Abigail Olowokure

ABIGAIL KEHINDE OLOWOKURE (1934-2019)

By, Seye Adetunmbi

The family of Aina in Iludun-Ekiti was blessed with the birth of a unique set of twins on a special date, January 1^st 1934. Iludun-Ekiti was formerly called Iporo-Ekiti in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti-State. Mrs Abigail Kehinde Olowokure, nee Aina was one of the first set of twins of her mother, Madam Alice Ajayi Fasheyi. The twin brother was Pa Taiwo Rufus Aina. Their father was Joseph Aina of Epe extended family compound in Iludun-Ekiti.

Education

Mrs A. K. Olowokure started her primary school education at St. David’s Primary School, Iludun-Ekiti in the late 1940s. She continued the primary school education at St. John’s Primary School, Iye-Ekiti where she obtained Standard Six School certificate in 1953. She later trained as a teacher at Ekiti Divisional Teacher Training College, Ikere-Ekiti where she qualified as a Grade II Teacher after spending three years in the college.

Working Career

She first taught with her Standard Six Certificate as a pupil teacher at St David’s Primary School in Iludun-Ekiti in 1954 and at St Stephen’s Primary School, Odo Ora-Ekiti in 1955. She worked at Salvation Army School, Idikan, Ibadan in 1956 to 59; Sacred Catholic School, Idikan in 1960; L. A. School Iyana Idere, Ibadan in 1961 to 62 and St Stephens’s School, Ere-Ijesa in 1963 to 1966. Subsequent to her training as a Grade II teacher at Ekiti Teacher’s College, Ikere-Ekiti in 1968 to 1970 she worked as a teacher at St John/Mary Demonstration School, Owo in 1970 to 1975; St Paul’s School, Odo Ado-Ekiti in 1975 to 76; Christ’s Primary School, Ondo in 1976 to 1986 and St Luke’s School, Oka, Ondo where she retired on August 31^st 1986.

Marriage and Her Family

Providence brought the two distinguished “Kehindes” (Baba and Mama Bishop) together in early 1950s when they first met. The Right Reverend J. O. Kehinde Olowokure was a teacher at St John’s Primary School, Iye-Ekiti and Mama; Abigail Kehinde Olowokure was one of his pupils in Standard III and IV. Through the grace of God, the ordained encounter of a lady-twin from Ekiti and a gentleman-twin from Ijesa led to marriage at St. David’s Anglican Church, Iludun-Ekiti in 1954. To the glory of God the almighty, the marriage had been blessed with three successful children: Pastor Mrs Mary Moji McCauley, Pastor Mrs Modupe Adetunji and Mrs Yetunde Ogunrinde.

Diligent and Industrious Woman of Substance

Mama Olowokure was a dedicated and a resourceful school teacher. While she was a teacher at St. John/Mary Primary School, she was the Captain of the Girls’ Brigade in 1966-1973 during which Mrs Mary Moji McCauley; her eldest daughter was one of her students in Primary II and a member of the school brigade. Also she was the teacher of her daughter, Mrs Yetunde Ogunrinde in Primary V. She retired from teaching service when her husband, The Right Reverend J.O.K. Olowokure was consecrated as a Lord Bishop in the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion in 1986. She will go down in his history as an exemplary diligent wife of a clergyman. She belonged to the school of thought that the wife of a priest must work to support the family. She took into aso adire business and trained some of her fellow clergy-wives where her husband served as a priest.

    Mummy, as she was popularly called by her husband and children was a pillar of support to her husband in the family. She stood like the rock of Gibraltar behind Daddy Bishop in all fronts in raising the children and contributed immensely to the successful career of the patriarch as a teacher, priest and in his Episcopal ministry. In 1988 and 1998, she joined her husband to attend the famous Lambeth Conference of Bishops which was convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury and held in England. She also attended Canterbury Summer School programme in 1985.

    Mummy exemplified motherhood and a virtuous wife in all departments. She was very neat, meticulous and inimitable in her dressing style. She took good care of her husband; daddy in turn reciprocated the caring virtue when she became indisposed and weak. Mummy and Daddy Olowokure were practically inseparable, they made marriage so beautiful and delightful to everyone who moved close them. Mummy and Daddy Olowokure were practically inseparable, they made marriage so beautiful and delightful to everyone who moved close them.

