The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Sunday expressed shock and sadness over the death of foremost accountant and a former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Bola Kuforiji-Olubi.
Kuforiji-Olubi, who was a former President of Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, was appointed the first female Chairman of United Bank of Africa in 1984, passed on at the age of 80 on Saturday.
Ambode in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Habib Aruna, described Kuforiji-Olubi as a distinguished businesswoman, banker, economist and accountant, who cut her teeth in the corporate world.
The Governor recalled the former minister’s decades of distinguished career in the private and public sectors of national life, saying she was a role model to the future generation.
He said: “Dr. Olubi was a woman of many firsts; she wrote her name in gold in the banking industry and was a pace-setter and leader in banking, manufacturing and entrepreneurship not only in Nigeria but also in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“It was not surprising that she was a proud and well-deserved recipient of National honours, fellowships, awards and honorary degrees from within and outside the country.”
The Governor said Kuforiji-Olubi’s legacies would continue to be a source of inspiration to the younger generation.
Ambode also prayed for the peaceful repose of her soul, urging her family to draw strength from the legacies she stood for while she was alive and the fact that she was a devout Christian.
He said: “On behalf of my family and the people of Lagos state, I want to express our heartfelt condolence to the family of Dr. Olubi, on this great and irreparable loss.
“I had always admired her demeanor. She was a woman of true character, substance and quiet nobility. We will sorely miss her.”
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