Adelusi Ojo

D. ADELUSI OJO (Circa 1860-1950)

By

Seye Adetunmbi

Adelusi clan is my link with Ilupeju-Ekiti, my mother's home town. Egosi was my second world as a little boy where my very beloved grandmother (mama agba) lived. As far as I am concerned, grandma Hadiza Ruth Adelusi was an angel and I longed to be with mama agba in her lifetime at every opportunity. The unique woman of substance stayed with her children and lived in the family house for 50 years after the transition of her beloved husband, Pa D. Adelusi Ojo till her transition in 2000. She was the rallying point for the Adelusi dynasty which practically kept family house intact till date.
    I love Egosi so much to the extent that I was innocently not excited when I got wind of the new name until I grew older to appreciate what informed the change because I didn't know that Egosi and Eseta were autonomous communities. The family house which my grandfather named orun ni ile (heaven is home) was a bunch of fun for me in my innocent days because of the ancient and uncommon architectural design of over 12 rooms bungalow on a large expanse of land. I wish the original front view structure I grew up to like is retained with semi-circular steps to Mama Kerekere's shop. The rock outcrop which gave us vast natural paved ground to sit and play, guava and tangerine fruits/trees to climb and pluck as much fresh fruits as I wanted, and of course the boundless joy of seeing and spending time with cousins, aunties, uncles and other relations remain indelible in my mind. Those evergreen moments are better experienced than to imagine.

Adelusi Ojo (circa 1860-1950), wealth and
knack for good taste reflected in his choice robes

At every chance meeting with an Ilupeju indigene, I often quickly mention that I am passionately connected with the community and that my grandfather was Adelusi. It was during such moments that some of the encountered persons remarked, "oh you mean" Ojo-olulepanu (owner of corrugated roofing sheet house)? It was then I took special note of the appellation though I may have heard the epithet during discussions before then without giving it much attention. Naturally I asked my mother who confirmed it and explained to me why they called him the name. There and then, I took more than passing interest in the family background and decided to dig deep about the great man who commanded so much respect of the community and its environs in his lifetime, the goodwill of which rubbed on the second and third generations of Adelusi family.

   Memory of visits to Egosi Maternity Clinic where Chief Omotayo (baba-pupa) my father's kinsman worked for many years is indelible. How can I forget his injection which I dreaded, and his sharp dressing in khaki shorts with white short sleeve shirts. Likewise integrated encounters with my parents' friends such as Chiefs Bamisile, Abioye, and Robinson and Mrs Jinadu (nee Ajiboye). Of course my egbons; Messrs Dipo Bamidele, Esan Ogunleye, Banji Ogungbemi and Dipo Ajayi. Also my high school mates and friends; Agboola Awe, Ayo Otitoju, Femi Olajobi, Sola Akeredolu, Tunde Jegede, Gani of blessed memory, Kayode Daramola, Funso Daramola etc.

     D. Adelusi Ojo popularly called Ojo-olulepanu had an ancestral link with Itaji-Ekiti and Ijesha Isu-Ekiti. According to oral history, he belonged to the Ojo family of Igbede compound in Ijesha-Isu. On his return from a sojourn in the North, and all over Nigeria, he decided to settle first at Eseta community in Ilupeju-Ekiti from where he went  to explore his reintegration into Ijesa-Isu. He came back to Ilupeju because, apart from the rousing welcome he received at Ijesa-Isu, he would have been installed the Oloorigbo (the Generalisimo) at his ancestral home, which he did not want!
He left Ijesa-Isu, and indeed Ekiti, at a very young age, but returned a rich and educated man. He settled and lived his last approximately 24 years in Eseta/Egosi-Ekiti now Ilupeju-Ekiti. There is not much available information about his childhood which makes how he got educated remains a mystery. However, other known facts about him made it possible to put some instances together which informed putting his birth date to circa 1860. Apparently he left Ekiti north precincts at a young age and through the early colonial masters he received formal education. His record showed that served in the army.

