‘Agagu’s family to go ahead with burial’

Members of the family of the former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu, have insisted that they will go ahead with the arrangements for his interment despite the plane crash on Thursday.
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, made this known on Thursday in Akure just as a member of the Agagu family, Chief Sehindemi Oguntoye, said the community had premonition that a tragedy would occur before the burial of the former governor.
Alabi said, "We have just consulted with the family and it has been decided that they would go ahead with the burial. This is more so that his son, the son-in-law and (Chief Olusegun) Obasanjo's son survived the crash.
"We are also aware that the casket bearing Agagu's body was not affected by the crash."
He quoted the family as saying, "while we sympathise with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the crash, we will go ahead with the burial."
The interment was scheduled for Friday (today) at his home town in Iju-Odo, Okitipupa Local Government Area.
Agagu's kinsman, Chief Oguntoye, who is also the Ojomo of Osooroland, told theNews Agency of Nigeria in Iju-Odo, that the family held a prayer session after it was warned of an impending tragedy before the burial.
He said, "The community had been informed of an impending tragedy and the community had held a vigil to avert it. The vigil even ended today (Thursday).
"It was a big tragedy for Iju-Odo community. We had before the death of Dr. Agagu lost our traditional ruler, and now a plane crash which involves our loved ones.''
He, however, urged the community to be fervent in prayers to prevent further tragedies.
The residents of the community were in pensive mood, with many of them gathering in front of their houses discussing the incident.
St. Paul's Anglican Church, Iju-Odo has been and renovated for the burial service scheduled for Friday while major roads leading into the town had been rehabilitated.
The grave where Agagu will be buried in the church cemetery has also been decorated to give him a befitting farewell.