BOLA AJIBOLA’S DEATH: A big bang around Olumo Rock that keeps me speechless

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

There are some of personalities in Nigeria, when they pass away, their death sends signal of biological connect. His Excellency Prince Ambassador Alhaji Judge Abdul-Jabbar Adesumbo Bolashodun Ajibola, SAN, FCI Arb, FNAILS, LL.B, BL, LL.D (H.C.), D.Litt (H.C.), D.Agric (H.C.), KBE, CFR is essentially one of them. He was a father in a million. I will most miss him considering his mentorship, his love, his care, his support, his patronage and recommendations and appreciations of my journalism. Having come a long time since 2002, my spirit has continued to find it difficult to believe that the Olori Omo Oba of Owu Kingdom around Olumo Rock, in Abeokuta, is actually no more. He was active in all that he took part in until his last days on earth. I can say clearly from all spaces of my findings that Baba was pure as judiciary giant and legal luminary. He was a true believer with clear heart. He was truly a great citizen of the world.

In the beginning

At 29 in 2001, I conceived the idea of becoming the youngest newspaper publisher in Nigeria. I was then working with Odia Ofeium, Chairman Editorial Board of The NEWS and TEMPO Magazines and former Private Secretary to Premier of Western Region Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as well as President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), where a year before I was central point in the production of his poetry books namely; A Feast of Return: Under African Skies (2000), London Letter (2000), Dreams at Works and Other Poems (20002), and so on and so forth. I later moved to Anchor Newspaper, an Adewale Adeeyo-owned daily tabloid that was located within the same building of Pacific Nigeria Limited opposite UAC on Oregun-Ojota Road, in Lagos.

Having visited home in Akure to announce the intention to my father and Galadima of Akure Land, Alhaji Kasumu Yesufu Adefaka, who further took me to his community senior ally and Chief Imam of Akure Land, Sheikh Kasumu Yayi Akorede now late and then Governor Adebayo Adefarati-led Administration’s Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. AbdulWahab Oluropo Adegbenro now late, all of who vowed to stand with and by me in it, I returned to Lagos to take off the newspaper called The DEFENDER Newspaper.

By the beginning of 2002, The DEFENDER weekly tabloid was on the newsstands of Lagos, other South West states including my own country home state of Ondo, parts of the North and Edo/Delta. Radio Nigeria Bond FM Ikoyi, at the time, was reviewing it every week, thanks to Baba Taiwo Akinsola Omo Baba Woli Ni’lasamaja, Baba Tajudeen Ojuelegba among others who listed our editions for Koko Inu Iwe Iroyin and and Newspapers Review at the time. May Allah continue to bless the soul of Alhaji Yusuf Chachangi, whose airline’s Lagos Office coordinator and then Deputy Secretary General, Airline Operators in Nigeria (AON), Alhaji Tukur Muhammed, oversaw the airlifting of copies of our editions from Lagos to Kaduna and further gave the link that saw Khalifah Isiaka Rabiu’s IRS Airline aircrafts airlifting same to Kano for onward distribution across Northern Nigeria.

Alhaji Kola Animasaun started the magic that came in the way of the media outfit. He caused the Librarian of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Tunde Awe, to take up the assistance of registering the paper with National Library of Nigeria.  Alhaji Kola Animasaun was then already hugely celebrated newspaper columnist, author, diplomat, journalism veteran and Chairman Editorial Board of Vanguard Newspapers on sabbatical as Caretaker Chairman Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, under the Administration of his friend, Chief Olusegun Osoba, and his name opened door anywhere.

But before then, a company was needed to pilot the media business that I newly established and this took me to a brother and lawyer by name Bashir Shomutun. He lived in Oke Ira in Ogba area of Ikeja, and worked with Bola Ajibola and Co. Convinced by my zeal, courage and carriage of the idea, Lawyer Shomutun arranged for registration of The DEFENDER Newspaper as a business company with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), which was located in Elephant House Alausa, Ikeja, at the time and the assignment was given to a staff in his office at Bola Ajibola and Co with the law firm address at 52 Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

Although the Oba Gbadela Chamber did not succeed in getting the exact name “The DEFENDER Newspaper” registered with CAC as it returned with Hajar Al Aswad Media and later many years after Defender Media Limited to drive the National Library-recognised The DEFENDER Newspaper with ISSN: 1597-2194, history of the newspaper remains that it started to fly from the push of the Bola Ajibola and Co that shot it into the sky.

