Adefope

MAJOR-GENERAL HENRY EDMUND OLUFEMI ADEFOPE (1926-2012)

The Army General and a Servant of God

Written in honor of the memory of Major-General Henry Adefope on 24/3/12

I first met Major-General H. E. O. Adefope in person as a Church Warden in January 1990 when I first worshipped at the Anglican Church of the Ascension (ACA) Omadara Street, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos. When an army General who gave orders to troops, junior officers and order ranks now serves among the congregation in the house of God as an order rank it speaks volumes about the distinguished officer and a gentleman. Being a covenant child, he naturally devoted his post-army and public service life to Church work till the end, which was the prayer of his mother in a situation similar to the story of Samuel in the Bible. Baba, General Adefope was instrumental to the planting of the Anglican Church of the Ascension in Awuse Estate, Opebi. In 1983, the land was marked for a mosque in the plan, Baba HEO persuaded the solicitors to offer the land to the Anglican Bishop of Lagos. The church held the first service on the 21^st of August 1983 and Daddy (pronounced d:m) as he was popularly called, served as the Vicar’s Warden together with Chief T.L. Oredugba the People’s Warden for 10 years (1983-1993).

Serving in the vineyard was the natural commission of the General as he also often called. It was indeed a rare privilege being in the same parish council meeting with the General for the most part of the almost 10 years that I put into the parish activities as a synod delegate for two terms and a parish councilor at some point. For many years after he left as the Vicar’s warden, he got nominated to the Parish Council as the Vicar’s nominee. Baba joined the choir and sang bass with us as a chorister. The General came for singing practice, then, who am I? As a matter of fact, each time I did not robe and sing the hymns proficiently in my usual virtually all parts around him in the congregation, one can be assured that he would point at the choir stall where he expected me to be. I was more regular in the choir when Daddy was part of us because; I can never be comfortable seeing the old man robe and I would be in my “best” Sunday dress in the congregation. This is why I must robe and join ACA family to give the man of God a befitting funeral service on 20/3/12 at 11am. He was a great deal of inspiration to all ranks of the parishioners. He also qualified as a Diocesan Lay Reader and was naturally calm in delivering his applied sermons laced with functional life experiences. 

Major-General Henry Edmund Olufemi Adefope (H.E.O.) passed on four days to his 86^th birthday anniversary on the 11^th of March 2012. He was born in Kaduna to Chief Nathaniel Oshokoya Adefope and Mrs Alice Arajonwo (nee Olukoga), both of Ijebu Odogbolu in Ogun State. 8^th child in a polygamous family of 15 children, and his father was the Olotu Eso of Ijebu, the titled conferred on him by His Royal Majesty, Oba Gbelebuwa, the then Awujale of Ijebu Land. To his mother, HEO was the biblical Samuel of her time because she prayed to God for a male child after giving birth to three females consecutively and that the boy would be turned-in to serve God if the prayer was answered. His mother through the grace of God delivered her baby boy herself and proudly showed her son to family. The General served God till the end, to God be the glory. Naturally, his was very protective of her special child; his clothing and shoes were ordered for him while growing up. 

HEO, the son of a railway worker in Zungeru, who later became first class clerk in the administration of northern Nigeria in Kaduna; had his primary school education at St Michael’s Primary School, Kaduna in 1931 to 1932 and Government School, Kaduna in 1932 to 1934. By standard of the time, Chief N.O. Adefope, the father of HEO became a prosperous merchant after his retirement from the colonial civil service to settle in Lagos and was among the privileged first set of Nigerians to own a car. HEO’s primary education continued at St Peter’s School, Faji, Lagos where he obtained primary/standard six leaving certificate. He proceeded to the oldest secondary school in Nigeria where he was active in sports and passed out from CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos, in 1944.

HEO later studied medicine at Glasgow University, Edinburg, in Scotland from 1947 to 1952. Got married to Dorothy Adedotun Adefarasin a native of Ijebu-Ode in 1951, and started his medical service career at General Hospital, Lagos in January 1953. His postings were many and frequent which made him served in Ughelli of Urhobo Division in 1954, Forcados Island, Burutu, Ijebu-Ode in 1956, Epe General Hospital in 1957, Obetim, Kwale in Agbor Division and Warri in 1960. 

He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1963 as a Major and his first posting was the Military Hospital, Myohaung Barracks, Yaba, Lagos. Got promoted to Lt. Colonel in 1964, became the Commanding Officer of his unit and founded the Army Sports Camp at Myohaung Barracks. He was appointed Director, Medical Services of the Nigerian Army in 1967; Chairman, National Sports Council; promoted Brigadier in 1973 and Major-General in 1976. Construction of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos and hosting of the 2^nd All Africa Games fell within his responsibility which he delivered in record time in 1972. He served as the Federal Commissioner for Labour from 1975 to 1978 and Federal Commissioner for External Affairs 1978-79 after which he retired from the Army. He was NOC President in 1967 to 1976, Vice President Commonwealth Games Federation in 1974 to 1982 and succeeded Justice Adetokunbo Ademola as the Nigeria’s representative to the international Olympics Committee in 1985. In serving the nation, it gave him the opportunity to visit over 100 countries and met with over 70 heads of government across the world.

Easter 2009

During Easter Get-Together of the Christian Guardians Society of ACA in 2009

HEO no doubt has served well and fought a good fight as a diligent servant of God. He had gone to rest and more importantly a reunion with his very dear wife, they were inseparable in their lifetime. We all felt for the uniquely dotting husband when Mrs Dorothy Adefope passed-on in September 1995. Yes, HEO had gone with all his virtues to be with the lord. The transition of a beautiful soul like Baba Adefope can be likened to the sailing vessel in which a prized relation on board and the family members on this side bid the loved one good bye and watch the voyage with keen attention until they have lost the sight of the vessel to the ocean. Of course, special people are also waiting to receive the cherished relation on the other side with so much joy and excitement. Such is the departure of a devout Christian!

Sleep well sir. We love you, God loves you more. Till we meet to part no more, sir.