Date: 2021-08-05

Funeral rites have begun for the late Sir Pius Idowu-Awe, who died recently, aged 84.

A statement by one of his children and Head, Marketing, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Tony Awe, said a service of songs had been held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, last Thursday.

According to him, the funeral rites continue this week when the body will leave the mortuary in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, for Aramoko-Ekiti, his place of birth, on Friday for a funeral service at Saint Anne's Catholic Church at 11am.

The statement said the body would be laid to rest at the church cemetery after the service.

Born on March 17, 1937, into the family of Ogunjemiluyi Eiedahun, Sir Pius Idowu was the last born of Ogunjemiluyi.

Fondly called Sir P. I. Awe by his friends and admirers, the deceased was a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he had Second Class Upper (2.1) in Business Administration.

He was a lecturer in the then Bida Polytechnic (now Federal Polytechnic, Bida) where he retired in 1997.

The late Sir Pius Idowu, who initiated the idea of Catholic Men's Organisation, and his wife, Lady Janet Awe, were both called to the order of the Knight of Saint Mulumba (KSM) in August 1998 by the Minna subcouncil, Niger State.

Sir Pius Idowu is survived by children, including Catherine, Tony, Sola, Sanmi, Rosemary and Damola, as well as grandchildren, great grandchildren, in-laws, brothers and sisters.