Former Lagos governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) national stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said the Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), Mr. Dipo Famakinwa, who diedon Friday, breathed life into the South-west regional economic integration idea.

He said this in a condolence message signed by his Media Office and released on Saturday in Lagos. Tinubu said though Famakinwa’s death at 51 was unpleasant, he pointed out, however, that the late DAWN Director-General lived an eventful life.

The statement reads: “The death of Dipo Famakinwa, the Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), left me distraught. Leaving us at such a young age of 51 is unpleasant. But his was an eventful life. He lived a life of mission.

“And he pursued that mission with vigour. Famakinwa was a partner, soul mate, fellow advocate and foot-soldier for the economic integration of the states in the South-west geopolitical zone for the development of the region and for regaining the prosperity of the past.

“He breathed life into that economic integration initiative. He was busy arranging the building blocks for the realisation of that ideal. He set a huge task for himself at DAWN and was working on this with all his energy. I learnt that he had to be forced recently to take a short leave after working ceaselessly over the years at DAWN.

“The Yoruba race has lost a strategist and an organiser. His death is not only a loss to his family, the DAWN Commission, Yoruba race, but also to Nigeria. The academic world has also lost a soul mate because Dipo was very cerebral and serious-minded.

“What we must all do across the South-west is to ensure that the idea of regional economic integration he worked and died for does not die with him. It should be pursued with more drive and force. That is what we must do for Famakinwa.

“I commiserate with his family. I mourn with his relations and friends. I mourn with the entire Yoruba race.”