Governor AbdulRazaq Sends Condolences to Family
Kwara State is in mourning following the passing of Mrs. Beatrice Bamigboye, widow of the state’s pioneer Governor, Brigadier-General Femi David Lasisi Bamigboye. She died in Lagos at the age of 76, seven years after the death of her husband.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in a condolence message, described her death as a significant loss to Kwara State and extended heartfelt sympathies to the Bamigboye family and their relatives in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State. He prayed for the peaceful repose of her soul and for strength for her children, grandchildren, and loved ones.
Brigadier-General Femi David Bamigboye (7 December 1940 – 21 September 2018) was a military commander and politician who served as the first governor of Kwara State from May 1967 to July 1975, following the state’s creation from the old Northern Region during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon. A member of the Igbomina ethnic group, he was instrumental in laying the administrative and educational foundation of the new state.
During his tenure, he established the Kwara State Ministry of Education in 1968 and initiated the state’s scholarship and bursary program. In 1971, he announced the establishment of Kwara State Polytechnic, which became operational in 1972. That same year, he commissioned the new premises of Ola-Olu Hospital with a 35-bed capacity.
Although some of his properties were seized in 1977, they were returned in May 2003 after 26 years. His legacy in public service continued through his son, Femi David Bamigboye, who was appointed as a special assistant to the Kwara State governor in 2009.
Mrs. Beatrice Bamigboye is survived by five children and several grandchildren. Burial arrangements will be announced by the family.