January 1st 1960

A handwritten letter to the District Officer in 1941 which one of his grandchildren stumbled on, pointed to the likelihood that he might have served in the colonial army where he received some formal education as evident in his impeccable written English. The letter went thus:

A Retired Officer

Orunnile House

Egosi Oye-Ekiti

24:2:1941

The D. O. Sir

Having seen the Governor's broadcast in the West African Pilot No:27 in which he was appealing for Primastic Binocular. I'm therefore sending the sort, obtained when I was in the service. I shall be extremely glad if it can be any use to the war department with due respect and at the same time wishing British Empire a real and permanent victory.

Through the District Officer (D.O.) to the Information Officer, the Secretariat, Lagos.

Yours Obediently

D. Ojo

  

Heaven is Home, Eseta, Ilupeju-Ekiti

He later worked as a colonial civil servant in the Post & Telecommunications Department as a favored and disciplined senior staff. Naturally, after many years away from his root, he decided to come back home and settle down with his people in Ekiti north. He retired up northern Nigeria where he met mama agba, a native of Ibi in Taraba State. He married her after the first wife, madam Ajike a native of Offa, the grandmother of Mohammed Garuba.

Albert Olumide Adelusi and Mrs Omolara Garuba, some of the children of Ojo onilepanu

Mr Olufemi Adelusi and Mrs Folorunso Apata

On his homeward journey, he got to a nodal community and gave living there a consideration, but a man who later became his friend and a native of the town who took note of his possessions and aura around him, advised that he moved further up north because of the inherent peculiar nature of the indigenes of that community. Thank God he heeded the advice; the town remained notorious for recompensing good favor with evil. Egosi on a highland, endowed with rich soil for farming, proximity to Itaji, good nature, cultured and receptive indigenes, he decided to settle there around 1926. Good enough, strategic location of Ilupeju placed him in between his ancestral root, Itaji and Ijesha Isu; that was the perceptive and vintage Ojo-olulepanu. He arrived in Egosi with three children, Albert, Omolara and Olufemi; while his remaining over 13 children were born in Egosi. Orunnile  was built around 1927, the house which earned him the nickname of onilepanu.

Mrs C.M. Adetunmbi, Mrs Titi Ogunmayin, Madam Ester Asake Ayimora 

Mrs Bamitale Ogundipe, Mrs Omolola Bamigboye & auntie Bisi

By standard of his environment, the no nonsense man was of tremendous means, influence and substance. Whoever could sponsor his children to Wesley College in the 1930s/40s was a wealthy man. He commanded so much respect in Ekiti north district because he was one of the very few who were educated, affluent and influential. Whenever the colonial District Officers came to Ekiti north area, his attention was always sought to anchor the interface with the august visitor. This among other reasons might have influenced his closeness to King Atewogboye Adeleye I, the father of the His Royal Majesty, Oba Adetunla Adeleye II (1928-2010), the Elekole of Ikole-Ekiti and the paramount ruler of Egbe-Oba land. As a matter fact, he played active role in the final rites of the Oba Atewogboye in 1936. He built the first house with metal roofing sheets in the late 1920s which earned him the nickname of olulepanu. One can deduce that despite much affluence around him, his own humble way of reacting to it was to name the property which stood him out, "Orun ni ile" (heaven is home). This is profound, and one of the reasons why I admire philosophical Ojo-olulepanu so much and the only way I could register my appreciation of such a rare breed is to do this historical essay in honor of his prized memory.

3rd Generation of Descendants

Momoh Garuba, Mrs Alake Ajayi (nee Apata), Chief Akinloye Adelusi, Pastor Ayo Apata, Olori Yemi Oduko (nee Adelusi)

Henry Adelusi, Shola Ogunyemi, Omowumi Ogunmayin

Abiola Adelusi, Mrs Yetunde Haastrup (nee Ogundipe), Jibola Ogundipe, Dapo Ogundipe

