By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Madam Aishetu Ojeifo, mother of publisher of THE CONCLAVE online newspaper, Mr Sufuyan Ojeifo, is dead.
Mr Ojeifo confirmed that his mother died in the morning of Saturday, October 12, 2024, from a brief illness (body aches) and old age-related issues, in their family home in the ancient city of Owo in Ondo State, exactly two months to her 92nd birthday
He said he spoke with his mother on phone about 6.52 am to ask how she was feeling and if she had taken her drugs before setting out to the gym.
According to him: “ten missed calls from my elder brother, five from my uncle and four from my niece were enough trigger of fear about some sinister news eager to berth as I scrolled down the list of missed calls on my phone.
“The first number to press was that of my niece. She picked my call and she was crying. She did not have to tell me that my mother has died. I knew it. Is mama dead? I asked her. She replied in the affirmative. I said: I will make arrangements with some of my friends in Owo to come over to take her to the mortuary.”
The late Madam Aishetu in the middle during her 85th birthday celebration in Owo about seven years ago
Mr Ojeifo, who lost his father on January 12, 1992, said he had remained devoted to his mother, fulfilling his father’s parting request on his sick bed to: “please take care of your mother for me.”
Known for his unwavering support and affection for his mother, Mr Ojeifo, in a chat with this reporter, spoke of the deep bond they shared, a connection that continued to strengthen over the years even in her death.
Madam Aishetu Ojeifo, full time house wife to the late Pa Isa Isu Ojeifo, was into “moimoi”, “akara” and “puff-puff” making for patronage by the locals, a trade that popularized her in the community. She was a devout Christian, who cared for others and demonstrated her love for the Almighty God through her act of piety.
The late Madam Aishetu Ojeifo during the church thanksgiving service to mark her 85th birthday.
Born on December 12, 1933 to the royal family of Agbede, in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, the late Madam Ojeifo married Pa Isa Isu Ojeifo, who once worked with the UAC as a clerk before joining the JOF group of companies in Owo as a manager.
She had seven children with him, but survived by three, namely Mr Mayor Ojeifo (a retired secondary school principal), Mr Sufuyan Ojeifo (journalist and publisher) and Mr Kabir Ojeifo (a quantity surveyor with the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA). She is also survived by many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
In a heartfelt condolence message to Mr. Ojeifo, his longtime colleague, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi of the Baze University in Abuja, praised the late matriarch as an “illustrious and achieving” woman.
Prof Adeniyi credited her for raising a hardworking and resilient professional like Mr Ojeifo, whose journalistic contributions have left an indelible mark on the Nigerian media.
The professor of diasporic communication encouraged Mr Ojeifo to take solace in his mother’s long life and enduring legacy while offering prayers for her soul’s peaceful repose.
Sir Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), a close friend of the Ojeifo family in Owo, commiserated with Mr Sufuyan Ojeifo and other members of their family on the loss of “a good mother indeed” even as he declared, after some short reflections, that her passing was “after all, a celebration of life.” He prayed that the Almighty God would grant her soul eternal rest in heaven.
Chief Tajudeen Aderibigbe, the Nene of Owo Kingdom and intrepid business mogul, also commiserated with his childhood friend, Mr Sufuyan Ojeifo on the loss of “a very dear mother who took care of our circle of friends while we were growing up and spending time in one another’s houses.” He prayed the Almighty God to grant her beautiful soul eternal repose in His Bosom.
Another childhood friend of Mr Sufuyan Ojeifo and US-based medical professional, Pastor Kolade Harrison, described the death of “Mama” as he is wont to call her (Madam Aishetu) as “a great, irreplaceable loss of a good natured and loving mother, who was one, if not the last, of the Mohicans of matriarchs in the community in which we were raised by our mothers, virtually all of them now resting in the Bosom of their Creator.”
Meanwhile, THE CONCLAVE reports that the Ojeifo family had assured family friends and others who wished to celebrate with them the wonderful life and times of their matriarch that funeral arrangements would be shared in due course.
Credit: The Conclave