Women engineers mourns engr Ojelade, described her as patriotic Nigeria

From Abubakar Yunusa

The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) have paid last respect to its immediate National President, Engr. (Mrs.) Funmilola Ojelade, they described her as a strong, dedicated, innovative and irreplaceable leader who gave her all to the service of humanity through her profession.

Engr. Funmilola was the 16th President of APWEN, and Funmilola was the Chairman of the Abuja Chapter of APWEN (2011 – 2013) and died in the early hours of Wednesday 22nd March 2023.

The president Nigerian Society of Engineers, (NSE), Tasiu Gidari-Wadil, stated that Ojelade is a detribalised Nigerian and a devoted Christian who has proven at many occasions how nationalistic and patriotic she is in the discharge of her duties.

He made this known during a valedictory council meeting held in her honour by APWEN, Wednesday in Abuja.

Urging her fellow APWEN members and others to emulate her good virtues, Gidari-Wadil said “my appeal to those of us who are alive is to emulate her, she is a detribalised Nigerian, a devoted Christian but I always receive her Friday prayers and that tells you how nationalistic she has been and how patriotic she was.”

Describing her close work and relationship with the deceased, APWEN President, Funke, Eterigho, said Ojelade remains one of the strong figures APWEN has had because of her dedication and teamwork spirit, she is humourous and someone that always ensures she finishes whatever projects she starts.

“I want to say that Engineer Funmilola, I call her my presee, we call her digital president, is very humourous. She is a finisher, some people will start and will not finish but Funmilola will start and then she will finish the program, she is so meticulous, plain, straightforward forward and a woman of integrity, I am very, very sure of that.

“We will miss her a lot. She brought APWEN to this level as far as e-presence and an online program is concerned. As her then vice president, during the COVID period she said t ensured that we held our conference online and we had speakers all over the world speak to us.”

While eulogizing her, APWEN’s Current president, Engr Elizabeth J. Eterigho said “Funmilola is a woman of integrity and we will miss her a lot. She brought us to this level as far as the online program is concerned.

“I want to say that engineer Fumilola was our digital and humorous president and she accomplished all her mission in office. She’s meticulous and she calls you to order when you misbehave.

“During COVID-19, she said my V.P. you must do something because you can’t occupy that place and we discovered this online meeting where the speaker speaks to us from all over the world. We will miss her intelligence and everything. And we believe God deliver her out of any difficulty she will have to face there,” Elizabeth said.

Speaking further, she described Fumilola as a humorous person because she is the kind of person you love to be with all the time

“While she was in the hospital, I paid her a courtesy visit, have some chat, and also sent her encouragement sms every morning but the last sms she sent toe when I prayed for her is, “Bible says many are their future of their of the righteous, but the lord delivered them all” and I told her you are already delivered.”

Monsurah Alagbe, who is the 9th APWEN Chairman Lagos State Chapter, Engr Fumilola was an inspiration to everyone around her and she helped a lot of people when she was alive. She said, “Fumilola always stood for knowledge empowerment and everything, and may the good Lord continue to stay with her family and give her eternal rest”.

This is why she described her as someone that had an impact on everyone be they old or young and also she is someone that goes for whatever she believes in Because whatever she believes is good for the system, she carries everyone along.

“During COVID-19 when the whole world was on stand steel, she made use of all the ICT gadgets and made sure all the things were in order at that moment and it was as if it was on a normal day because everything was normal due to her personality.