     Mummy abhorred lying. If you lied before her and she detected you would fall out of her favour. She would not tolerate intolerance. She was very blunt in her approach to matters. Market women during the reign of the Late Oba Taiwo Aribisala approached her many times to help them speak to him whenever they had any dispute with the Oba because they knew that the Oba had great respect for her. This she did with success many times. She prevented the breakdown of some family homes by setting their naughty dispute amicably.

   Mummy Abigail bonded well with her husband’s identical twin brother, Professor Taiwo Olowokure and his family. She had her story to tell of the exemplary identical twins in the early days of her marriage. She was engaging Taiwo in a discussion and the identical twin brother was calm, when his identical twin brother, Kehinde came in, he then smiled and told mummy to continue her discussion with her husband. Mummy said, since then she mastered identifying her Kehinde husband. In retirement, the two couples lived together in the same compound. They worshipped together in the family chapel inside the residence of the Lord Bishop every day whenever they were all around. They alternate having meals together in their individual apartments. No doubt, mummy will be missed in the family with her exit; the daily routine would no longer be the same any more.

    Mummy Kehinde Olowokure was an industrious lady of substance. Her venture into adire and aso-oke trading business in her active days was very successful. She loved farming and rearing of animals. During harvest season, visitors are likely to leave some maize from her orchard. She was noted for accountability and bluntness. She was a disciplinarian as a mother, as a teacher and as a priest’s wife. Those not inclined to uprightness hardly got along with her while she was the most pleasant to be with, in her elements with her generous and sincere smiles. Mummy was very modest and contented. When HRM Oba Aribisala, the Elegboro of Egboro Land in Ijebu-Jesa wanted her to accept honourary chieftaincy title from his kingdom, she politely said that the Iyawo Alufa title was adequate for her. 

    She also had a remarkable caring heart and was a family woman to the core. She brought up many children beyond her biological ones. She was always looking out for the interest of the children of her siblings and any other person in need. With discipline and love she raised every child under the family’s care like her own. With Daddy Bishop on her side, they jointly gave the wards in their care good education which all the beneficiaries appreciate forever and everyone of them turned out well today to the glory of God.

The Best Godmother in The World

My cherished relationship with Mummy Olowokure started in 1962 when Daddy Bishop, The Right Reverend J.O.K Olowokure became the first ordained graduate priest to serve at St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Ifaki, the home parish of my parents, Chief and Mrs D.O. Adetunmbi of blessed memory. Mummy A. K. Olowokure and my mother attended antenatal together that very year they got to Ifaki. I was born on July 21^st while Yetunde her last born was born two weeks after on August 5^th. At my baptism, The Rt. Reverend and Mrs J.O.K. were my godparents. That was the root of my bond with the family of Baba and Mama Olowokure.

            My parents told me about them when I have come of age and I was always happy to see them whenever they visited us at Ifaki or when we met at family functions. I noticed that they were always at our family function, distance was never a constraint. I naturally developed special interest in my godparents and was always looking out for them. They came for my wedding ceremony in Lagos. At every opportunity, I visited Daddy and mummy at Ijebu-Jesa after their retirement.

They often asked after my welfare and that of my siblings. They were there for us when my father joined the saints triumphant in 1990 and my mother in 2017. My family spent weekends with them at their Ijebu-Jesa residence during which mummy spoilt us and packed items for us to take with us back to Lagos. We were always looking forward to every opportunity to spend time with my amazing godparents. I particularly cherish the morning devotion at the family chapel during my visit. His twin brother and wife, together with everyone at home were part of the daily worship and prayer session.

            If I didn’t want to eat whenever I wanted to stopover on my way to or from Ekiti, then I would deliberately not inform mummy or daddy that I was coming, otherwise, special meal will be available for me as soon as I get to their house. Mummy was very caring and loving. I was always excited seeing her and Baba Bishop. Her deep and sincere smiles encapsulate the warm reception I receive every time which often make me look forward to the next opportunity of a memorable visit. I also loved to see her and my mother in their elements whenever they saw one another.  

