Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and his deputy, Mrs Idiat Adebule were among dignitaries who on Monday paid condolence visit to the family of late elder statesman, Pa Hassan Fasinro.

Aged 99, Pa Fasinro, a Senator in the Second Republic and the first Clerk of Lagos City Council, died on Sunday after a brief illness.

Speaking to newsmen at residence of the deceased in Adeola Odeku area of Victoria Island, Governor Ambode described Pa Fasinro as a great nationalist who contributed significantly to the success story of Lagos.

“If you are actually looking at the real foundation makers of this State, the person you really have to refer to is Pa Fasinro. I was here last September to celebrate his 99th birthday and I had promised him I would be here for the centenary but again you know the will of God must be obeyed.

Governor Ambode & Deputy with Habeeb Fasinro

“But what we are doing here today is to celebrate him; we are not mourning him because God gave Lagos State Pa Fasinro and whatever it is that we are today as a State, he was one of the founding fathers that made that happen and we must also celebrate the kind of achievements he made throughout his lifetime,” Governor Ambode said.

The Governor said he was particularly proud of the achievements of Pa Fasinro and his legacies, which he said were worthy of emulation.

“He (Pa Fasinro) was simply a nationalist that one should be proud of and a proud son of Lagos. That is why all of us are here to celebrate him and we can see that his children and the legacies he left behind, are all successful and worthy of emulation. We are celebrating all of them and we are proud to be part of the story,” Governor Ambode said.

Also speaking, the Deputy Governor (Adebule) said it was quite unfortunate that Pa Fasinro died at this critical time in the country’s history, saying that the deceased worked hard for the progress of Lagos.

“This is somebody who had done all he could do for the progress of Lagos. He was an elder statesman and it was quite unfortunate that we lost him at this time but we pray that Almighty Allah will grant him Aljana firdaus and of course comfort members of his family,” Adebule said.

Aside Ambode and Adebule, other eminent Nigerians who were present included former Lagos State Deputy Governors, Otunba Femi Pedro and Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu; former Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing, Pa Femi Okunnu(SAN); former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade; chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Lanre Razaq, among others.