As the Family of the late Hon. Kehinde Ayoola bury his remains, past and present members of the Oyo State House of Assembly has expressed their condolence in various tributes.
The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Debo Ogundoyin in his own tribute described the death of Ayoola, who was also a Speaker of the house in 1999, as ‘sunset at noon’.
According to Ogundoyin, Man is born to undertake some missions on earth and fulfil certain obligations. The demise of our revered leader was no doubt painful but we take solace in the fact that he contributed immensely to the success of the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde. He was a cynosure of all eyes, a goal getter, resolute and patriotic in his approach to issues. He worked with great determination. Any time he set his hand on the plough, he worked until he succecded.
He added, Rt. Honourable Kehinde Ayoola had within him the capacity to manifest and attract dedicated workers to achieve set objectives, no wonder he served as the Assistant Director-General of Engr. Seyi Makinde Campaign Team and we are all testimonies of the victory attained, In view of his pedigree he was appointed as the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources.
As soon as he assumed office as the Commissioner for Environment, he put in place policies to ensure clean and safe environment. He was not an arm chair politician, he participated actively in implementing government policies on environmental matters. He was an exemplary politician with core values and wisdom.
In his own tribute, the Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Fadeyi Muhammed, wrote, . He was vibrant, resourceful and always willing to commute his political experiences to the progress and development the State, His core values is accurately captured in the words of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo “Man is the alpha and Omega, the only dynamic means and the sole end of all earthly human activities… All productive activities, if they are to be meaningful, equitable, just and human, should be geared to one and only one goal-the welfare of the individual”
“These values kept him relevant in politics from his political activism in the early ’80s to his victory at the poll in 1999 subsequent emergence as the first Speaker of the Fourth Assembly, the various political appointments has taken him to the most recent as the Commissioner of Environment, he had continually exerted selflessness declination and to the course of social welfare and extremely loyal to his duty calls.”
In the same vein, the Chairman of the 4th Oyo State House of Assembly Forum, Hon. Emmanuel Olaogun, In a speech delivered on behalf of the 4th assembly forum at commemorative valedictory sitting of the oyo state house of assembly in honour of the late Ayoola wrote:
“Today is not an enviable day! It is not at all, in particular for us, the members of the Oyo State Fourth Assembly Forum (OSFAF). These are the members of the House of Assembly who served Oyo State with Rt. Hon Kehinde Olatunji Ayoola from 1999 to 2003. (the Lam Adesina Hon members). When on the 6th day of June 1999, we started a legislative journey together with pomp and pageantry with Kehinde Ayoola, we never thought that, a dark day like this will becloud our joy very soon like this. We were certain that death would come one after the other. We have also lost three of our 4th Assembly members before now – i/Late Hon Taofik Olu Adeleke; ii/Late Barr. Olalekan Ladapo; and iii/Late Rasheed Alawiye Balake – (Hon Balake answered the call to the great beyond on Thursday, 13h February 2020). May their gentle souls rest perfectly in peace. But the transition to glory of our friend, brother, colleague, and first Rt Hon Speaker of the 4th Assembly of Oyo State – Kehinde Olatunji Ayoola on Thursday 14th May 2020 (I must confess), is one death too many to us in the Fourth Assembly Forum. But we agree with the Almighty God. His decision remains the final!
He added, Rt Hon Kehinde Olatunji Ayoola (JP) was not just our colleague. We unanimously elected him our Speaker in June 1999 without any dissention or abstention. In spite of all the political intrigues and intricacies of the time, Kenny remained a good friend to all the members of our Forum. A Forum , which he served tenaciously until death came calling unannounced. He was the Administrator of our Platform without an Assistant. We saw in him, a reliable friend, a frontline political analyst, a consummate legislative debater, a consistent believer in the positivity of any progressive course, and an avid reader. Kenny is an irrepressible defender of Democracy, and an Awoist to the core.”