   When the time of Mama Abigail Kehinde Olowokure came on September 1st 2019, the family members and her other loved ones took it with heavy heart yet with thanksgiving to God. She was survived by her beloved husband, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, siblings, nephews, nieces and numerous cousins. May God console Daddy on the transition of his beloved wife. Bi o se wu Olorun lo se nse ola re. We take solace in the fact that God takes away His loved ones at a point considered best for them. O digba mummy. Sleep well and fare thee well ma, the best godmother in the world. 

Eternal rest grant mummy oh Lord.

FINAL RITES

Wake Keep

Funeral Service 

Interment

Christ's School Ado-Ekiti alumni/classmates of Yetunde at the Reception

Okan Eletolua Musings

MAKING THE DIFFERENCE IN GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA 

It is about who you are, how you got to the office, where authority is derived from, his/her personal values, the company you keep or the kind of appointees in government, attitude of the elected fellow in charge, disposition to life, personal aspirations, mentors and role models. All these will combine together to define your action, what you subscribe to and the kind of decisions you make as a governor of a state or the president of a nation.

It is not the political party in government but the characteristics of the chief executive officer of the state. Check out for instance how Seyi Makinde started off in Oyo-State. The difference is indeed clear in governance. The guy genuinely means business of instituting an enduring good governance. It is a commendable good start.

If a governor has a godfather or committed to the “point of no return” to those instrumental to how he/she got to government and the fellow sets personal target on the kind of money and assets to acquire while in government, then there are certainly some decisions that will be difficult for such person to make or take. The governed will be short-changed no matter cosmetic policies are implemented, it takes discerning eyes to figure things out😊

Fighting corruption effectively will be a tall order. Getting the best deal and appropriate people to execute some professional services at best market prices would be tough for obvious reasons - pre election/political positioning mandate and inner caucus nocturnal agreements that will take precedent over larger interests.

Seyi Makinde is able to do all these because he was rich enough to fund his political election to a reasonable extent on his own through the resources acquired in his fruitful private sector successful business. The icing of the cake is the fact that he has a pure heart without any hidden agenda to corner state resources. The morning shows the day. His victory at the polls says it all by defeating the candidate of a popular political party in government!

Another good example of someone who made the difference in governance is Alhaji Lateef K. Jakande. When he was a governor, he lived in his house, rode in his personal car and never set out to corner resources of the state for any future political ambition. The available state resources were put into optimal use to the best of his ability. 

Cowboy governors, grandiloquent politicians and insensitive government officials have dominated our political space to make life more difficult for the poor masses. They now make sustainable good governance looks like a rocket science as if Awo and his team were out of this world and from another planet!

I have always written about it that it is so easy to standout in governance in Nigeria. Everything depends on who is in charge, his/her inspiration and motive for getting  involved in governance, all other things being equal. Make the governed the priority. Have a classified consideration for the poor masses by being their true representative in the real sense of it, you will get the policies and other government matters right.

May the tribe of omoluabi Seyi Makinde increase in Nigeria🙏🏿

Referendum for Yoruba lea

Remi Adelusi: A Human Diamond - Prof Tunde Adeniran

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.

Abdulrazaq

ABDUL GANIYU FOLORUNSO ABDUL-RAZAQ: A Fulfilled Patriarch And Statesman

By

Seye Adetunmbi

For a nonagenarian statesman who served as the first Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State in 1967 when the state was created, served as a federal minister in Nigeria and as an Ambassador to witness the inauguration of his son as the elected governor of Kwara State, coupled with having a daughter who had been elected as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this rare grace of God calls for jubilation. The patriarch should be celebrated for the great thing God has done in the family and put his profile in perspective for posterity and the delight of those who appreciate good pedigree and lasting family legacies. Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Florunsho Abdulrazaq SAN, OFR, GOON (Ivory Coast) worked from inception with others to give Kwara State a direction on the path of prosperity and deep rooted development such that it will be a model state and justify the purpose of its creation.

