Ondo speaker dies of cancer

The Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly,  Honourable Samuel Adesina, is dead.
He died on Tuesday at the age of 52 in an undisclosed hospital after battling with what was described as cancer of the intestine for over six months.
Adesina, who represented Odigbo State constituency II in the assembly, has been in and out of hospital over the ailment which kept him away from his duty of law making.
While he was away, the Deputy Speaker, Emiola Dare, was holding forte while on many occasions, the Speaker was rumoured to have died as a result of the ailment.
Adesina returned to the country from overseas in November to debunk the rumour that he was paralysed.
However, days after he showed up at the gallery, he was again rushed to the hospital as his condition was said to have worsened, leading to the intervention of the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.
While this was going on, the people of the state were apprehensive as he was away from his seat for months. Continue.


The situation made the Deputy Speaker to, at a time, allay the fears of the people by putting the Speaker on phone from his hospital bed after the presentation of the budget by Mimiko on 31 December, 2013 to clear the air over his state of health.
 The state government has, however, described the death as a great loss to the state.
Government, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Aderotimi Adelola, said “the late Speaker during his life time was a bridge builder, a man of integrity and a reliable team player who placed the interest of the state above personal consideration.
“The untimely death of the Speaker occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 25 February, 2014 during  a protracted battle with  cancer of the urinary bladder.
“The Ondo state government  received the news with rude shock and disbelief and  commiserates with the  family of the late Speaker, the state legislature as well as the entire people of the state on this irreparable loss.
“It is our prayers that God will grant everyone of us the fortitude to bear this loss.”
The atmosphere at the assembly complex in the morning of Tuesday was that of grief and sorrow as people were seen discussing the development.
The normal sitting of the assembly was abruptly called off as members were said to be consulting at the residence of the Deputy Speaker.
Adesina, popularly called “Umale,” who was from Oniparaga in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state was a third term member of the assembly as he was first elected in 2003.