Former Information Commissioner In Ondo Dies After Visiting Ailing Wife At The Hospital

Akerele

Former Information Commissioner in Ondo State, Ranti Akerele, yesterday, died in his sleep. The 53-year-old chieftain of the Labour Party, LP, a renown broadcaster, was appointed in 2011 by Governor Olusegun Mimiko as his pioneer Information commissioner.

Reports say Akerele had on Monday evening visited his wife, Lucy, who was on admission in a private hospital for an undisclosed ailment. He was said to have taken food and other items to her.

He was said to have retired to his bedroom that evening after informing his domestic staff and the security man to switch off the generator and lock the gate. His two sons had last week returned to the boarding house of their school.

The wife was said to have expected him yesterday morning at the hospital but when she could no longer bear it she put a call across to his mobile phone severally but it was not answered.

The then disturbed wife decided to call the security man on phone at about 9 a.m. and she was told her husband had not been out of the house yet.

The security man was asked to peep through the window after which he told the wife that the deceased was still on the bed but did not respond to his calls.

A source told Vanguard that the wife rushed from the hospital even with drips in her hand to see things for herself.

The deceased neighbours with the wife reportedly forced the bedroom door open only to meet him dead on the bed.

His corpse has been moved to First Mercy Specialist Hospital in Akure.

Hundreds of chieftains of the Labour Party in the state have visited his Aule Government Residential Area, GRA, residence to commiserate with his family, describing his death as unfortunate and sad.

Reacting on behalf of the state government, the state Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, described his death as sad, sudden and shocking.

He described Akerele as an hard working man who left when the state needed his contribution towards the development of the state.

Akinmade however urged the people of the state to take solace in the fact that while alive he served the state in different capacities and was able to contribute his quota to the development of the state.

He condoled with the wife, children and family of the late former commissioner and prayed to God to grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.