Two years gone. Continue to rest in the bosom of your creator my big sister and my friend.

I only just stumbled on a post announcing her demise. Still in shock. About a month ago, I suddenly recalled unprompted, her kind interventions in my numerous but friendly scruffles with Ayo(her son) as youngsters not knowing of her demise.May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace. She had a great soul.

As the burial date draws near,it's becoming clear that anti Olu actually translated to higher glory on 17th May. This is still shocking but GOD knows HIS plans for each and every one of us. It's hard to forget the bond I have with you since my relationship with Christie (Borisade)Dada started in Mary Immaculate Ado Ekiti in 1967. You have been my sister always asking for Aduke. I also remember those years that I spent midterm breaks with the Borisade family, that Mama would dress us up in native wear for pictures!!!. So many sweet memories of times with you and other members of the family. We are missing you already. May God console all your loved ones especially the Borisades and Aladejanas. It will continue to be well with them.
Rest in perfect peace anti Olu until we meet to part no more.
Bola(Aduke) Ogunkua &family.

Professor Francisca Aladejana was not just an exceptional woman,
She was that daughter we would always be proud of,
The loyal friend we could always count on,
The loving wife we would always cherish,
The amazing mother we would always adore,
The Olorì we would always honour,
The leader we would always trust...
Our own jewel of inestimable value...
Èyé Francisca, sun re o

Professor mummy, a very rare disciplinarian and loving mother to the core. She is a brilliant mother who never hesitate to instill in us her daughters the need to be modest as a lady, to be courageous, hardworking and above all to love and fear God.
She radiates joy and happiness always.
Good night ma, you will be forever missed. May you keep resting in the bossom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Mum ,                                

My Lonely voice expressing anticipatory anxiety about your Health and Safety was drowned out    

Death leaves a heartache no one can Heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal

I am at Peace that you are Resting in the Bosom of The Lord

“ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38-39.

Good night, Mum.

Taiye Giwa

Your death still sounds unreal. I and the children still spoke to you the day before and we saw your face. It’s very hard to believe that we won’t hear your voice or see you again. We can only accept the will of God but we know you are in a better place. You are sorely missed mummy. “My grandmother,” as Olivia fondly calls you, continue to rest in the bosom of your maker. Till we meet on resurrection morning.

A PEARL OF WISDOM & BEAUTY
SUDDEN EXIT OF A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE

Aunty Olu gave herself willingly to the Eyeluaji and Alhaji Giwa families and we responded in kind, hence the ‘Aunty’ prefix to her name from us all.
With her, the limit of divine love was defined. Breathlessly fresh of spirits and looks. Her outlook on life in all the spheres she found herself was one of Himalayan optimism and spartan discipline.
Leadership was thrust on her rather early in life, having to mentor all her siblings from her early teenage years following the death of her father.
This hallmark stood her in good stead in several spheres of human endeavour where she thereafter loomed larger than life.
Hers was a life of selfless service to family, friends, institutions, government, and the Nation at large. The ripples and echoes of her achievement would be eternally etched in our memories as a soothing balm to her sudden exit.
She was indeed like a meteor in our firmament. Lord Byron (1783-1824) spoke for me in his epic love lyrics in 'Songs of Love’.
“She walks in beauty like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that is best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes.”
This too was our ‘Aunty Olu’! May Allah grant her soul Jannat ul Firdaus.

Eye provost or eye chairman, that's what we call her in Ado Ekiti. Whenever she called me to see her, she will say Aminat ewo lo se, mummy daada ni ma, engineer si ko, that's my husband, she normally call him engineer, mummy alaafia ni ma. She will ask of my children, she's so caring & friendly & mummy have the spirit of giving. On our last discussion, she still promise me to give me money to support my business. There is nothing she can not give some one. Rest in peace mummy, I love you but God love you most.

Dear mummy ni Ife, it is hard to believe that the angels have taken you home at a time we least expected. We hardly take in the fact that your sudden demise has unexpectedly terminated the moments we enjoyed with you. I do wonder if we will ever find anyone to take your place! You left a hollow no one can ever fill halfway.

“Mummy nife”, as we always referred you; you are a beautiful flower plucked from the flower bed to be a sweet-smelling savour in the presence of your maker. But it is hard to come to terms with the fact that we will never hear from you again. Sweet memories fill me anytime I remember the advice you found pleasure in sharing with us and will forever be cherished. Everyone admired your wisdom in solving complex issues any time we sought your input and now we can proudly say that you left footprints in the sands of time. Admittedly, we have lost a precious jewel; if death were stoppable, we would have kept it from coming your way.

Mummy nife, anytime we came visiting your place; we could see you wake early in the morning and report to work, and you would always ensure there were food and upkeep for us. The joys of sneaking into your room at Ife, and lying down on that big bed, and enjoying that massive fan, the joys of looking for the tailor that made my bridal gown, and the joys of you transporting the gown to Lagos. We looked forward to visiting Ife because of the fun and excitement that awaited us at your home.

