“ Lives of great men and women all remind us that, we too can make our lives sublime and departing, leave behind us footprints on the sand of time” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Today, we join a host of people to celebrate the life of an extraordinary woman, a motivator, a teacher of old, who has become a metaphor for moral, religious and social relevance.
Mr Adetunji Williams got to the Principal apartment at Abeokuta Grammar School where he and other boys and girls began the secondary school under the watch keep of Mama and Papa Adeniyi.
Mr Williams in his tribute writes:
Clementina Ojuolape was born into the Williams family of Ijemo Agbadu, Abeokuta over 95 years ago.
She had her education in Lagos and became a teacher - Mathematics teacher.
She got married to a highly disciplined reverend gentleman, Rev.(later Bishop) J. S. Adeniyi who also was a teacher. They both worked at Sabongida - Ora Grammar School from where they went to the Abeokuta Grammar School.
At Abeokuta Grammar School, the husband stepped into the giant footsteps of the late and great Rev. I. O. Ransome - Kuti as the principal.
At Abeokuta Grammar School she was a teacher of mathematics, teaching algebra, geometry etc.
She was a great mentor, always making us realize that there's more to life than the joys of carefree attitude we all had as youths!
Amongst her philosophical quotations are: -
1) "You live your life in your heart; therefore be careful what you put in it. If you fill it up with hate, vengeance, malice and woes; "there would be NO space for joy, love, laughter and kindness and your heart will ROT away."
2) "Those who hate you DON'T win; unless you hate them in return. But then, you destroy yourself! Therefore, DON'T hate."
3) "When in peace, there's nothing that befits a man other than modesty; but when the cries and rumours of war get into our ears, then take we up the action of a tiger!"
4) That “since 1956 when I first met her up to Date, I am yet to come across anyone she has hurt or been bad to” SHE WAS THAT GOOD
The usual words of the husband sum everything up. i.e. "Go and do thou likewise."
Ladies and gentlemen, we hereby request you all to please
STOP, THINK and re-set "the clocks of life" in your hearts and CHANGE!
May the kind heart of Lape Adeniyi REST IN PEACE!
MR BODE AKIN-BANKOLE, a, member of Mama Adeniyi’s Apartment remembers those happy days as he writes: It all started early in 1956, my sister Chief (Mrs) Olabisi Akoni (Nee Bankole) introduced me to Mama Ojuolape Adeniyi’s Apartment in Abeokuta, I was to live with Mama Adeniyi, who was my sister’s Old Teacher at the Methodist Girl’s High School Yaba. When my sister first muted the idea to my parents, I was skeptical, because I had always lived with my parents and/ or close relations. On this sunny afternoon, we arrived at Mama Adeniyi’s place – I met some other boys and girls – the apartment seemed cosy and friendly – I could relate immediately with another boy- Mr Adetunji Williams and we became brothers, we lived as a family in Mama Adeniyi’s Apartment from 1956 to 1961- we gained admission to Abeokuta Grammar School in 1957 in class 1 and by God’s Grace passed out in 1961, the West African School Certificate Examination.
‘Mrs’, as we called her was a strict disciplarian, but a gentle loving mother- she taught us Algebra & Geometry in Classes I & II whenever you said anything wrong- she would twist your ears until those ears got hot and she would say- “ Emi o mo enia no ni egba, sugbon ti mo ba lo eti e wa gbadun ara e”.
As a mother she would recognize individual’s voice and attend to his/her needs, I remember this night after supper, I became hungry- and was echoing “ ebi npa mi o” all around the apartment, Mama heard and recognized my voice and called me to her room, found me some food to eat. At after 9pm that is the type of mother she was.
I thank God for her life, an excellent fulfilled years of longevity.
We salute the children, Mrs Bimbo Cole and her siblings for care given to mama until her Death. You have inherited a good legacy.
Omo rere a gbehin gbogbo wa o
God’s finger touched her ………………………………. and she slept.
May her Gentle soul rest in most perfect peace.
MR ADETUNJI WILLIAMS MR BODE AKIN-BANKOLE