People of Ondo State have again received another sad news following the sudden death of a former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ranti Akerele, who died today at the age of 54.
Akerele died in his sleep and his remains have been deposited at St. Mercy’s Hospital.
The Former Commissioner, was said to have arrived home around 9.pm on Monday from a hospital where his wife, Mrs. Lucy Akerele who was ill was on admission.
DailyPost gathered that the deceased, who took food to his sick wife went straight to his bedroom and ordered his gate man, Mr. Taye Festus to switch off the generator when it was 12 a.m.
His gate man, Festus who confirmed the death of his boss to reporters, said Akerele was hale and healthy before he died in his sleep.
He said “it was normal for him to switch off the generator when it is 12 a.m but to my surprise, I was expecting Oga to have woken up early, but he did not. He is the only one around since the wife had been admitted and the children have all gone back to school. The new driver that employed has arrived. We started suspecting that something was wrong around 10 a.m when we did not see him. I went to the window side of his room and I called “Oga” but he did not respond.
“I was forced to open the window, I saw him lying on the bed and I called him but he didn’t respond. That was when I shouted and people rushed into our compound. There was a carpenter very close to our house, I rushed to him and we forced the door opened and Oga was still lying on his bed.
“The wife came home with a drip still fixed in her hand but she was taken back to the hospital by sympathizers. The remains of Oga have been deposited at St. Mercy’s Hospital Mortuary. I love Oga and that is why I am still with him. I have never been maltreated. I had believed that things would change for the better.
Akerele, an indigene of Idoani in Ose local government area of the State, was one of the followers of Governor Olusegun Mimiko and very active during the Mimiko’s trial period. He was later rewarded with the position of a Commissioner in 2009.
He was relieved with other Commissioners in 2011 but never returned to the cabinet even when six of the sacked Commissioners were recalled.
Akerele, who also served at the Ondo State Radiovision Corporation (OSRC) became a media consultant until his death.
He was the Media Consultant of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo (RUGIPO) during its 11th Convocation ceremony which was held on December 21, 2013..
Series of mysterious deaths have befell the ondo State since September last year.
The former Governor of the state, Olusegun Kokumo Agagu, died on September 13, and former Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Deji Falae along with 14 others died in the ill-fated Associated aircraft on October 3.
A former lawmaker representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency, Hon. Rafael Nomiye died on November 23, while the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Adebiyi Adesida passed away on December 1 in 2013.
One of the neighbours of Akerele, Mrs. Bambo Seibo, said the residents in the area were in shock over the death of the Commissioner.
She said “I find it hard to believe that Akerele is dead. I saw him just yesterday and I asked about the health of his wife. I don’t believe Akerele could die just like this. He was a nice man to me and his death is an embarrassment to us”
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