Consequent to realising the reality that government cannot do it alone especially with the challenge of the need to educate the young people of the state who will serve the critical manpower need of the state, A.G.F. Abdulrazaq, the first lawyer from northern part of Nigeria invested his personal resources to set up Ilorin College, as a private school to provide quality secondary school education in 1967. He invited Dr Tai Solarin to work with him to set a template for a school that will produce students that will be worthy in learning and character.

The heart of gold with an uncommon spirit of giving runs in the family. Apparently his children that I have dealings with took their giving spirit from their exemplary patriarch to the glory of God. Ilorin College is now Government High School, Ilorin after its takeover by the Kwara State Government. The College was the first private secondary school in the state and the North Central.

AGF as he is popularly called is endowed with an uncommon brilliance and an amiable personality, wrapped up in magnetic mannerism. These virtues manifested in his children too. A man of lion heart and an unbridled determination to succeed under daunting challenges, which characterized his early life in school and at work as documented in his published biography. An extract from an adaption of Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq: A Blessed Patriot written by L.A.K. Jimoh and published in 2018 is quoted here which underscores the footprints of Abdulrazaq dynasty, a testimony of record o excellence, and his place in history as the father of Kwara State.

QUOTE

He is humility personified. Humble almost to a fault. A.G.F seems to be uniquely destined to always be a “first”- the first child of his parents; first indigene of Ilorin Emirate, in fact, of Northern Nigeria, to school in Eastern Nigeria (Onitsha and Buguma) at both primary and secondary school levels; the first indigene of the emirate to gain admission into a university in both Nigeria and Great Britain, and the first Northern Nigerian to qualify as a lawyer and barrister-at law. He is also the first indigene of IIorin to be honored with a traditional title: Tafidan Zazzau outside Ilorin Emirate, in addition to being the first to be conferred with the traditional title of Mutawalli of Ilorin by the then Emir of Ilorin. Similarly, he is also the first Ilorin indigene to be appointed Nigeria's ambassador to a foreign land and the first to be a Federal Minister. He served as pioneer Commissioner for Finance and later as Commissioner for Health in Kwara State from 1967-1972. He was one time president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, a position that birthed stock exchange activities in Kwara State.

AGF characteristically is more interested in excellence, providing service to his people. That was what he did when the first opportunity for him to show-case his endowment occurred in 1957 during the London Constitutional Conference. He was the Legal Adviser to the Northern People's Congress, NPC, which had the dominant representation from Northern Nigeria at the Conference. The Conference decided arrangement for the governance of postcolonial Nigeria and drew up a constitution for the country. For this exercise, the Northern Region was gravely handicapped in terms of availability of indigenous Legal experts to cope with the array of reputable legal luminaries which accompanied the Eastern and Western Regional delegations to the conference. The only indigenous Lawyer which the entire Northern Region had then was the young AGF, who was only about two years old at the Bar at that time. But his strikingly impressive performance at the Conference bridged the gap and salvaged the fortune of the NPC delegation to the Conference. So impressive was his performance that Northern Nigerians in the delegations of the other political parties at the Conference unofficially solicited his expert legal advice to guide their own individual contributions at the Conference. His brilliancy at the Conference bolstered his fame throughout Northern Nigeria, particularly in Zaria where he practiced as a lawyer. It was in appreciation of the value which his practice in Zaria added to the historical fame of the Emirate, and numerous selfless legal services which he rendered to the people in the Emirate, that the Emir of Zaria conferred on AGF the prestigious traditional title of Tafidan Zazzau. Soon afterwards, the Emir of Ilorin conferred on him the equally reputable traditional title of Mutawalli of Ilorin.

