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Ethiopia Airline Crash: Saraki pays tribute to Prof Adesanmi

 

The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki yesterday paid glowing tribute to a prolific writer, literary critic and Nigerian-born Canadian professor, Pius Adesanmi who died alongside 156 others in an Ethiopian Airline crash on Sunday.

Adesanmi, who was the author of Naija No Dey Carry Last, a 2015 collection of satirical essays, died last weekend when the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 crashed shortly after take-off.

The plane was said to be heading to Nairobi, Kenya from Addis Ababa. None of the people on board the aircraft survived the crash.

Saraki, who joined friends and well-wishers of the late Adesanmi in Abuja, for the candlelight memorial in honour of the late scholar, yesterday, described the Canada-based Kwaran as a great talent judging by testimonies from various quarters.

Saraki, who admitted that he had little knowledge of the late academic but commended his criticisms which he said were important to hold the political class accountable.

The Senate President said, “This evening, I joined some friends, human rights activists and other well–wishers of the late great Prof. Pius Adesanmi at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, for a candlelight gathering.

“I acknowledge that during his lifetime, we never met, however, from all the testimonies I have heard and seen over the past few days, Prof. Adesanmi was a great talent. #RIPPiusAdesanmi.”

Born in Isanlu Isin, Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State on February 1972, Adesanmi attended the University of Ilorin, University of Ibadan and The University of British Columbia.

Two other Nigerians; Ambassador, Abiodun Bashua and a female police officer, Christine Alalo also died in the crash. The late Bashua was a former Joint Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, Sudan while Alalo was of the Nigerian Police Peacekeepers. She served with the All Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Adesanmi, Bashua and Alalo were three great assets Nigeria lost in one fell swoop.

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