Ovation Magazine boss, Dele Momodu has revealed the last words he had with late NAFDAC DG, Dora Akinyuli, before she died.
In an article titled “A sister from another mother”, Dele Momodu revealed how close he was to Dora Akinyuli who escaped several attacks from her enemies.
Dele Momodu who has been sharing moments he had with iconic people took to Instagram where he wrote:
“A SISTER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER…
I cannot now remember the first time or how I met DR DORA NKEM AKUNYILI. All I recollect is her unmatched passion for Nigeria and how she risked everything to protect Nigerians. MADAM DORA, as I called her was a brilliant Pharmacist who became the Director-General of the NATIONAL AGENCY FOR FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL (NAFDAC) and took on the Fake Drugs Mafia with uncommon gusto. Of course, the Al Capones wouldn’t take kindly to her mission to exterminate them from their illicit trade, so they pumped bullets on her car and she only escaped by the whiskers!
From the moment we met, she trusted me so much that I became her private adviser and confidant. She poured out her heart to me and shared her secret fears. She told me her enemies wanted her dead but they would know no peace for as long as she lived.
“MADAM DORA took Nigeria too seriously. When she became the Minister of Information and Communications under PRESIDENT UMARU MUSA YAR’ADUA, she faced some challenges again and would call me for advice. She believed I would always tell her the truth. She once sent her Special Assistant SUNDAY DARE the current Minister of Sports with instructions to take some documents to me in Ghana but, fortunately, I was in Lagos. SUNDAY and I sat down in my house and I was able to intervene in my PENDULUM column.
“MADAM DORA was over the moon when she read how I broke down the issues in lucid and logical analysis. I got an excited call from her: “Brother Dele, wow you’re a born writer. President Yar’Adua just called me after reading your column and said you’ve simplified the matter for him. Brother, if I die today, you’ve already given me a decent burial…” How prophetic! Little did I know she was going to die so soon.
SISTER, Nigerians will never forget you. Continue to rest in peace”.
