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Late Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya has been laid to rest today, June 7 at the Ebony Vaults in Ikoyi, Lagos. Family, friends and industry colleagues were present at the cemetery. Actors like
Faithia Balogun, Foluke Daramola Oga Bello, Oyin Elebuibon, Salawa Abeni, Gbenga Adewusi and others were there to pay their last respect. Tears flowed when her colleagues saw the body of the late actress.
Moji Olaiya passed on in Canada on May 18, just two months after giving birth to her second daughter .
A torrent of criticisms has trailed the plan to sell commemorative T-shirts at N1,500 each to mark the burial of Nollywood actress Moji Olaiya.
The burial committee announced the T-shirt offer on Friday while unveiling the burial plans for the actress, who died on 17 May, three months after delivering a baby girl in Canada. She died of cardiac arrest. She was 42 years old.
Yomi Fabiyi, the Publicity Secretary said people interested in participating in the burial, which starts on Tuesday, 6 June, can buy the T-shirts.
This, however, contradicted the message in the obituary published by the committee, asking mourners and sympathisers to wear corporate black outfits at the two-day event, culminating in the interment at ikoyi Cemetery.
The corpse from Canada would arrive in Lagos on 6 June, the same day that a service of songs is billed to take place at 4pm at the Blue Roof of LTV 8 in Ikeja Lagos.
Lying-in-state and interment would follow on Wednesday 7 June at Ebony Vault, Ikoyi Cemetery.
Of all the plans, the T-shirt sale has been the only one stirring controversy.
Most critics were of the opinion that since she died at a very young age, it was wrong printing T-shirts, as if her death amounted to a celebration.
A civil servant, Mrs Damilola Ahmed said that the burial committee has turned the 42 year-old lady’s painful death into money making venture.
“What kind of stupid T-shirt are they selling and for what. They are laughing, not crying for her. And they announced it to the public,’’ she said.
Mrs Iyabo Olaitan, a businesswoman said that instead of the burial planners to make the ceremony low key, the are selling T-shirts.
“For what?, she said.They should rather beg God to spare their own lives”.
“They are bad people, anybody that suggested that is not a good person. She is still very young for that”, she added.
A student of Lagos state University, Mr Nwosu Igbo, asked: “How can a young woman’s death after child birth make people talk about selling of T-shirt. They are doing business with her. Are they happy about the death? What for? Na wao for Nigerians!”
“Will people still be wearing the T-short after her burial? How will the family react seeing the shirt after that?.
“Her death was bad enough; the T-Shirt is not necessary. Her parents are still alive. They will always remember her,’’ he said.
Mr Abiodun Bello, a civil servant, said that “when they were asked to contribute money to bring her corpse back to Nigeria from Canada they did not.
“Now they have money to do T shirt. This is bad. They should have reflected deeply before announcing it.
“My people so much like uniform. This cannot happen in every event. This one is a sad one. I know some of them will like it, but of what use,’’ he said.
Taiwo Banky, a member of the burial committee appeared to distance the committee from the T-shirt idea. She told NAN: “Is this why you are calling me? The idea is from her childhood friend, it is not from me”.
Moji Olaiya was the daughter of the legendary Nigerian highlife maestro, Victor Olaiya. She converted to Islam in 2014.
Her acting career started with a feature movie “Sunmibare’’ which was produced by Dimeji Ijaduade; before she took a role in Wale Adenuga productions, Super Story series, “No Pain, No Gain’’.
She starred in many Nollywood and Yoruba movies, among which were “Sade Blade-2005’’, “Nkan Adun-2008’’; “Omo Iya Meta Leyi-2009’’; “Agunbaniro’’ and others.
She produced a film “Iya Okomi’’ which premiered in 2016.
She won some awards during her career. She was nominated for the Reel Awards for Best Supporting Actress of the Year- 2003. She won the City People Entertainment Award, as well.
In 2015 the FCT Nigerian Police Force honoured her as a role model for Nigerian youths.
NAN
Burial plans for Nollywood actor, Olumide Bakare, who died on April 22, 2017 has been announced. The veteran thespian is set to be buried on May 26 in Ibadan, Oyo State. The funeral arrangement will begin with service of songs at St. James Cathedral, Oke Bola Ibadan, from 5pm to 7pm.
Reception follows at 4real events, Ring Road, Ibadan.
Bakare will be remembered for his inimitable role interpretation and passion for his craft
Olumide Bakare is survived by his wife, Adekunbi Bakare and four children, Pastor Bakare, Olumayowa Bakare, Oluwatofunmi Bakare and Oluwanifemi Bakare.
The burial of deceased Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya which was scheduled for 4pm on Friday, May 19th 2017, in Canada was aborted by Ekiti State Government.
Encomium Ng reports that the remains of the 42 year old mother of two daughters who died of cardiac arrest following childbirth complications on Thursday, May 18, in Canada, will now be conveyed to Nigeria for burial.
Insiders at the Magodo home of the actress revealed that the government of Ekiti volunteered to bankroll the conveying of the corpse to Nigeria.
