The children of late Professor Dora Akunyili, former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), have described their mother as a lioness who dedicated her life to serving Nigerians with passion, integrity and commitment until her last breath.
The children made the remarks in a joint statement issued to commemorate the 12th memorial anniversary of the former NAFDAC boss.
According to them, their mother was known for her kindness, humility and willingness to help others regardless of their status.
“She showed kindness and generosity to everyone whether great or small. She served people with humility and diligence. Even as busy as she was, she attended to everyone that came to her for help. She responded to every single text message that came to her phone and left no stone unturned. When people came to visit her in her office to seek employment, she would help them as much as she could. Even if she was not able to, she would give the person transport money for their journey,” they said.
The children also recalled that Akunyili valued time and approached every responsibility with urgency.
They said she never procrastinated and treated every task as important, ensuring that goals were not postponed.
Reflecting on her personality, they described her as a devout Catholic, loving mother and a joyful individual whose presence brightened every room.
“Our mum is a devout Catholic, funny, a loving mother to all everyone, including her staff who all called her ‘Mummy’. She can instantly fill up a room with the energy and joy she exudes,” they stated.
The family also urged Nigerians to emulate the values their mother stood for, stressing that the country would be transformed if more citizens and leaders demonstrated integrity, commitment, transparency and accountability.
“Nigeria is a work in progress and for Nigerians to get the Nigeria we all dream of, we all have to be Dora’s in our everyday lives from the regular citizens up to the leadership. As we always say, if this country has 10 Dora’s in leadership, this country will change for good,” they said.
Paying tribute to her legacy, the children said they would always remember her as a woman of integrity whose achievements brought honour to Nigeria on the global stage.
“We would also remember her for honesty, integrity and delivering service to the people of Nigeria, which were her life works and we are proud that she achieved them,” they added.
Professor Dora Akunyili died on June 7, 2014, at the age of 59 in a specialist cancer hospital in India after a two-year battle with uterine cancer. During her career, she earned national and international recognition for her efforts in combating counterfeit drugs and promoting public health in Nigeria.
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