President Goodluck Jonathan has said the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, will be difficult to forget because of her sterling achievements, especially as Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The president, who said he would have been extremely sad if he had missed the requiem mass held in her honour at the Pro-Cathedral Area 3, Garki, Abuja, yesterday due to his private visit to Germany, said: “This is our last assignment in honour of our sister.”

Jonathan, who recalled his first encounter with the late former minister of information, as a deputy governor of Bayelsa State, “‎at a time we appreciated and encouraged those working at the centre, unlike today that media aides to governors abuse the president,” said Akunyili  “went into NAFDAC and changed the story of NAFDAC‎ and now everybody knows about NAFDAC.”

Jonathan, who urged Nigerians to emulate Akunyili whom he described as diligent, intelligent, extremely patriotic, extremely brave, said whenever one was given opportunity “we must all serve.

“As a minister, Dora was good. We were very happy to work with her. She was diligent, intelligent, very forthright, and extremely patriotic, and above all she was extremely brave and could say anything right or wrong. That was Dora for you.

“She sought to protect the lives of Nigerians as the director general of NAFDAC and never compromised‎ as regards those who traffic faked drugs.

“One thing that endeared her to me was that, probably I am one president who has worked with so many women. At times you noticed rivalry among women but with her you never noticed any rivalry.

“Today, our dear sister has left us but to my brother, her husband, as the bishop told us about the virtues of a good wife, you have to thank God you will get that respect as her husband because of her achievements.

Her husband, Dr. Chike Akunyili‎, in his remarks recalled how Dora, who was an American citizen as a result of winning American lottery, chose to drop her green card at the immigration post in the US when she was asked to choose to be either a US citizen or a Nigerian, saying she demonstrated her true love for her country both in words and deeds.

Describing his wife as an elephant, Dr. Akunyili particularly thanked the president and his wife for the comfort they offered him in his moment of grief, adding that the special valedictory session by the Federal Executive Council, contributed in consoling him‎ immensely.

In his homily at the requiem mass, the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Hassan Matthew Kukah, said ‎funerals should be one of the proudest moments as Christians, saying it was a reminder to Christianity and every other religions in the world. He harped on the need to pay attention to the legacy dora left by the way she used the gifts that she had.

“The Bible says happy is husband of a good wife, it illustrates the qualities of women.”

“The reason Nigerians mourn Dora is not because of the contracts she gave but she had the ability to see the future. Your encounter with her was not ordinary. In politics, public life, family, she demonstrated indeed that power was not everything and that power comes from God.”

-Sun