Recall that her family and colleagues had agreed that Moji Olaiya be buried in Canada according to Islamic injunctions, but the plans changed when the Ekiti government intervened
Her new burial plans will be announced as soon as her body arrives Nigeria.
The Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has confirmed that his late wife will be buried on February 4 at Sabongida, Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau.
Dalung confirmed this in a statement signed in Abuja on Wednesday by Tolu Makinde, the Director of Information in the Ministry.
According to the statement, Dalung is still pained by the demise of his wife.
It said the minister had expressed gratitude to Nigerians from all works of life for the outpouring of love, sympathy and condolences over the tragic loss of his wife.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari who personally called him Tuesday night to condole with him and his family at this period of grief.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that Mrs Briskila Dalung passed on in Jos on Jan. 29 after a protracted illness.
NAN
The late human rights lawyer and activist, Fred Agbaje Esq. who died in Lagos on Saturday November 26, 2016 following a brief illness will be buried on January 27, 2017.
This was revealed in a press release signed by the widow of the late legal icon and made available exclusively to TheNewsGuru.
According to the release, the burial ceremony will take off with a lying in state in his law chambers on Thursday January 26 at 51, Popoola Street, Lagos by 12 noon to 2pm
Service of songs will hold same day at All Saints Church, Abalti barracks, Surulere, Lagos by 5 pm.
The funeral service will hold on Friday by 10am at All Saints Church, Abalti barracks, Surulere, Lagos by 10am. Interment follows same day at the Vaults and Garden Cemetery, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The reception will also hold at the Church Hall of All Saints Church, Abalti Barracks, Lagos.
Agbaje was born on May 22, 1959 in Ikare, now Ondo State. He had his early education at St. James’ Primary School, Ibillo, Edo (1969) and St. Paul’s Anglican Grammar School, Igarra (1975). He went on to read law at the University of Ife, Ile Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University), obtaining an LL. B in 1981. After completing a session at the Nigerian Law School, he was called to Bar in Lagos in 1982.
Ten years later during his law career, he obtained LL.M (1992) and M.Phil. (1996), all at the same University of Ife.
The late Fred Agbaje spent his entire career in private legal practice, having worked briefly (1984-1987) with the late Chief Fola Akinrinsola; after which he set up Fred Agbaje & Co. At all time, he devoted himself to serious issues of law and best practice.
He was a prolific author and analyst of Legal Discourse, with hundreds of his works published in national newspapers, especially The Guardian. For almost three decades, he was a regular legal analyst/commentator on Radio and Television Stations; and he wrote and delivered papers/lectures on contemporary legal issues at local and international seminars, some of them organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to which he was undoubtedly committed.
Agbaje was aged 57. He is survived by his widow Igbinijesu Agbaje and two children Seyi and Mojere.
As part of plans to decongest public storage facilities in the state, the Akwa Ibom State Government has said it will organize a mass burial for over 200 abandoned bodies deposited in the some morgues in the first quarter of 2017.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, revealed this in Uyo on Thursday while defending the 2017 budget of his ministry.
He added that the abandoned corpses were to be evacuated from the mortuary at Ikot Okoro General Hospital, Oruk Anam Local Government Area of the state.
Ukpong added that the impending exercise was intended to complement what his ministry did at the Immanuel General Hospital, Eket LGA a year ago.
Ukpong, who was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in his ministry, Mr. Bassey Attih; Director of Medical Services, Dr. Martin Akpan, and that of the Public Health, Dr. Godwin Ebuk, and other directors to the budget defence, stated that almost all public hospitals where mortuary services were provided in the state were overloaded with abandoned corpses.
“As you may be aware, we have a tradition that when a chief or the head of a family dies, demands will be made to the deceased family to the extent of exposing them to place their lands for sale and this will last for between two and three years thereby overstretching our mortuaries with abandoned corpses,” he said.
Mass burial, he said, was the only avenue of decongesting public mortuaries of abandoned corpses to enable people with good burial planning to patronise their services in the state.
Ukpong used the forum to ask for financial provision from the state government to aid emergency response services in the state.
According to him, financial provision was necessary to enable health officials to respond promptly to emergency situations in any part of the state.
The former governor of Niger, Abdulkadir Kure, who died in a German Hospital on Sunday would be buried (tomorrow) Wednesday, Jan.11.
Mr Jonathan Vatsa, Niger Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, stated this in a statement he issued on Monday in Minna
According to the commissioner, the Janaiza prayer would hold at 12 noon at Minna Eid-Praying Ground.
The interment date was reached at a meeting between the state government, led by the State Governor, Abubakar Bello and the family.
Vatsa said that the state government had declared Wednesday a work free day to enable people of the state accord the former governor a befitting burial.
Meanwhile, the Estu Lapai, Alhaji Umaru Bago Tafida has equally approved 3-day Fidau prayer for the repose of the soul of the former governor to hold shortly after interment in the state capital.
The former governor died at the age of 60 after a brief illness.