Lawyer Shomutun further arranged for me to meet “Oga”, and he said “my boss the principal partner, who has been in charge of the chamber since his father went for the service of the nation as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and from there to The Hague, the Netherlands as Judge of International Court of Justice and now as Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom”. And he mentioned his name as Mr. Segun Ajibola.

Lawyer Bashir Shomutun did not enter the main boss’ office with me. My day one with Barrister Ajibola turned him to becoming a personality I call “Uncle” until today. He asked me, “Apart from your registration, do you have a lawyer that can defend The DEFENDER Newspaper as a media business?” I said “no sir”. And he replied, “We, lawyers of Bola Ajibola and Co are your lawyers from today”. These were the words of Uncle Segun Ajibola.

As if that was not enough, one day he granted our request for personality interview realising that media practice is a personality based business. During the interview, done before the advent of online media practice, he told me that his father was an extremely domineering disciplinarian with no chance of space and time, to borrow from military term once used by Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd), for any of his children to misbehave. He said, “You will need to go to Ashero in Abeokuta to see my Dad. He is also a loving and caring father and so he has given to us all that we need to succeed in life,” I still remember vividly that Uncle Segun Ajibola said so.

I did not really relate with the father, Prince Bola Ajibola, at the time but only visited him once at Ashero near Eleweeran where he introduced me to Alhaji Sulaiman Osho, who was Secretary General of Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA) and Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal, his Personal Assistant like son, and there and then I came into contact with him, but not seriously closer until I joined Vanguard Newspapers in 2009 on Alhaji Kola Animasaun’s directive as one of members of the Advisory Board of The DEFENDER and has been since the time Papa Babatunde Jose was also on the Board.  And I had broader personality-based journalism duties to perform there at Vanguard.  I had stepped down The DEFENDER’s operations and publications not for lack of idea or ability but for reason of political interferences. No need to mention deep into it but can only mention it led to our policy of not accepting ‘anything that comes’ in our drive for financial and economic breakthrough at The DEFENDER.

Before then, Alhaji Osho had shown me the preparations of Baba to take off soon what we then called the IMA University which did not come through until 2005. I was already at the Kano office of The DEFENDER Newspaper when the university eventually took off in 2005 and the real name was revealed as Crescent University Abeokuta with Professor Fola Lasisi being pioneer Vice Chancellor. He was also earlier pioneer Vice Chancellor of University of Uyo. I first met Professor Fola Lasisi in Ile-Ife, Osun State, during the visit of His Eminence Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido, the 19^th Sultan of Sokoto and elder brother of the sitting Sultan, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar sometimes in 2003.

I remember at the Ashero home, Baba Ajibola, who had now taken me as a son with the benefit of being allowed to sit with him on the same dining table, had some ostriches that I dreaded so much. Ostriches are large flightless and heaviest living birds. They lay the largest eggs any living animal with ability to run at 70 km/h but can also be wild even as they are the fastest on land. One day at the balcony of the PA (Alhaji Lawal)’s office block, one tall Assistant, Michael, worked with Alhaji Lawal then, I laid down a praying mat and was deep into the prayer when I heard the foot bangs of one of the ostriches coming behind me. I had to break off the solat. That was because I quickly remembered what an ostrich did to an Honourable Member of the House of Representatives at Hilltop Minna residence of one of former Military Leaders of Nigeria.

It was in Ashero that Baba lived when he called me to Abeokuta and said to me, “I have just achieved the biggest legacy that is bigger than all the achievements I made all over the world”, you need not interject Baba when he talks because what you want to ask to seek to know, he already would soon treat in his talk. And he said, “It is the Mosjidul Al-Jabbar, which I have just built at Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA) and was opened by Sheikh Farouq Onikijipa”.

He said that he sold all his houses in Lagos to establish IMA’s educational sub-project namely the Crescent University Abeokuta he established in 2005, but that all of those achievements including those he made during his services around the world were small compared to the new achievement he just made and he said, “it is this Mosjidul Al-Jabbar.”  I remember him saying to me, “Bashiru”, I said ‘Your Excellency sir’, and he said, “This Mosjidul Al-Jabbar, the Al-Jabbar Mosque is so dear to my heart. It is the best and greatest of all my achievements in life.” I remember him say that.

The purpose of calling me to come to Ashero was to let me know about his happiness about the Mosjidul Al-Jabbar achievement and such was needed, in my thought said to him, to be publicised for others to learn from. But to my surprise, Baba was so enlightened that he said, “take this money for yourself and because I know that you do not work alone but with others in and outside of Vanguard, take this and distribute to them”. That was how I, Prince Bashir Adefaka, became the journalist that spread the news globally. Baba!

Join me for the concluding party that is Part II