There was a volcanic political agitation that Ilorin and the other Yoruba speaking people of both Ilorin and Kabba Provinces in Northern Nigeria be merged with the Yoruba-dominated Western Region. The agitation was initially championed by Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni of Ife, in the 1940s. It was later adopted by the Action Group and canvassed as an issue at the 1957 London Conference as part of the fears of minority groups in the ethno culturally lopsided composition of the then three regions of Nigeria. The agitation shook Ilorin Emirate to its very foundation. It was a political hurricane that almost blew off the emirate even before the London Conference. Its promoter, the Action Group, had deployed to Ilorin the best of its propaganda machinery using the populist Ilorin Talaka Parapo Movement as a podium after the failure of an earlier attempt to use the League of Northern Yorubas, founded in 1952, for a similar purpose. But for the agility and brilliance displayed by AGF, which checkmated the superlative propaganda of the Action Group, the agitators would probably have won the day at the Conference. What they got, instead, was a “consolation prize” by way of the decision by the Conference to set up a commission of inquiry to look into the agitation and similar ones by other minority groups in the Eastern and Western Regions. The Willink Commission later sat in all the affected areas across the country. The sittings in Ilorin were dramatic and tense wherein the Action Group/Talaka Parapo displayed, as usual, the best of intimidating scholarship and political showmanship which was seemingly intended to cow the educationally disadvantaged opponents of the agitation. Again, AGF emerged as the Emirate's saviour — his erudition and professional acumen; his captivating oratory and genteel disposition mesmerized both the audience and members of the Commission of Inquiry. His bravado paid off immensely and at the end of the day the best that the agitators got was a mere recommendation by the Commission that a plebiscite be conducted to determine the preponderant wish of the people of the Emirate about the agitation. The plebiscite never held. Another opportunity to render patriotic service to his fatherland came to AGF in 1966/67 when Nigeria faced the threat of an imminent disintegration. The threat necessitated the summoning of a meeting of Leaders of Thought in each of the then three regions of the country.

The meeting of the Northern Nigerian Leaders of Thought was held in Kaduna, in late 1966. Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq and Chief J.S. Olawoyin represented Ilorin Division at the meeting and both of them jointly made history by respectively moving and seconding the motion that kick started the abolition of regions and restructuring of Nigeria into a federation of twelve states in 1967. Chief J.S. Olawoyin, in his book: My Political Reminiscences 1948-1983 (1993) succinctly recalled the episode thus: “I was one of the five people appointed to the Northern Nigeria Leaders of Thought forum from the former Ilorin Province and it was at one of the meetings that I moved a motion that in order to forestall Colonel Ojukwu's attempt to secede and weaken his position among the various and diverse ethnic groups in the Eastern Region, states must be created to liberate Calabar-Ogoja, Rivers State… “I added that in the interest of credibility for the Gowon Administration, he should also create states in the North in view of the long-standing demand for a Middle Belt State…Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq, also from Ilorin Division like me, seconded the motion with powerful argument and the whole house accepted the motion in principle. A committee of seven was immediately setup to look into the matter. The Committee recommended the breakup of the North into six separate autonomous states, including the Central-West State which was later re-named, Kwara State some six months after it was created. Aihaji Sule Katagum, former Chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission, presided over the meeting at which I moved the motion. On the 27th July, 1967, twelve states, including six from the North, were created to the joy of all.” One noticeable feature of AGF's life is that, to him the adage that “opportunity knocks but once” is not applicable. Instead, an opportunity occurred to him repeatedly like a recurring decimal. He had yet an opportunity to play the redeemer’s role for Ilorin Emirate in 1968 when he was the sole Ilorin indigene in the cabinet of Colonel David L. Bamigboye, the pioneer Military Governor of Kwara State. In that year, the Bamigboye administration proposed a Local Government Reform, which abolished Native Authorities and established Local Government Authorities to take charge of the newly-created divisions - 12 in all. Under the proposal, the erstwhile Ilorin Division, which was administered by a Native Authority, was split into three autonomous divisions namely, Ilorin, Igbomina/Ekiti and Oyun Divisions with headquarters at Ilorin, OmuAran and Offa respectively.

While none of the proposed Local Government Areas had its boundary stretching right from the city centre of the headquarters of another LGA, that of the proposed Oyun Division began right from the centre of Ilorin city. AGF argued powerfully in favour of boundary re-adjustment. The facts which he tendered were so incontrovertible that the State Government shifted the boundary away from the city centre but still included Ojoku and Ikotun areas from Afon District. During this socio-political evolution, Baba AGF Abdulrazaq workedclosely with other fellow compatriots in both old and present Kwara State to pioneer the foundation and the development of the present Kwara State. His fellow compatriots include the late Galadima Patigi, the late Ahman Patigi who served as the minister of agriculture in the NPC Government in the First Republic. Others are Chief J.T. Obaoye from the present Ekiti Local Government who was a cabinet commissioner during the Bamboye’s Administration and Chief Peter Olorunsola from Igbaja in Ifelodun LGA who was the then attorney general and commissioner for justice.

