A former minister, Prof Abraham Babalola Borishade, has died at 71, a statement by a member of the family, Olamide Borisade, confirmed last night.
The statement was silent on where he died or the nature of his illness but a dependable source indicated that he died in London of heart-related illness.He was initially rushed to Reddington Hospital in Lagos last week from where he was taken to London.
Borishade was born in Usi- Ekiti on March 7, 1946 into the Ebi Ilotin Family. He served as a minister for four times, between 1999-2011.
When minister of State, Power and Steel in 2004, Borishade initiated the ‘Gas to Power Project (G2P)’ a World Bank sponsored project designed to ensure sustained gas development and availability for power production.
Between July, 2005 and November 2006, Borishade was Minister of Aviation, during which a Civil Aviation Bill was passed to replace the 1964 Act and the direct flight between Nigeria and the United States of America was restored.
In his reaction, the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, described the death of the former minister as a great loss to the political class, the people of Ekiti State and the country in general.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor described Borishade as a consistent politician who stood for what he believed in.