*He left indellible imprints – Oshiomhole
*Admiral was a stabilising factor – Ibori

By SIMON EBEGBULEM

Tributes have continued to pour in for the late Chief  of General Staff (CGS), Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, as Governor Adams Oshiomhole described him as a worthy son of Edo State who left indelible imprints in all parts of the state and beyond.

Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, also lamented Aikhomu’s death as a great loss to the nation.

According to Ibori, the deceased was “a great stabilising factor.”

Speaking during a condolence visit to the widow of the late Admiral, Mrs Rebecca Aikhomu, at their Apapa home, Oshiomhole said  Aikhomu was well respected in the state because of his many contributions to  its  development.

“The  late Admiral was an elder statesman and he was well respected and appreciated at home. He rose to the rank of Admiral in the Nigeria Navy, had the opportunity to serve as Vice President, and retired as a gentleman. This is no mean achievement as a true son of Edo State,”the governor said.

“He was a man of influence, a man of power, yet he did not wield this power in a negative way. He was always there for us even when we belonged to different political parties.

“His death came a rude shock and I have a sense of personal loss because I was the Deputy president of the Nigeria Labour Congress when he was Vice President, Although NLC had no reason to engage the Federal Government, but he was always mediating between the Fedrela Government and the organized labour in order to finding a solution to our common problems.

“We are however consoled that the most important thing is the mark he left behind.”

The governor urged the widow to take heart in the knowledge that the late Admiral lived a fulfilled life and that his positive contributions to the growth of Edo State and Nigeria will always live long after him.

Ibori, in a statement by his media assistant, Tony Eluemunor, described the death of  Aikhomu as a great loss to the nation, describing him as  a great stabilising factor.

He said  the deceased’s  nationalistic roles largely remained unsung simply because the man never craved the limelight of media exposure.

According to him, the late admiral  elected to serve his country and people quietly, doing any good that was within his power to all that came his way.

The former governor  said: “The people of the former Bendel state sat down and agreed without rancour to split up into two states, and still retained their close relationship as a family largely because of the immense role Aikhomu played in the run up to the splitting of the old state. Aikhomu was always in touch with the other leaders from the old Bendel, holding series of meetings, to ensure that there was no rancour.

“Aikhomu  once described himself as a man who  never sailed in troubled waters, and he was right; the recently departed master sailor knew how to expertly chart the course both for himself and his country to avoid turbulent waves. His life was devoid of rancour, enmity, or hatred.”