Ekiti deputy governor, Olayinka, dies at 52

The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olayinka, 52, is dead. She died yesterday of cancer at the St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos.
Apparently after the news was broken to Governor Kayode Fayemi last night at a public function in Lagos, he hurriedly left the event. Before her death yesterday there had been rumours of her death since she took ill in the last few weeks.

A statement by the state government yesterday night confirmed the demise of the Deputy Governor. A terse statement by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Tayo Ekundayo, reads: “The Government of Ekiti State announces with sadness but with gratitude to God, the passing of the State Deputy Governor, H.E. Mrs Olufunmilayo Adunni Olayinka, aged 52, after a tough but courageous battle with cancer.
“She died on Saturday (yesterday) evening.”
“Mrs Olayinka, an accomplished banker and corporate sector player, worked in the financial industry for 21 years before heeding the call of service in her home state of Ekiti when she was selected to serve on the ACN Governorship ticket in 2007. She demonstrated exemplary courage and dedicated service to Ekiti people both during the struggle to retrieve the stolen mandate and in her position as Deputy Governor.
“She is survived by her husband and children as well as aged parents and siblings.
“Further details shall be provided later.”
A tested technocrat and seasoned banker, the late Mrs Olayinka (nee Famuagun) was born in Ado-Ekiti on June 20, 1960. She attended Holy Trinity Grammar School Ibadan, where she obtained her first school leaving certificate with distinction. She from there proceeded to Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo State, where she obtained her Higher School Certificate (HSC).
The late Deputy Governor holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration [Marketing] from Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States in 1981 and 1983. She was three times winner of the Dean’s Honour roll.
She began her banking career at First Bank of Nigeria Plc in 1986, and later worked as Relationship Manager for Corporate Accounts in Access Bank, and the now defunct Merchant Banking Corporation [MBC] and United Bank for Africa Plc.
In August 2002, she veered into Corporate Communications and headed the Corporate Affairs Division of the United Bank for Africa. She later became Head, Brand Management and Corporate Affairs, thus leading the team responsible for delivering a compelling brand proposition and re-branding of the United Bank for Africa.
She was also the 2nd Vice President of the Association of Corporate Managers of Banks between 2002 and 2004.
Until her recent election as the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, she was Head of Corporate Services, Ecobank Transatlantic Inc where she was responsible for communicating the bank’s activities to the public, among other tasks.
She became Deputy Governor after the Elections Appeal Tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, sacked former Governor Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared Dr Kayode Fayemi of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as the new Governor of Ekiti State.
This followed a flawed elections process during the 2007 gubernatorial elections, in which Oni was declared as the winner of that election. The fight to reclaim their mandate took three and a half solid years when on October 14, 2010, the ACN candidate was declared as the winner.
Mrs Olayinka was sworn in as the substantive Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, thus becoming the second woman in history to occupy the position of Deputy Governor in the state.