The Kwara State House of Assembly yesterday suspended plenary for a week over the death of a member, Hon Afolayan Musa Moses of Oke-Ero Constituency.

The Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad declared the suspension while formerly announcing the death of Afolayan. He said the House would suspend plenary, committee activities and other legislative activities for a week in honour of the departed colleague.

He added that all parliamentary activities would resume on Tuesday next week. He said a valedictory session where a special sitting would be completely devoted to honour Afolayan would hold on Tuesday.

Members of the family of the departed lawmaker and other stakeholders from his local government are expected to witness the valedictory session A minute silence was later observed in honour of Afolayan.

Afolayan passed on at the early hours of Saturday in his house along the NNPC Pipeline road Ilorin at the age of 59. He was until his death a student in the Abuja campus of Law School after completing his LLB programme at the University of Abuja.

The deceased born in Idofin Igbana in Oke Ero Local Government in August 1956 was elected into the House of Assembly in the April 2015 general elections on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to succeed Dr Abraham Ashaolu.

He was the pioneer Executive Council Chairman of Oke-Ero and former chairman, Electoral Screening Committee for National Assembly Election in Ebonyi State between 2009 and 2011. Some of his colleagues who spoke with The Herald on phone, described Afolayan's death as a rude shock.

Meanwhile, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has described as a colossal loss to both family and the entire state, the death of a member of the State House of Assembly, Mr Moses Afolayan. The governor who paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased in Ilorin yesterday, said he received the death of the lawmaker with a great shock.

Governor who said the vacuum left behind by the death of the deceased would be difficult to fill, maintained that the lawmaker would be remembered for his invaluable contributions to the State. According to him, "the state government will continue to remember him and ensure that the values he left behind are carried on to sustain the confidence the community has on the family".

The Governor who reiterated that the deceased had left indelible mark in the sand of time, charged those he left behind to live an exemplary life, worthy of emulation. While stressing that death was an inevitable end of all mortals, the governor prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest and give the family the strength to bear the irreplaceable loss.

The Governor also commiserated with the speaker and members of the Kwara State House of Assembly and prayed God to strengthen those he left behind in the House to continue to work with the executive to take the state to an enviable height. Responding on behalf of the House of Assembly, Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad described the death of the late Moses Afolayan as a painful and sad event.

Dr Ali Ahmad urged all and sundry to live a good life, stressing that it was the desire of every individual to grow old without knowing God's plan.

Also responding on behalf of the family, the first son of the deceased, Kunle Afolayan expressed appreciation to Governor Ahmed for the visit despite his tight schedule and prayed God to continue to guide him in piloting the affairs of the State.

Kunle said the support shown by the executive and the state House of Assembly was a confirmation of the love that exists in the state.

Late Moses Afolayan until his death was a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, representing Oke-Ero constituency.

He died on Saturday, January 30, at the age of 59.