I still remember the very first sentence you always uttered anytime we saw and spoke “amoni, bawo ni”.

Farewell, mummy. You fought a good fight and won the race. You left a legacy that will be read through the generations, current and to come. You left a mark in our hearts, that nothing will ever erase. It is indelible in our hearts. Till we meet again, rest in the arms of the creator.

Moni

The original Mrs. Aladejana, warm, sweet and full of life. It was a privilege and a great honour to have had you as part of our family. I will always remember your kindness and generosity towards us.

The Lord be with you and guide you on your journey home. Sun re o

Franciscan Aladejana was a perfect lady, soft spoken and a beautiful friend and mother in law to my daughter Kariba. I was comfortable with my child in the hands of the angel that she was. Her death came as a pain to me. Her mission was one that made a difference in many lives every hospitable woman who took great effort in ensuring the good and wellbeing of all.
She was an epitome of peace& good neighborliness. She lived a life of absolute trust in God and unconditional love for all. May her good soul rest in the bosom of the Lord. Amen
         Kariba Braide

Mummy ni Ife, words can not express the sadness your death has brought to us all, but I look back to the time you spent with us all and it gives me solace. You were a source of joy for all of us, the highlight of our trips to Iludun Ekiti was the stop over at Ife to see you and daddy. I remember when Leo met you for the first time, he told me "dad your mum is really nice, I like her" as he could not tell the difference between you and your sister. I was going to explain to him that you were not actually my mum, but I thought what difference does it make, you are my mum after all, so we left it at that.

Your accomplishments are exemplary, and you lived life to the fullest, it gives me enormous joy to have been related to you. I hope you continue to rest in peace.

O dabò ma

I met Prof. Olu Aladejana over 40 years through Funmilayo her sister, and from then, she became my sister.
One thing that strikes you first is her warmth and love for her family and people around her. She is such a cheerful personality, soft spoken, caring, with loving smiles. A great organiser and scholar. She will be dearly missed.
Adieu. We love you but God loves you best.

Good bye to a wonderful woman of inestimable value, my big mum.

Thank you for who you were, and all you did.

You played a major role in drawing me closer to God during my youth.

I remember those days when we prayed together as a big family, You will always make us take each prayer point 3 times, especially when we had family occasions and events. I will never forget the day we had 15 prayer points during one particular prayer session (night vigil), we spent over 5 hours in non-stop prayers.

I will never forget the words you spoke to me, when I had difficulties getting a job growing up, those words served as one of the major turning points in my life that drew me closer to God.

This impacted me in so many ways, for which I am grateful Ma.

Big-Mum, we will forever remember you for your strength, your passion, your love for humanity, your love for family, and above all your love for God.

Nothing was more important to you than keeping the family together.

We will forever treasure all the memories.

We love you but God loves you more.

Good Night Big Mummy. We deeply miss you already.

There are so many exeperiences to share but I will limit myself to a few:
1. I was still in Secondary school when she was invited as one of the faciltators for all teachers in South west, just mentioning her name was like a magic wand that opened the door, people around were filled with awe of her. It dawned on me that time that I was meeting with a star.
2. When I gained admission into Obafemi Awolowo univeristy, her counsel and help were timely.
3. When I lost my father barely few weeks to first semester of my Part 1 in Uni, She consoled and advised me to look at her as example of someone who lost her father when she was young but persisted and forged ahead reaching the pinnacle of her career.
4. When law school result was to be released, I was restless and nervous, she looked at me told me to be calm that I passed the exam that she had seen it, this is to tell you of her excellent relationship with God. She was given to prayers.

Mummy, thank you for opening your heart and hearth to me those years ago. It is indeed sad to see you go, we however know that You are in a better place.

It is HARD to accept the death of a loved one. I wish I had the power to make death go away from the face of the earth forever and never return. We wish to live on earth without losing anyone dear to us. But sadly, death is inevitable. Your death leaves a huge void in our hearts that only time can heal. You were very caring, passionate and loving. You gave us your shoulder to lean on. What a great loss.
Our consolation is that you lived a fulfilled Christ like life. May God grant your soul eternal peaceful rest.

You will forever be remembered "My Great Aunty". Continue to rest in Peace. It is well. Amen

IT'S HARD TO ACCEPT THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE , ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE...
ADIEU LOVELY MUMMY ...WE LOVE YOU BUT GOD LOVES YOU MOST.. FROM OSO ABOSEDE IYA ASA..

