President Muhammadu Buhari has mourned Phebean Ogundipe, author of popular English textbook, Brighter Grammar, and co-author of Practical English, who died at the age of 92.
Ogundipe died on March 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina, US.
Buhari expressed his condolence to the bereaved family in a statement on Wednesday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu.
He also commiserated with Ogundipe’s friends, associates, former students and all Nigerians who read her works.
The president said Ogundipe in her childhood meritoriously earned a full scholarship for her secondary education.
He also acknowledged her ‘exceptional’ career as a civil servant in the federal ministry of education, an English teacher in different schools, deputy chief federal adviser on education, and acting director in the federal ministry, among others.
The president maintained that these had left an indelible mark in the nation’s education sector, particularly the teaching and learning of English language.
Buhari believed that Ogundipe would be fondly remembered and honoured for the various roles and responsibilities in facilitating teaching, learning, assessment, research, curriculum development, and policy in the nation’s educational system.
The president prayed God to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest.
Late Ogundipe was a recipient of the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and other numerous awards for her works on education.
Ogundipe, nee Itayemi, was born in Esa-Oke, Osun on May 6, 1927. She had her elementary education in Esa-oke and Imesi-Ile.
She later went to Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos, on a full scholarship for her secondary education.
