Oni, in a statement personally signed in Ibadan, the state capital, said, “Alakija, the daughter of the late highly revered Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, a prodigious success story of a rare order.
“Alakija earned for herself an extraordinary set of accolades which can be brandished for generations. Throughout her life, she stood tall making successful forays into professional, bureaucratic, cultural, industrial and social realms.
“In her quest for a greater role in nation building, she moved from the teaching profession to the core civil service by rejoining the Western Nigerian public service in 1958 as an Assistant Secretary, and was later posted to the Western Nigerian Office in London where she gave new direction to the students’ affairs department in England.”
Oni noted that Alakija was honoured with a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic in 1980; the state Merit Award for outstanding performance and other impressive contributions to the development of public service in the Western region, and the state in particular.
“You will forever be remembered, the doyen of the civil and public service. We need more seasoned civil and public servants like you. Thank you for the life you gave and your worthwhile hard work while in the service. May Almighty God continue to rest your soul,” Oni added.
Alakija died on August 23, 2023, at the age of 88.
