A FITTING TRIBUTE TO A HUMAN DIAMOND
Being Comments of Prof. Tunde Adeniran KJW, OFR, FCPA on the book True Love Never Dies: The Love Story of Iyabode Oluremi Adelusi by Ladi Babson; published in Ibadan, Nigeria in 2018 by Bookbuilders. Editions Africa
In an age that all of mankind now lives in an increasing loss of its humanity occasioned by heightened social disorder, mounting global tension, alarming decline in family values and of human dignity, the centrality of living a life of due reverence for God, commitment to noble ideals, true love for one’s spouse, children, family members, kith and kin, and goodwill to fellow men and women of all creed and class, is key to achieving harmony amongst families, communities and the human society in general.
The foregoing is the central focus of True Love Never Dies, a biographical book of chronicle written by Ladi Balogun and meant to preserve a rich measure of the sublime life and times of a virtuous woman, our own Iyabode Oluremi Adelusi who although transited to the extra-terrestrial realm untimely, lives on in our hearts. This shall become evident in the course of my random comments to be made not in the tradition of a general book review!
Incontrovertibly, Mummy Oluremi, on all accounts, was a remarkable and special woman who lived a great life and was admired as a proud emblem of her generation, the womenfolk and as one of the foremost women of her time, not only in Ifaki-Ekiti her native home, but across Yoruba land in general. Truly, she was a human diamond - one who represented the finest of our humanity.
This inspirational book, which I consider as a commendable contribution to Nigeria and the human society in general, is written by an author who, as demonstrated in the work, writes with the command of an expert in soul matters as he draws one evocatively into the fascinating and thrilling mystery of the game of love, a phenomenon that has in all ages proven too difficult, very complex and far beyond the understanding of man. The book awesomely x-rays the union of this unique couple and their lives together in the marriage institution, thereby providing insightful nugget and guide to intending or new couples, all categories of adults and the general public for them to successfully navigate through the very delicate intricacies of home-building.
The book brings to the fore the prime place of enriching and dignifying noble values, purposeful life and impact on the human society – ideals and virtues for which the late Oluremi was renowned.
It largely highlights the significance of love that comes from the heart - genuine love which strongly emphasizes the associated giving that comes with love and the love that comes with giving. Bishop David Oyedepo, one of Nigeria’s leading Pentecostal ministers once made a profound statement that there is no loving without giving and there is no giving without loving. His assertion is quite true about Oluremi, a fantastic giver who, according to the tribute of Adedapo Aderonke, her only daughter, was an extremely charitable person who had all the time in the world for her family and yet had so much time for everyone else around her. She practically lived a life of loving and ceaseless giving, and totally made a donation of her life to the good of her family and society at large.
By adopting a moral and biblical compass, Oluremi succeeded in living a healthy, well-balanced and purpose-driven life and, by so doing, she deepened the community love of Christ within the church, her immediate and extended family, her native community and reached out in God’s love to the community around her all through her sojourn on this earthly side of the divide. In all of these, she learnt, developed, demonstrated and lived a life of absolute faith in the face of daunting challenges as well as the Christ-like virtues of patience, selflessness, kindness and forgiveness.
Now to some specifics. I find the title of the book apposite, the contents not only deep but outstanding and the overall quality superb. The book, which comes in 15 chapters of 280 pages, is presented very lucidly in the rich language and style of an academic, teacher and a culture enthusiast. Each chapter deeply combed and interrogated every critical juncture and phase of the eminent life of the subject and commendably brought out the fine details in an honest manner without undue embellishments.
Oluremi Adelusi, the amazing amazon, a rare Ifaki gem and pride of Ekiti; a dutiful wife and mother; a thorough-bred educationist, first-rate teacher, scholar, role model and a devoted and true worshipper of God was, in her lifetime, an unwavering Nigerian patriot, an exemplar of virtue and a highly esteemed woman of faith who possessed solid character; a woman of prodigious accomplishment whom I have tremendous respect and personal admiration for on account of her admirable attributes of love and commitment, sacrificial giving, forthrightness, integrity, devotion, courage of conviction and for being a proud emblem of her generation and an awesome inspiration to the women folk, was a remarkable figure and one of the most highly inspiring personalities of her time.
Her life indeed made vivid impressions and indelible marks in the lives of not only those close to her and the womenfolk, but for all of us who saw her as an illuminating guiding light. The greatness of her family pedigree and upbringing is one that symbolizes a measure of nobility and commitment to positive values which define the highly cherished ‘omoluabi’ ideals and ethos that are greatly valued from one generation of the Yoruba people to another. Her noble lineage was eminent and admirable. It is deeply rooted in a rich tradition and history of true service to community and God. Her father, Chief Moses Abejide Adeyemi, being the then Alao Ilao of Ifaki, who in his early days as a young man was one of his age-group in the community and its environs who left their upland communities (iluoke) for the more sophisticated lowland parts of the Western Region such as Ibadan, Ijebu and Abeokuta, among others, to eke out a living working and, in the course of time, got converted to Christianity and, upon their return home as adults, entrenched their new faith in Ifaki community.
For me, I consider the life of Mummy Oluremi as well as her parentage as a worthy reference and inspirational model of the highest ideals of sacrificial services to community and church which should continue to inspire this generation and succeeding generations in living a life of positive impact, uncompromising and deep-seated love for service.
In all the epochs and different phases of her eventful an exciting life, a common thread of open heart and devotion to her values apparently ran through, whether as an impressionable and vivacious young girl at the Ebenezer African School, Ekotedo- Ibadan; as an ebony beauty teenager at St. Anne’s Girls’ School, Molete-Ibadan; in her Higher School Certificate (HSC) days at Ibadan Grammar School; her undergraduate days at the University of Ibadan (UI); through her adult life as a young woman and loving wife to Babatunde Adelusi, the first medical from Ifaki-Ekiti, her new life in England when she moved with her husband, her post-graduate days at the Georgia State University and through her PhD programme at the University of Ibadan or her eventual relocation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to stay with her hubby.
