Health Minister, others pay tribute to late Osotimehin as wife vow to sustain his legacies

The Minster of Health, Prof Issac Adewole, has again described the death of Prof Babatunde Osotimehin as a huge loss not only to the nation’s healthcare but to the international community at large. He said his life was a service completely dedicated to humanity.

The minister, who made this known in Abuja on Friday during a tribute service organised by the Ministry of Health also described him as one committed to a life of service in both the academia and national service.

According to him, during his Osotimehin’s tenure as Minister of Health, he united all the 36 states to build a national health plan focused on primary health care as well as built a strong relationship with Parliament ensuring resources were available to address critical health issues.

“From December, 2008 March 2010, he was the African spokesman of the partnership for maternal, newborn and child health. He was a champion for youth, women and girls. Young people remained his special focus at UNFPA.

“Throughout his career, he chaired several international fora focused on health, population and family planning and was recipient of several awards and honours including the Nigeria national honour-Officer of the Order if the Niger (OON).

“This is one of my challenge task, talking about my mentor,friend,brother and big boss.we will however remain grateful for a life well lived and spent. Above all, he is bold,fearless and deeply committed to the right,health and well being of our women and girl.”you stood by them,for them and fought for them.you are certainly immortal.”

Meanwhile, the wife of the late Osotimehin, Mrs. Olufunke Osotimehin, said his family will be committed in sustaining the legacies left by the husband especially in the area of protecting and promoting the health and lives of Nigerian women and children to help them realise their full potential.

She made this known yesterday in her breif remarks during the memorial service organised in honour of her late husband by the United Nations System in Nigerian.

According to her, that is the only way to mortalize her late husband’s passion of ensuring and promoting reproductive and maternal health.

“Though i was not out there to work with him as his colleague but I speak today as his wife whom he continuously share his passion. He had always looked for opportunities to work and when the opportunity came he dedicated it passionately to mother and children. I also remember vivdely that in the process of living with him as his wife’s he impacted in us as a family,his passion and desire to increase the right, health and wellness beings of our Nigerian women and girl.

“We there stand here to say that we will not allow that passion to die. We will continue to fish out, withing our community those women and children that are in dire need of our services and we will contribute our own quota towards helping them.

She however thanked the UN Community for remembering, honouring and extolling his late husband’s virtues adding that the family will ever be consoled by the level of tributes poured on his late husband.

“We have been over whelmed by the level of economic poured on him by you all since his passing away in June 4 and these tributes have gone a long way in reducing our sorrow and we thank God for what he has used him to acheieve while on earth

In the same vein, the wife of Nigeria President, Mrs Aisha Muhammed Buhari, in her speech at the ocasson described late Osotimehin as a pillar and mentor to the emergency of her pet project, “the Future Assured” which she said, has tremendously impacted positively on the lives of women,children and the less privileged.

‘on behalf of the entire women in Nigeria, we express our heartfelt sympathy over his demise.
For the Director-General of National Action on AIDs (NACA), Dr. Sani Aliyu, Professor Osotimehin will be remembred for his passion and commitment to the good health and prosperity of the disadvantaged, including women and children.” Nigeria is really honoured to have him and we will continue to remember him in our prayers.

The country Director, UNAIDS, Dr. Erasmus Moran added” Dr Osotimehin’ life was an embodiment of all the values of the United Nations since its creation in 1945, from the ashes of war and human sufferings. He dedicated his life to serving humanity as a medical doctor, a public servant, a diplomat an an advocate for equity,justice and fairness to all, irrespective of sex, gender,race,tribe,age or status.

“Babatunde never saw huamn sufferings as a challenge.he saw in our sufferings the opportunity to serve,no wonder he was committed to ending maternal mortality.Permit me to quote him when he said, “ending violence against women should be a priority for every human being.This is not only women issue,it affects all of us.As long as the diginity and well being of half of humanity is at risk,peace, security and sustainable development will remain out of reach.”