TheCable

President Goodluck Jonathan has urged leaders to follow the example of late Sir Michael Otedola, who left indelible marks during his relatively brief spell as governor of Lagos State.

The president was speaking at the requiem mass held in Otedola’s honour at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Epe, Lagos.

He said the challenge before leaders should be to ensure that they leave legacies so that people will always have good things to say about them when they eventually depart the world.

“Occasions like this give us concern and some form of happiness, and also make us think about life. What do we live for as a people? When we depart what would people say of us? What do we say we have left behind for the people to remember? That should be the challenge for all of us,” he said.

He confessed that he barely interacted with late Michael Otedola while he was alive, but he said testimonies from people continue to give credence to what he knew about the deceased.

“The only time I believed I interacted with our late father was when I was in Lagos to commission a project. We exchanged greetings without making any personal statements; no personal experience with the deceased but from what I have heard about him, from what the Lagos State Governor said, and from what others said about him, I am quite pleased to add to that testimony that he has served us gracefully and he is leaving us gracefully.”

President Jonathan condoled with the family and prayed God to continue to comfort them.

He also implored Nigerians not to relent in praying for the country, noting that the challenge it is currently facing will phase out soon.

“I will continue to urge you to pray for the country,” he said.

“Though there are challenges now, other countries have passed through the challenges. Our country will surely get through this.”

Other guests at the event were First lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; former president, Olusegun Obasanjo; Babatunde Fashola, governor of Lagos; and other top government officials.

Sir Michael Otedola, who died earlier this month aged 88, is the father of oil magnate, Femi Otedola.