Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has described the death of late Senator Rose Oko (PDP-Cross River) as very painful and sad.
In a condolence statement issued by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations Unit of NIDCOM, she described the late Senator as an outstanding and dedicated parliamentarian.
Dabiri-Erewa recalled how Sen. Oko sponsored the NIDCOM bill in the Senate in 2016 leading to the passage and eventual signing of the bill into law in 2017 by the President.
“As Chairman Senate Committee of Diaspora Affairs and Civil Societies in the 8th Assembly, she was so passionate about Diaspora Affairs and she dedicated her life and resources to ensure that the welfare of Nigerians abroad was her top priority.
“No wonder, her people in the Cross River North Senatorial District loved her so much because of her people-oriented legislative interventions that she was re-elected into the Senate for another term in 2019”, she recalled.
Dabiri-Erewa who said the Diaspora community would miss her great contributions, prayed unto God to grant her eternal peace and console her immediate family, her constituents, Cross River state government and the Senate in the best manner.
Oko, aged 63, died on Monday night at a UK hospital and was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment before her death.
It would be recalled that Oko was a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, representing Yala/Ogoja Federal Constituency, in the 7th National Assembly and was elected into office as the first female representative from her constituency in June 2011 where she was the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Education.
She was also elected into the office as the first female representative from her Senatorial District in June 2015.