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Considering the turn of events in Kwara State party politics over the past years, it is natural for the situation of things to have given him some sort of concern and his joy would be full with a sense of fulfillment now that his second born had been elected as the governor of his beloved state. His generosity and community service provided great opportunity for many people in the state to have access to quality post-primary education which was not easy to come by then with the establishment of Ilorin College in 1967. His selflessness made him a pathfinder, a motivator and an enabler for the success many of the beneficiaries of his vision have accomplished. He had lot of students that he was paying their school fees despite the fact that he established the school. He went further to approach some of his friends and corporate bodies to give out scholarships.

One other unique thing about the distinguished Nigerian is that his early exposure to education placed him at an advantage for distinct opportunities when there were very few qualified people around. His appointment as an Ambassador in the early 1960s for instance provided an advantage for him to put some historical and political issues in proper perspective in Kwara State. In the interview he granted in 2012 he is quoted thus:

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In 1962, I was appointed Ambassador of Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire and one of those who met me at the port as part of the Nigerian community in Abidjan turned out to be the father of Olusola Saraki, Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki..... I observed that the crowd that came to meet me at the port was divided into two and members of each group had flags of different colours, saying: “Welcome, our ambassador.” One group had white and the other, green. And they were supposed to be a Nigerian community welcoming their ambassador. Then my secretary took me to my official residence, he was more like a permanent secretary to me. Later, I asked him why members of the Nigerian community that came to meet me were waving different banners and were standing apart, not mixing. He said I was very perceptive. I asked if they were divided and he said they were. He explained that the division was caused by a fighting over who would lead the Nigerian community. When I asked who the contenders were, he said one was called Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki, while the other was Emmanuel Alabi. I told him that one of my first duties would be to see Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki and Emmanuel Alabi. And I said I would see only the two of them and not their supporters at 10a.m. the next day.

He brought in Muttahiru Saraki, who sat on my right, Alabi on the left. I thanked them for welcoming me on my arrival and told them that my secretary said that the two of them were fighting over the leadership of the community. I said I was not prepared to work with a divided community. I also told them that I had not invited them to the embassy to hear why they were fighting.  I said from their looks, Muttahiru Saraki would be the older person. And because of that, I said I was recognising him as the leader of the community. And against my expectation, Alabi stood up and prostrated before Saraki, holding his leg and saying: ‘I accept you as my leader.’ And I told him he would be Saraki’s deputy.  Alabi then asked for permission to say something and I asked him to go on. He said nobody ever called the two of them together and it was only their followers who were treating the matter that way. And Alhaji Saraki also said he accepted him as his deputy.  I later thanked them and they went away together. Throughout my stay there as ambassador, I went to the mosque to say my Friday prayers with Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki. I’d go out of my way to take Alhaji Saraki from his house and we’d drive to the mosque together. After prayers, I also brought him back. Naturally, the relationship between the two of us blossomed. Then one Sunday, my guard came and said there was an old man who wanted to see me and his name was Saraki.

He then brought in Muttahiru Saraki and we started to talk. Then he asked me where I come from. I told him I am from Ilorin. Alhaji Saraki said he was an Egba man from Abeokuta. By this time, I did not even know the existence of Olusola Saraki. So, the man told me he was from Abeokuta, but he went to a Quranic school in Ilorin at Agbaji, an area of reputed for Islamic scholarship. The man, with his own mouth, told me he was an Egba man from Abeokuta. And as of that time, I knew of no existence of any member of his family. This was in early 1963. So, we carried on like that. The fact that I resolved the problem between him and Alabi helped us a great deal for our consular cases. As the leader of the Nigerian community and being older than me, Saraki, at my request, always sat by my side wherever I went in my capacity as Nigeria’s representative. At a point, members of the Nigerian community were calling him deputy ambassador and he enjoyed that. Anywhere I went officially, I took him along. When I was going to present my letters of credence to the head of state (Houphouet-Boigny) I took him along, too.

