It's
been one year that a woman of substance, a woman of virtue, a political
icon, a legend and a mentor to both men and women alike,
YeyesewaTitilola Olukemi Nelson left this sinful world.
She bade the world goodbye on Sunday July 17, 2022 at the age of 66.
Yeyesewa
Titilola Olukemi Nelson no doubt came, she saw and she conquered. Her
exit to the great world beyond was a painful loss to those who knew her
physically and those that heard or read about her.
Popularly
known as Kemi Nelson, a former deputy national woman leader of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) died, when her services were needed most, at
the time her mentor and political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
had just won the primary election of the All Progressive Congress (APC)
and was about to begin his presidential campaigns.
All
is now history as Kemi Nelson would be happy wherever she is that
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu eventually won the election and has since been
sworn-in as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Yeyesewa
Kemi Nelson is survived by her loving husband; Mr. Adeyemi Nelson, and
wonderful children; Abayomi & Titilope Nelson, Oluwole and Adetoun
Popoola, and Adetunji Nelson.
She is also
survived by amiable grandchildren including; Oluwafayokunmi Popoola,
Oluwafeyikemi Popoola and Oluwafirewamiwa Nelson.
The First Anniversary of the exit of Yeyesewa Olukemi Nelson is scheduled to hold in Lagos on Monday July 17, 2023.
The late Kemi Nelson was a former Executive Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
It
is on record that Yeyesewa Titilola Olukemi Nelson was also a member of
the prestigious and powerful Governance Advisory Council (GAC), and she
was the only female member of the council, which was set up as an
advisory body to successive Governor of Lagos State.
Background:
The
late Kemi Nelson was born to the family of Tinubu-Meredith and Laja on
February 9, 1956. She had her primary school education at Anglican Girls
Primary School Surulere, Lagos and Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu
Ode, Ogun State.
Kemi Nelson was a teacher at
Corona School, Apapa, Lagos for a short period of time before enrolling
for Nursing and Midwifery courses at the University College Hospital
Ibadan. She was Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment, Training and
Job Creation.
Political Career:
Kemi
Nelson began her political career during President Ibrahim
Babangida-led military regime in the late 1980s and early 90s when she
joined the National Republican Convention (NRC), one of the two parties
founded and funded by the government.
During
this period, there were not too many female participation in politics
and she became exposed to party politics as she was occupied with big
assignments including the chairmanship of NRC’s electoral committee for
the party’s presidential primaries in Osun State.
During
the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the governor of
Lagos State, Kemi was Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Job
Creation, Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
She
was the Party’s Lagos West Senatorial Candidate 1992, Chairman,
Republican Electrical Panel (RECA) in Osun State, member, National Ways
and Means Committee and the National Finance Committee of NRC and a
national delegate to the party’s convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State in 1993.
Before her death on Sunday, July 17, 2022, she was the South West Zonal Woman Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Awards:
In
recognition of her numerous achievements in Nigeria and women politics;
Kemi Nelson was honoured with several awards including the
Distinguished Florence Nightingale Fellow (DFNF) Award, Order of Merit
by Rotaract Club, Award for Excellence by the National Union of Lagos
State Students (NULASS) and other awards that crown her efforts.
Remembering
Yeyesewa Oluwakemi Nelson, her close associate and confidant, who
doubles as the Publisher of First Weekly Magazine, Prince Ekundayo
Asaju, described the late woman as a complete woman, whose vacuum has
been difficult to fill.
Asaju, who revealed
that he remembers the woman everyday with nostalgia, stated that he is
just accepting the reality of the exit of Kemi Nelson, adding that she
was a legend that words could not describe.
While
stating that the likes of Kemi Nelson come once in a lifetime, Mr.
Asaju said he is still working on what he plans to do to immortalise the
woman, who he said played a great role in his career and was there for
him anytime he needed a shoulder to rest on.
"I
couldn't believe the news, when it broke. Yeyesewa Oluwakemi Nelson was
a sister, a friend, an associate, a confidant and a companion all
rolled into one.
"Yeyesewa was there for all of
us that were close to her. Words will fail me if I want to talk about
her because she is indescribable. How can I forget my great and loving
sister just like that. No doubt, what we lost, the heavens gained and I
have no doubt that she is in a better place right now.
"Her
death is a lesson to all of us to do the best we can when we are alive.
Nobody knows, when it would be time for him or her to go.
"I
can now see why she was in a hurry to contribute so much to humanity;
it was as if she knew she would die so soon. Continue to rest in peace
my sister like a mother. I miss you everyday," he said.
