The Ekiti House of Assembly have declared a seven-day mourning period at the parliament to honour the death of the speaker, Funminiyi Afuye. 

Mr Afuye died Wednesday evening after suffering cardiac arrest. 

He was said to have been rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, where he gave up. 

Yemisi Ayokunle, the chairman House Committee on Media in a statement Wednesday night said the members of the Assembly would miss Mr Afuye. 

Mrs Ayokunle explained that as a sign of honour the flag in the Assembly complex would be flown at half mast for the days of mourning. 

She described the late speaker as an embodiment of courage, and excellence and a highly committed man to public service. 

“He (Afuye) will be greatly missed,” Mrs Ayokunle added in the statement. 

In a related development, the Ekiti government has described the death of the speaker of the Assembly, Mr Afuye, as ‘regrettable’.

Yinka Oyebode, a spokesman for the government, confirmed the death of Mr Afuye through a statement noting that he died after suffering from ‘cardiac arrest’. 

“The Government of Ekiti State regrets to announce the death of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Funminiyi Afuye. 

“Rt. Hon Afuye died Wednesday evening at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado- Ekiti, where he was receiving treatment after suffering a cardiac arrest,” Mr Oyebode added in the statement obtained by Peoples Gazette.

The speaker who hails from Ikere Ekiti had his last official engagement on Tuesday when he accompanied the new governor of the State, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, to inspect some bad portions of roads in Ado Ekiti. 

The death of the Ekiti speaker comes a few days to the preparation of his son’s wedding fixed for Lagos this weekend. 

The late Afuye was a former Commissioner for Information, and a two- time member of the state assembly. 

The deceased was inaugurated Speaker of the sixth Assembly on June 6, 2019.

He was 66.