Most traditional rulers he encountered wanted to associate with him. This is evident in the background of most of his wives that were bestowed to him with honour in those days. Madam Hadiza Adelusi was from a royal clan of Ibi in Taraba-State where Pa Adelusi served last, as the post master general in the early 1920s. Hadiza gave birth to Mr Olufemi Adelusi, Mrs Folorunso Apata, Mrs Modupe Adetunmbi, Mrs Titi Ogunmayin, Mrs Bamitale Ogundipe, Mrs Omolola Bamigboye and auntie Bisi. His eldest wife was Madam Ajike a native of Offa and mother of Albert Olumide Adelusi a barrister at law in his lifetime and one of the earliest Ekiti north indigenes who attended the prestigious Wesley College and mama Omolara the mother of Barrister Mohammed Garuba. The other wives of Adelusi Ojo with royal blood include a daughter of Oloye of Oye-Ekiti and Madam Adenike daughter of Apeju of Ilupeju. Madam Adesanola a native of Oye-Ekiti was the mother Gbadebo Adelusi. Madam Olakunmbi was a native of Ijesha-Isu Ekiti and the mother of Mrs Oluyemi Akinbode and Mrs Tolani Oke. Madam Moronfola of Eseta quarter in Ilupeju-Ekiti was the mother of Ashake. There was madam Rebecca from Itapa-Ekiti the mother of Remi, madam Olabutu a native of Osin-Ekiti was the mother of Olajide and Olulaja while Riyike a native of Itaji-Ekiti was the mother of Oyinade and Yinka Adelusi.

3rd Generation of Descendants - Grandchildren

Sola Akinbode, Seun Bamigboye, Ade Bamigboye, Abayomi Bamigboye & Segun Adelusi

Kola Adelusi, Ogumayin, Femi Apata, Toyin Adelusi

Senator Olu Adetunmbi, Dayo Apata, Gbenga Akinbode, Seye Adetunmbi

Moji Akinbode (Queen), Tunde Apata, Mrs Tinu Adeniyi (nee Ogundipe, Laide Adelusi

The revered Adelusi Ojo was noted as a successful transporter apart from having his own personal car. The label on his lorry was "sibe sibe Oluwa nbe pelu mi". When he lived in Lagos he had a property on Tapa Street, Lagos Island which he sold in the late 1940s. He had large expanse of cultivated land of tree crops in Itaji-Ekiti and between Ire-Ekiti and Ilupeju-Ekiti. Adelusi was a disciplinarian and a powerful community leader who was tough, bold and beautiful in his unique character. He was a member of the Methodist Church and later founded African Church in Ilupeju to facilitate worshiping of God in his compound. He was receptive to cultural activities in the community. His affluence and influence stood him out which gave rise to various calls for help coming to him from all quarters. This resulted to having a number of iwofas in his household; these were able bodied men that debtors voluntarily brought to stand-in as collateral pending the payment of whatever amount borrowed from the great man. Onilepanu was an unequaled benefactor in his domain. The aides were loyal to him and he in turn took care of them like his own children when some of the borrowers didn't turn up to pay up their debts. Some of them remained in his compound up till after his transition as extended members of the family. He passed on in 1950 which marked the end of the era.

Omo Asao 
Omo ekulele ona oja
Omo abudi eye batakun
Omo okeke lila mo o i ti moto l'aya
Eleyinkule adewure
Ojo-olulepanu, Orun nile
Orisa oke jemi se bi ti olule i
Ko se bi tere, ko mo ara re siko

DANIEL OLUFEMI ADELUSI (1925 - 2007)

By

Seye Adetunmbi, first written in 2007

I don’t know when my maternal grandfather’s house in Ilupeju-Ekiti (formerly Egosi-Ekiti) was named “Heaven is Home”! All I know is that I grew up to know that everyone calls the residence Orun ni ile/Orun n’ile (heaven is home) and certainly it is yet another truism/statement of fact that had been confirmed with the exit of my beloved uncle, Pa Daniel Olufemi Adelusi, the patriarch of Adelusi Ojo family who joined his ancestors in 2007.

