Funeral Service Of Pa. Matthias Egharewa Keyamo In Warri, Delta State

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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE FUNERAL SERVICE OF PA. MATTHIAS EGHAREWA KEYAMO IN WARRI, DELTA STATE ON THE 23^RD OF APRIL, 2022

PROTOCOLS

I am honoured to be here to join family and friends to celebrate the life of our dearly beloved father, Pa Matthias Egharewa Keyamo. But I must say that I am here also, as a member of the family our father, and that has been well attested to by our dear mother, Mrs. Caroline Keyamo. Pa Keyamo who was married to our mother, then Caroline Ogunjobi of Ilaro in Yewa Ogun State, has clearly established that we are family because my maternal grandparents are from Ilaro of the Adewunmi family.  So, we are actually cousins and I suspect that it might complicate matters if I now adopt my cousin Endurance as his father. I will leave Festus Keyamo, my learned brother silk to iron out the fine legal details.

We celebrate a true Nigerian, one who was born in Delta, bred in Kaduna and got married to a Yoruba lady, Mama Caroline Keyamo. It is important for us always to bear in mind that the nature of our nation must celebrate men and women like this, when they go completely outside their own comfort zones.

We know that he is someone who has proven that you can serve the public and society and still distinguish yourself and still be regarded as a person of integrity, honesty and commitment to the nation.

An outstanding public servant who will be remembered for being one of the needs of the modern cooperative systems and later on worked in the Midwest as an auditor before going on to private business as the Managing Director of Olori Group of Companies. At every level of service, he was known for his integrity, faith, patriotism, courage, honour, loyalty and love for family, friends and community.

I think that this fine Nigerian must be celebrated in every possible way, as we say, the legacy of great people, the legacy of great men and women do not need any elaboration, it is very evident from even their children and grandchildren.  We have seen and heard today, we have heard today from his children, we have heard from the grandchildren and we know that all of them in public life have distinguished themselves and we know that all through his life, he demonstrated what it is that he wants his family to be like after him and his children have proved that.

And after hearing the children and Endurance and grandchildren, their sense of humour, their great personalities, their love of people, it is evident they are certainly chips of the old block.

As you have heard in previous tributes, this was a great man with a large heart and a generous spirit, and I think it is now up to us, up to the children and grandchildren to ensure that we continue in the way that Pa Keyamo has demonstrated, to continue to live our lives as the examples that he has set.

I want to commend the children on behalf of the family for putting up a very befitting burial for their father.

The only member of the family who is in public line is my dear brother Festus Keyamo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the fearless human rights lawyer, an eminent spokesman for the downtrodden, a role he plays even now as Minister of State for Labour and Employment. He has shown the same integrity, patriotism and loyalty to worthy causes as papa was known for.

So, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Government and people of Nigeria, I would like to express my deep condolences to the Keyamo family, the Governor and people of Delta State over the passing of Pa Keyamo, the father of my dear brother, Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, and the siblings beginning from number one to number seven.

May his memory be blessed and may the good Lord comfort Mama Caroline Keyamo and all of the Keyamo family.

God bless you all.