PROFESSOR FRANCISCA ALADEJANA: A Tribute
What we once enjoyed and deeply loved, we can never lose; for all that we love deeply
becomes part of us “Helen Keller”
The song is ended, but the melody will always linger on, the ever sweet melody of
Professor Francisca Aladejana, EX-SUBEB chairman, Ekiti State, former Provost Ekiti State
College of Education, Senior Assistant to Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Basic Education, Member
Obafemi Awolowo University Governing Council.
The sweet melody that will linger on is not because of the aforementioned. The sweet
melody is because of what Professor Francisca was to me, indeed to us, the Dadas: a
wonderful counselor, a confidant, a compassionate listener, a shoulder to lean on, a
divine gift from the giver of all good things – our Lord and God. When we were together
in a function in Lagos on 27th March, little did I know we would never see to talk again.
Death, where is your sting? 1 Cor. 15:55
Grief is the price we pay for love, Collin Murray Parkes
The helping hand we had in our sister
The ear we had in our caring mother
The counseling voice we had in our erudite mentor
The great peace maker we had in our queen
The good Lord called to Himself, his wonderful handmaid. He used her to achieve so
much; a distinguished educationist per excellence, a motherly Adviser, a devout Catholic
Christian, a Champion of poverty eradication, an unrepentant apostle of justice and
common good.
Death leaves the heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory, no one can
steal.
But I have a consolation, we have a consolation. It is all in the scriptures she cherished
so much and lived fervently “Brothers, and Sisters, we don’t want you to be ignorant
about those who have fallen asleep, so that you would not be sad like others who have
no hope”. 1Thes. 4:13. May the good Lord console Professor Tony Aladejana, the
husband you left behind. May He console your highly disciplined and responsible children,
your highly generous and united siblings “the Borishade in-laws”, your numerous and
wonderful friends and associates.
Like St. Paul, she fought the good fight, she ran the race, what remains is the crown of
glory, she’s been called over to receive. What she left behind, is not what is engraved in
stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others, our lives. May your soul
and the soul of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.
We will always love and remember you. Adieu Professor Olu Aladejana, my good sister.
Engr. Dr. Micheal Afolabi Dada, FNSE, KSM.

Gone too soon. I am grateful for the love and kindness you showed us. You will be missed. May your soul rest in peace.

Sadly and sourly miss Auntie Olu. Unbelievable at your untimely departure auntie. Forever in memory and consciousness, your footprints on the sands of time. Your brief stint as SUBEB Ekiti State Chairperson remains evergreen! As a big sister and mother, it's a huge vacuum! Till resurrection morning auntie, Sleep on Princess!!! Omo Olose.

I remember meeting you when I first went to Nigeria. You were kind and full of love. You will be greatly missed. May we see you again.

After my family and I had moved to the US, when I was 10, I went back to Nigeria for secondary school. In the six years that I was there, mommy took care of me like I was her own. She came to every visiting day with lots of food and snacks for me and all my friends; she never missed a visiting day. She was my emotional support when I was in Nigeria for school. She also looked a lot like my mom which helped.! She was a great source of support. She was an inspiration for me; she had accomplished so much and continued to do so, well into her later years. She was a great leader, really setting an example to her peers and family. She was a prayer warrior; my mom would often tell me how much she was praying for me and my siblings to do well in life. While her death was sudden, I know she is in heaven working for God. I will miss her very much and she will be greatly missed by me and all who knew her.

An Exemplar Exits!
Mummy Ife (one of the many names that I called her) meant so much to me. A quintessential promoter of African family values, sophisticated intellectual and exemplar, Aunty Olu was an embodiment of humility.
A woman of substance that she was, she once related to me how she was one of the elite students trained in the complicated Irish dance. I was, indeed, so proud to see her elegantly present a paper as the keynote speaker at an ICT educational conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States of America.

I am still confused about her sudden demise, having just spoken with her about her plans to come to the USA for a resting holiday, in order to garner enough strength for the United Kingdom where she intended to spend quality time with her grandchildren.

As an eduationist, she humorously call herself a mere teacher. She believed that it was wrong to hold that the shortest way between two points is a straight line, arguing that in education, that line of thought could be fatally wrong. According to her, one person could make five 'A's at once and the other person, five credits at two or more sittings; yet, both could still end up as professors or reach the top in their chosen careers.

As a leader and mentor, she did not only encourage us to bring our kids to school in Nigeria, she volunteered to be their guardian, including even, their friends. She never missed a visiting day.

I can go on and on, but my emotions won't let me.

Aunty Olu was a prayer warrior and an advocate and adherent of family values. She sacrificed her comfort for others, particularly her family (nuclear and extended). She also sacrificed for her state (Ekiti), Nigeria and humanity as a whole. I recall how her superb analysis of the Ife-Modakeke crisis, published in an international journal, got her an invitation by an Israel peace group to lecture on the world's most complicated crisis the Israel/Palestine issue.

Wow! Our patriarch started working at age18 to support her family and died in active service, still working. WHAT A LIFE OF SACRIFICE!

Adieu, Professor (Olori) Francisca Olu Aladejana JP, seasoned academics, immediate past chairman, Ekiti SUBEB and former provost, Ekiti State College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti.