APRIL 26, the funeral date of late Mrs. Funmi Olayinka, has been declared a work-free day by the government in Ekiti State, where she served as deputy-governor until her death on Saturday, April 6.
The announcement was made on Sunday by Information Commissioner Taye Ekundayo, who said the decision to declare a work-free day was to enable the public participate in saying their goodbyes to the departed Olayinka.
The latest announcement follows a previous one made last week by the Ekiti government that the late deputy-governor would be buried a public space reserved for her, near the tomb of the late Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi.
The late Col. Fajuyi was a well-revered former military governor of the defunct western region, killed during a military coup on July 29, 1966, at Lalupon, Oyo State – one of the series of events that preceded the Nigerian Civil War.
The internment of Mrs. Olayinka on public property in the state capital would be second such honor accorded an indigene of Ekiti State after the late Colonel Fajuyi’s.
Mr. Ekundayo encouraged Ekiti state residents to come out and be part of the occasion to honored the departed deputy governor, adding that security arrangements have been effected to ensure a hitch-free occasion.
The late deputy-governor was aged 52.
A professional in the banking and finance sector prior to her emergence as deputy-governor, she rose to the Number Two position in Ekiti State, alongside incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi on October 15, 2010.
Born on June 20, 1960, the late Olayinka attended Holy Trinity Grammar School Ibadan where she obtained her first school leaving certificate. She later attended Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo State, where she obtained her Higher School Certificate (HSC).
Olayinka holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration [Marketing] from Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States in 1981 and 1983 respectively.