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That was the situation of things until news broke on Friday, June 20, (two days before the party) that Lanre Otiti’s mentor and godfather, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao had passed on in the UK. The news shattered her because a few days earlier she still spoke to him and he had promised to arrive that weekend for her birthday. He was meant to have chaired the grand party she was planning. Immediately she confirmed the news, she cancelled all her birthday plans. She and her kids began to send text messages to all the invited guests, especially all the powerful politicians and stakeholders in the state and beyond.
The news of the passing away of the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland was bad news. She wept. (So why did she cancel her party? Two Sundays back, an online magazine interviewed this woman of class and great style in the comfort of her lovely Ibadan home. It is a lovely bungalow with well cropped green grass and flowers. The ambience of her home reeked of high taste. She spoke for 2 hours. Below are excerpts.
Congrats on your turning 60. What are your reflections on clocking 60?
June 20th was my actual birthday date but I was to celebrate it June 22. But to God be the glory it has been a very lively road to get there, with all the turns and bends. That I am still alive I am happy. That day would have given me an opportunity to share with my outside friends to celebrate with me that despite all odds I am still here, hale and hearty. I wanted to bring my larger family and friends together to come celebrate with me under a happy mood and environment. It would have been a very good rallying point for my old and new friends, in between. To God be the glory, it never happened.
Why didn’t it happen?
I cancelled because of the passing away of Aare Arisekola Alao. He is my big brother, my mentor and someone who took great interest in my progress as an Ibadan indigene. He has been our pillar of support. It was my big brother that passes on. I didn’t expect it to happen. No one did. In his memory Ii had to cancel everything, not postponement, but just cancel everything that goes with the 60th birthday. Because that is the kind of person he was to me, a big brother and an adviser. Somewhere alongothe line, we usually had our differences but he is always advising me and encouraging me to be very active, vibrant, what else cold we ask for that? His own concern has always been why are you in politics? Go back to your Baranda. He calls business Baranda. I said to him, No, I have had enough of baranda let me have a taste of politics. I used to tell him that politics is about what he himself is concerned about too. It is about the welfare of the people. It sank into him at one point and he said ok, I will support you. You are a good person. You will do the right thing when you get into political or public office. That is when his support for me started.
Unknown to many, the 60th birthday was also about creating awareness for my senatorial ambition. Maybe during the period, before going to my party to declare my intention there would have been some awareness among the polity, my people that this is my next political ambition. So cancelling the whole party was a show of respect, show of what a loss it was, so if I don’t have formal party, so be it. The monetary aspect I lost I would have lost it in other form anyway. It is just to show respect, because I don’t know how I can gather people again to come and celebrate, dancing with me, when even me I have such a big burden on my heart, a big loss. That is why I had to cancel my birthday and I am happy I did it for him.
He is not somebody who you will say eh, let’s just honour him with 3 days prayers. Or 8 days prayer. 3 days he will accept, but he was always saying to us any other thing after the death, let the people go. So for him, there and then whatever I could do is what I could do to thank Almighty Allah for is life experience.
A lot of people have praised Alhaji Arisekola Alao for the good life he lived you happened to have known him. What was the significance of his life?
Hmmm! Aare means different things to many people. It depends on the platform you are meeting him. I have had the opportunity to be a daughter of Ibadan. He accepted me and he has always believed in my own cause and other people that we see around him. We all have our shortcomings.
His own greatest strength is what he had for humanity regardless of where you are from, regardless of your creed. If you or anybody expresses to him that they will want him to share out of their issues or problems, if he believed in that cause, he will go out all the way. He has helped millions of people. He kept helping. He kept telling those of us around him that everything is about humanity. He kept saying whatever you can give, give.
He had a big heart. He had a big soft spot for Ibadan. Why? How? Only him knows why. But I believe he wanted to challenge the Ibadan people to excel. He wanted them to do well. He is quite knowledgeable about Ibadan history. He will tell you we are warriors. He kept telling us that if not for I had an this so called Southwest would not have happened. And he will go into history and details.
If you look at his private life, he is disciplined man, who disciplined his children. Despite his affluence there was this thing in him that made his children to go the religious way, which is the right way and because that is where you activate the tenets of being able to do the right thing, especially with humanity. He thought all his kids and those around him, the essence of religion itself to know that you are your brother’s keeper. He gave those children solid background. He disciplined his children. He was a man who kept saying Do As I Do, Do As I Say and I will give you what you want. Politics is not is domain. Honestly, up until few weeks when he passed on, he called e he said why don’t you go back to your baranda. He likes to call any form of business Baranda, meaning do this or that business. He says that is his own business too. He said you were thriving in your baranda so why don’t you go back to it. I said yes, I have done it now I want to go into business. We all can’t be complaining about how Nigeria is being run and stay away on the sidelines. I don’t want to be an armchair commentator. That is the problem with most of us. We all complain but are you ready or willing to be part of that change. So, I told him you too are a politician. What are you doing in there? He said no I am not a politician. I said you are one.
You control the politics of Oyo State, especially Ibadan. He said it is because I want to right thing to be done. We too want the right thing. He said ok, if you want to go into it ok, we would support you because I know when you are there, you will do the right thing.
To hi, the bottom line is doing the right thing for the people, for the benefit of majority. Some people often consult him for business. They go to him from time to time. He will tell them all I know is Baranda make money and turn it over and over and use these proceed to give back to the people. That was his life. So it is not cut throat amazing wealth. Sometimes Aare will give in anticipation of something coming. He is that kind of person. What I mean is, he may tell you I don’t have money now but I am expecting some money in 5 days time and so he will promise you in anticipation of the money he has not received.
He will commit himself. The last week that he died I did a lot to convince him as to why I should hold a birthday party. He asked me the question: Why are you making so much noise? I call him Baami. I said Baami, I want to dance ooo. I want to glorify God ooo. Just to make you happy, he will go with it. So to him what you feel he feels. If you happy he will be happy with you. If it is the other side of it, he will be happy with you. If you are sad, he will be there with you supporting you. 90% of is action is worth emulating. Leave the 10% to his been human. Aare Arisekola Alao was a god an. To different people, Aare means different things. Depends on the angle you are coming from. He is a wonderful, wonderful person to know and to be acquainted with.
About Unknown
Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.
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