Buhari, Lawan, Gbajabiamila, Tinubu, Others Mourn Lagos Senator

• Osinowo didn’t die in our hospital, says First Cardiology Consultants

Omololu Ogunmade, Deji Elumoye, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja, Segun James and Eddie Alegbe in Lagos

President Muhammadu Buhari; President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; his deputy, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State and the National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu have described the death of the Senator representing Lagos East, Senator Bayo Osinowo’s who is popularly known as Pepper as shocking and a great loss to the party and the state.

This is coming as First Cardiology Consultants Hospital in Lagos has described as false, a report in the social media that the senator died in the hospital, saying that the late Osinowo never stepped into the hospital as alleged.

In a statement issued yesterday, the hospital stated that it was the first hospital to be certified for High Intensity Critical care (Level 3) for COVID patients, stressing that it is actually the final referral centre for the sickest patients who cannot be managed anywhere else.

According to the statement, the hospital has admitted 28 severely ill people with severe respiratory distress from COVID-19, and only five of these have died, translating to 82 per cent survival rate.

“These results are superior to the results from the United Kingdom where they have 60 per cent survival for patients hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit.

”Some of the resources we have and have deployed here are only available in 5 regional centres in the United Kingdom. We had anticipated the spread of this disease to Nigeria way back in January and made significant structural and operational changes to our hospital such that we could provide critical COVID-care to patients, and still deliver in a safe environment, advanced non-COVID medical care comparable to those obtainable at elite medical centres abroad, to patients who hitherto depended on us for their advanced cardiac and medical care,” the statement explained.

Meanwhile, Buhari has condoled with the family of the late senator, and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the death of the senator.

A statement by presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said the president noted that Osinowo as a member of the ninth Senate, key member of the APC and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Industry, worked diligently to advance this administration’s objective of building a better and prosperous Nigeria.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the National Publicity of the APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, have also mourned the late senator.

Family sources told THISDAY that the Senator died from complications arising from COVID-19 pandemic yesterday morning, adding that his corpse would be buried yesterday in his home town, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, according to Muslim rites.

Lawan, in a statement, condoled with Senator Osinowo’s family, friends, political associates and also the government and people of Lagos State over the loss.

Gbajabiamila in a condolence message by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Lanre Lasisi, recalled his engagements with the late Senator all in an attempt to better the lives of the people.

On his part, Omo-Agege described the late Osinowo as a passionate populist who represented Lagos East Senatorial District and his state with unflinching commitment.

In a statement he personally signed, Tinubu said he was deeply hurt by the sudden and unexpected passing of Osinowo.

According to the former Lagos State governor, the late senator was more than a close friend and political associate.

The upper legislative chamber had earlier lost Senators Benjamin Uwajumogu; Ignatius Longjan and Rose Oko, to the cold hands of death between December, 2019 and June, 2020