Embattled and emotion-laden in his state broadcast to the people of his state, Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has declared a 3-day of fasting and prayer in the state following the death of four officials of the state in the Thursday morning ill-fated plane crash which had the body of the former Governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Agagu and 20 others on board.
In a state broadcast aired on the electronic media channels in the state, Dr. Mimiko said, the Associated Airline plane crash that happened on Thursday morning in Lagos has further thrown the state into sadness and mourning adding that certainly “this is trying time in the history of our beloved state”.
He narrated that “a few weeks ago, when the news filtered in that our former governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu had passed on, we were shocked and completely devastated “in grief, we declared seven days of mourning and praying. We also set up a burial planning committee to work in conjunction with the family, with a view to giving our departed former Governor a befitting state burial.

The committee which comprised top officials of our government and key family members left no stone unturned in giving the deceased a worthy burial.
In line with the burial plans, we waited anxiously to receive the corpse in Akure, when we heard the sad news that the aircraft bearing his corpse with other top government officials, some eminent Nigerians and close family members had crash-landed in Lagos shortly after take-off.
It was shocking and very unsettling”
Dr Mimiko said “ It is particularly saddening that not only did this turn of events alter our original plan for the burial, it also caused us additional losses with the death of four top officials of the State and some other Nigerians who were on board the aircraft.
Stressing that, the government commiserates with the bereaved families over the untimely death of their loved ones the Governor assured that the bereaved families  are not alone in this moment of grief and gloom.
Consequently, he said,  ”we have declared 3 days of fasting and prayers in the state, commencing, Saturday 5th of October, 2013.”
He, thus, asked all the people of the  state, to use the opportunity to pray and reflect on the sad realities of the death of the departed and also find time to ask God for mercy and favour for the State.
In an emotional laden voice, Dr Mimiko submitted that “we surely, never bargained for this. Yet, all power and knowledge belongs to God as human wisdom and knowledge is foolishness before God.”
He prayed that “the souls of our fallen brothers and sisters rest in perfect peace even as we pray for God’s protection and guidance of our people in the State and in the Diaspora”