Pa Daniel Olufemi Adelusi was the first born and the only son of Mrs Hadiza Ruth Adelusi Ojo (a.k.a.) Mama Agba, a native of Ibi in Wukari Local Government Area, Taraba-State, married to Pa David Adelusi Ojo a.k.a. ‘Onilepanu’ (owner of a house with steel roofing sheets). Pa Adelusi Ojo (circa1860-1950) with an ancestral link with Itaji-Ekiti and Ijesha Isu-Ekiti, settled in Egosi-Ekiti. His other children included Albert Olumide Adelusi, Mrs Omolara Garuba, Gbadebo Adelusi, Mrs Folorunso Apata a.k.a. Mama Kekere (Isan-Ekiti), Chief Mrs Comfort Modupe Adetunmbi (Ifaki-Ekiti), Mrs Oluyemi Akinbode (Ijurin-Ekiti), Mrs Titilayo Ogunmayin (Ilaje), Mrs Bamitale Ogundipe (Ijesha Isu), Mrs Emily Omolola Bamgboye (Ikole-Ekiti) and aunty Bisi among others.

D. O. Adelusi was born on August 13th 1925 in the northern part of Nigeria just before his public servant father retired from post and telecommunications department of the colonial government in the 1920s. He attended Methodist Primary School, Itapa and completed it at Ifaki Methodist primary School. He trained as a teacher at the famed Wesley College Ibadan in late 1947 during which His Royal Majesty, King Adetunla Adeleye II, the Elekole Ikole and Paramount Ruler Egbe-Oba Kingdom was one of his classmates. (Kabiyesi was number 763 to be admitted in 1947, while D.O. Adelusi was number 789) Initial teaching appointment took him to Igbotako, Ode-Irele and Aiyetoro in Ondo-State; he later worked in Ilorin, Offa and Lagos. He was somehow exposed to photography through an encounter with an ace photographer at one of his stations and developed commercial interest in the vocation thereafter to augment his income. Determined Pa Adelusi later registered Eyitayo Enterprises to service various construction contact jobs he secured at Ibadan where he lived, 1966 to early 1970s. He later joined a Lagos based Italian Structural Steel company that specialized in fabricating tankers at Ijora. He retired in 1980 to Ilupeju-Ekiti where he served as the organist of the Methodist Church, chairman of the building committee and remained a devout Christian till his transition on August 2, 2007.

Recalling my childhood fond memory of a most affectionate and beloved uncle is so easy for me because of his unique attributes which I admired so much. He was a handsome man and a sharp dresser with an unparalleled sonorous voice. As far as I’m concerned he had the finest voice in the world! When I paid His Majesty Elekole courtesy call in the morning of my uncle’s funeral service he attested to the fact that “uncle Nibus” as Kabiyesi used to call him, played organ with dexterity and sang with beautiful voice simultaneously to the admiration of listeners. In fact Kabiyesi even remarked and wondered who was going to play organ/piano that morning! I was happy when I saw Mr Bankole one of the few good hands left as the choir master/organist at the funeral service. Of course my uncle was very close to my beloved father. Though my father was older, they called each other awe. Apart from the fact that my parents met through him, organ music must have further boosted their cordial friendship and the mutual respect they had for each other.

I was always excited whenever I saw him on his cute Honda bike in the late 1960s/early 1970s and often craved listening to him sing, while Baba (my father) who was noted for playing full notes mounted his 1917 organ at home, to play favorite tunes during most of the times my uncle stopped over or came on a short visit to see us at Ifaki-Ekiti. Those were very sweet moments that one often wished it lasted forever! Alas, life is transient not to talk of happenings within the mortal journey! I did everything possible to stop over to see my favorite uncle most of the times I passed through Ilupeju. My last encounter with him was in July 2006 when I visited him on my way back from Ikole where we had gone for the funeral of his younger sibling, my beloved aunty Omolola. When he heard my voice, he knew where I was coming from and I had to dash out quickly to shrivel the pain of the emotional encounter!

Sleep well sir my beautiful uncle.

Omo Asao;

Omo ekunlele oja;

Omo abudi eye batakun;

Omo eleyinkule ajiwure

Omo orisa oke je mi se bi t’olule i,

Koba se bi tere, ko mo ara re siko?

Certainly heaven is home! Till we all meet to part no more!

Farewell sir!