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That was vintage the Mutawalin of Ilorin and Tafidan Zauzau of Zaria for us, his leadership quality is amazing. He went further with his encounter with the father of Dr Olusola Saraki to say:

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One Sunday, he came again and after entertainment with drinks, he told me he had come to thank me. He said he had never met any human being, not even his own children, who had honoured him as I had done and that he did not even know how to show his appreciation. I said there was no need for all that. That was in 1963. He then said that he had a son who was studying to be a doctor in London and whenever he came home on holidays, he’d like us to meet. One Sunday during the summer holidays, Alhaji Saraki brought Sola to introduce him to me. And after they took their seats, Alhaji Saraki started talking by saying ‘sir’. I told him to cut that out because he was as old as my father. He then reminded me about his son he said was in London. I stood up to greet Sola and he stretched out his hand for a handshake. The father got up and slapped his face, saying: That’s my god you want to shake hands with. You should prostrate. But I said we were both young men, within the same age group. I made light of it, saying we knew how to greet each other. That was how I met Sola Saraki. So, the father now said he was putting him in my care. ‘Take care of him for me,’ he said. I told him that it was good that as a young man, he is a professional. I advised him to return home to participate in politics.

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He threw light on the party politics in the early 1960s in Kwara State and how he became a minister which is highlighted thus:

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I remained in Abidjan till 1964, when my party, the Northern People’s Congress, through my leader, the Sardauna of Sokoto, sent for me. He said I had to resign because they wanted to appoint me a minister in the cabinet of Tafawa Balewa. So, the Sardauna sent for me and said I was going to be a minister in the next government. He said he would tell Ilorin people that I’d be returned to the parliament unopposed. I was appointed minister in charge of Nigerian Railways and I performed other functions, like being a confidant to the Prime Minister. When I went back to campaign in 1964 to go to parliament, with a view to be appointed a minister, Sola surfaced. That was two weeks to the election. He told me that he had decided to heed the advice I gave him in Abidjan to go into politics. I asked where he wanted to contest and he said Asa. Asa is a local government that shares a boundary with Ilorin Central. When I replied Sola, I admitted that I advised him to come into politics, but he had come too late. In Asa, there was a member of parliament, Mr. Babatunde, whom the party had decided to return unopposed. However, he said he would contest.

            He went to Lagos and brought some packets of medicine and he put up a mat and a hut in Asa and started giving people injections. These were for people who lacked medical attention. The whole of Asa local government had no hospital at all. If anybody fell sick, they had to take the person to Ilorin. He started giving them cheap medicine, thinking that it would win him their votes. He did not take into consideration that one; there was a member of parliament on ground. Second, the same man was being presented by my party. Also, he was going to be an independent candidate. Naturally, he was defeated. That was his entry into Ilorin politics. Then, he started visiting Ilorin, sharing money to people; money that he had made from medical practice through the retainership he had with the Nigerian Ports Authority and Ministry of Defence. At that time, the army did not have a hospital or a medical department. The Air Force also did not have any. So, whatever bills he sent to them, they paid him. So, he was making constant visits, and building himself up.

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No doubt, the memoirs of someone like AGF would be very rich with facts of history. On November 13, 2017 Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Abdulrazaq marked 90^th birthday anniversary in a quintessential manner. The first lawyer from the northern part of Nigeria was called to the Inner Temple, London in 1955. He was also the first northerner to be gazetted, a substantive appointment as a High Court Judge in 1968, an appointment which he politely declined. The Ilorin born legal luminary was a graduate of Trinity College, University of Dublin, he holds a B.A. Hons, LLB, MA and H.Dip-Educ. He is a product of the Kalabari National College, Buguma, and the Africa College, Onitsha. The eminent jurist has been a Life Bencher since 1971, and was the Chairman of the Body of Benchers in 1984. A nationalist who served as the Legal Adviser to the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and participated in all the Constitutional Conferences leading up to Nigeria’s Independence in 1960. He was a member of the House of Representatives in 1964 to 1966; Nigeria’s Ambassador to Cote D’Ivoire in 1962 to 1964, Federal Minister of State for Railways in 1965 to 1966; the first Kwara State Commissioner for Finance and later, Health & Social Welfare Commissioner in 1967 to 1972 and had served as a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the NBA since 1995.

