loved in Lagos, he was also loved at home. We are ever proud of him, even in death we are very proud of him” – Senator Lekan Mustapha

“There is no doubt that it is one death too many. Senator Osinowo was one of the people that thought me of the doctrine of politics. I want to say that Senator Osinowo has left a footprint that can never be easily erased in the politics of this country and especially in Lagos State.

I want to appeal to the family that you have something that is greater than flesh in him. The fact that he has left a good name is a good legacy you should dwell on.” – Senator Adelere Oriolowo

“Thank you all Distinguished colleagues for your various contriutions on the tributes for our late colleague, Senator Bayo Osinowo. Let me on behalf of the Senate welcome his widow, the children of our departed colleague, his relation and friends.

Let me also welcome our colleagues from the House of Representatives who are here to join in this session. Many of our colleagues who spoke cited Biblical and Quranic verses especially to the inevitability of death. We all know we will go but what we should pray for is we do more good deeds than the bad ones.

That guarantees a better life. A day like this is characterized by our loss, we also thank the Almighty God for his Blessings and then we learn lessons. We are mourning our late colleague, Senator Bayo Osinowo today. We all had our different interactions with him. Most of us might have met him in this ninth Senate.

I also met him in this ninth senate when we were campaignig for the Senate Presidency. He left a mark and a very deep impression that he was a very friendly, jovial, cheerful and assuming even though he accomplished so much. I would later come to know how influential and deep rooted he was in Lagos politics. Because of what I came to know about his background, I thought he was going to be an assest to the Committee on Marine Transport because of his background. Like all my collegaues, we got on extremely well.

In fact, I invited him to join me for the 2019 Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Whenever we go to Mecca to pray and do some religious activities, we would appoint a spot to gather at a certain time. He would always be the last person
to arrive. So we queried him. But he would said, ‘S.P, why hurry? We are here to pray to God, so why hurry?’ He was a very deeply religious person and he had religious knowledge and we could see how his knowledge of religion shaped his life. This life is transient, no matter what, we all have to go one by one.

So we have a lesson to learn from his life that each and everyone who had interaction with him would bear testimony that he was a very generous man. We have that to learn. As we represent people here, we must continue to remember that the people at home expect us to put in our best as their represenatives. We should continue to pray for our brother, our colleague. For our colleagues from Lagos, this is a rare grief. It is a divine responsibility we all have to pay.

We pray the Almighty God will bless his soul and Aljannah Firdaus be his final reward. May God Almighty protect his family and may our final days be the best days of our life.” – Senate President Dr. Ahmad Lawan, CON.

Senate resolved to:
i. Offer prayers for the repose of the soul of the late distinguished Senator Adebayo Osinowo;
ii. Observe a minute silence in his honour;
iii. Send condolence messdge to the family, government and people of Lagos State.

ADJOURNMENT
Senate President Dr. Ahmad Lawan ruled that plenary be adjourned to Tuesday, 14th July, 2020.