On the home front, Oluremi remarkably mastered the three core ingredients of a successful marriage: she brought excitement into her marital life as her heart burst with great emotion and enthusiasm about making her family an exemplar of an ideal Christian home. She was totally submissive and profoundly loving of her spouse and children, being considerate of her husband and was selfless in the true sense of the word. She imbibed the spirit of togetherness which thrived on unity and oneness and, in so doing, the couple found their personal needs and aspirations fully met.
As a wife, she was a replica of the Ruth personality, the husband-loving virtuous woman in the Bible. She exhibited an uncommon ‘if I die I die’ attitude towards supporting her spouse and her family, by treating her husband like a king and supporting him to attain the zenith of his medical career. She had to, on several occasions, sacrificially abandon her blossoming career and relocate overseas in order to be with her spouse in the UK and also gave up her exalted post as sub-dean at the University of Ibadan’s Faculty of Education to move with a resolute determination to join her husband in Saudi Arabia, a country that was at that time not yet a very open society, especially in the area of gender. Such was the level of her great commitment and devotion to her husband and family.
Almost all of us at one point or the other have had to deal with some form of challenges or misfortunes which the vagaries of this fleeting and predatory life bring our way. Oluremi and Babatunde had their own share of the travails and twists of fate. She and her spouse were evidently buffeted by the stormy tempest of life at one point or the other of their marital life. One of such trying moments was the point in time when the heart-rending diagnosis of her life-threatening heart condition was made which took the family through the most gruelling period and which, eventually, ended her life. The other very notable one was the tragic loss of Adedapo Adeyinka, the Star of the home; an unforgettable tragedy that dealt a terrible blow on the family, especially Babatunde the widower who, upon Oluremi’s passing, had to adapt and play herculean dual roles of being father and mother to their four children without any noticeable inadequacy.
In view of the very endearing and impactful life of Oluremi, there is no gainsaying that her demise at what was considered ‘unripe’ age, created an obviously huge void which would forever be hard to fill, especially in the life of Babatunde her medical doctor husband, the children and the extended family and it will remain so for a long time to come.
The consolation for all her loved ones and her admirers is that her life-long ideals, her proud legacy and imprints on the sands of time, her guiding philosophy which she adequately lived by in all her life pursuits and works, her noble values which she beautifully painted in glowing colours on the canvass of time and her defining essence which she deeply engraved on our heart as a queen of hearts that she was, will forever remain indelible.
Going by the outpouring of tributes and encomium that came from the people on the outstanding life of Oluremi and the factual accounts which are well-captured in this work by the author, it is indisputable that her lovely family, immediate and extended, are very lucky and privileged to have had her in their lives. Babatunde Adelusi her loving husband, Adedapo Adeyinka, Adedolapo Aderonke, Ademola Adedotun, Adetokunbo Adewale and Ifaki-Ekiti community will no doubt continue to feel good for a proud wife, mother, daughter and benefactor that she was to them and the very many members of the Nigerian society whom she impacted.
The whole essence of the great life of Oluremi has been well-institutionalized through the very thoughtful initiative of the Remilekun Foundation which the family launched at her first year remembrance anniversary. The endowment by the Foundation, of two Remilekun Prizes at the University of Ibadan which has since been annually awarded to the best overall student in the final degree examination in the faculty of Education and the best female student in the department of language and communication arts, as well as the endowment of two scholarships for proven indigent students of Ifaki extraction in the Methodist Girls High Scholl, Ifaki- Ekiti and an endowment for the care of the elderly, are a representation of her deep love and passion for education, human capital development and benevolent heart towards the needy in the society.
The Foundation, which is established as a memorial by her family and administered by a Board of Trustees made up of eminent personalities who occupy special places in the life of the Adelusis, is a commendable initiative that seeks to keep her memory alive and to keep her life-long cherished ideals institutionalised and sustained. The foundation and its activities have indeed earned Oluremi an enviable immortality even in death. One only hopes and prays that we can all pattern our lives after the cherished legacy of this great woman of substance. The memory of her great soul will even be better celebrated, preserved, and immortalized through greater individual and collective commitment of all of us.
To round it up, I wish to draw attention to something not revealed, and which could not have been captured in the book nevertheless, is a peculiar characteristic. Quite often, from the calm nobility of her face would come a quizzical mien with an unusual combination of shyness and a depth of passion with dramatic undertones of humane emotions. In spite of being a woman of few words, she would with shrewd wisdom shed light on the human comedy and proceed to liven up the atmosphere with witty jokes and captivating idealism. Casually prophetic, frank and humble, she saw life and living from the prism of a humanist and blunt creation of God!
For the huge impact Oluremi made in the lives of very many and on our society in general as a teacher, wife, mother and teacher, however, I consider this book on her as a great bequest to this generation and the ones coming. It is highly enriching and an inspirational compendium good for this critical juncture of our national life and I proudly commend it as a collector’s item. The book is an invaluable life-guide to young girls of this generation calling to them to aspire for great life attainments; to young couples and those who are already established in marriage and the general public in general for a respectable, fulfilling, secure and well-lived life. It is a must have on the library shelve of everyone who covets a life of impact such as Oluremi’s.
With a high sense of honour, therefore, I feel proud to be considered to do a review of this special book in the evergreen memory of a special woman, the esteemed Iyabode Oluremi Adelusi for the great life that she lived and for being a woman of substance who will continue to be celebrated.
• Professor Tunde Adeniran is a former Nigerian Minister of Education & Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Germany.
No comments:
Post a Comment