 He holds the titles, Tafida of Zaria and Mutawali of Ilorin, as well as Grande Officer De La Ordre National De Cote D’Ivoire and Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). Alhaji Abdulrazaq was the President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2000 to 2003.

Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq formally joined active politics in 1952. He was a member of Northern House of Assembly between 1957 and 1960. General Murtala Mohammed appointed him as a member of the 50-man Constitutional Drafting Committee in 1975. He seconded the bill on the Presidential system of Government in the Constituent Assembly. He also served as the Chairman of the sub-committee of the executive and the legislature. He is one of the living legends of legal profession in Nigeria. His call to bar was on February 8, 1955 and was enrolled to practice on April 1^st, 1955. On the 29^th of March 2019, the body of benchers honoured him along with other one hundred and thirty one outstanding lawyers in Nigeria. The Body of Benchers is a statutory body established by the Legal Practitioner Act of 1962 responsible for the call to bar of persons seeking to be legal practitioners as well as discipline of the erring lawyers. He is number 460 in the Nigerian legal practitioners list and the first lawyer from northern Nigeria. 

He is married to Alhaja Ralia Amope Abdulrazaq. Mama, the matriarch of the family, is a beacon for women empowerment and a mother who spreads her wings to shade all and sundry. She broke societal barriers to girl-child education, being the first Kwara woman to go to college in the UK in the 1950s when it was rare for women in the UK to go to college. In fact, she is one of the pioneering women in Nigeria to go to college/university. Like her husband, Alhaji AGF Abdulrazaq, Mama also championed ground breaking movements, being the first person that organized the market people in Ilorin into trade groups, like eleran, alata and sewing associations in the 1960s. She remains a voice for the masses and a forerunner in humanitarian activities struggling through all the odds to stand tall among her peers to excel as a gender rights advocate. She was indeed the first woman councillor in Kwara State, first female sports promoter and the first woman to drive a car in Northern Nigeria. Hajia Raliah is also a foremost community leader, mobiliser and sponsor of several community-based associations known today as non-governmental organizations. She helped to educate many people who have turned out to be leaders in their respective callings. One of the very eligible lucky northern women to have received quality education in her time. Mama grew up in Aba, Abia State, under religious and parents who welcomed all itinerant Yoruba traders into their home. She carried on with these traits, always ready to accommodate young people, related or unrelated to her. Her children also manifested the distinct attributes of the woman of substance. 

The marriage Baba and Mama is blessed with successful children: Dr. Alimi Abdulrazaq, a legal luminary and Chairman of Bridge School House, Lagos; Rahman Abdulrazaq, the elected Governor of Kwara State in 2019, Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe, a notable politician; Mallam Isiaka Abdulrazaq, a distinguished technocrat; Mrs Ayi Lawal, a stockbroker and a business woman and Alhaji Baba Abdulrazaq, onetime local government chairman in Kwara State.

       Apart from being the father of my friends, some of his children, I had a brief remarkable encounter with him as a stockbroker some years ago when someone asked me to go and see him in respect of a stockbroking firm in which he had some interest. He scheduled an appointment for me to meet him at his residence in Maryland, Lagos. It was refreshing for me meeting the father of my friends, a statesman I admire so much and spent brief quality time with him. Baba AGF is gentle, suave, cosmopolitan, decent and an uncommon pleasant personality. I am happy for the Abdulrazaq dynasty for the grace of having such a distinguished Nigerian as a patriarch. He is a complete gentleman and interestingly, virtually all his children have that aura of humility and gentle disposition that endear them to their friends. What else can one say about a highly favoured man, than to wish him good health and peace of mind in his old age while also praying that things of joy he will continue to see for the rest of his life insha Allah.