ForeverMissed
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Her Life

Employer of Labour

October 30, 2013

As a retiree, Ibiyemi joined the Lagos State NITEL Pensioners and served in various capacities including as Member, Welfare Committee, Secretary (1999– 2001) and Member, Action Plan Committee   (1999 – 2001). Upon retirement, she ventured into a couple of businesses including bee farming in Otta. In 1997, she decided to expand one of the businesses, with the acquisition of a farmland in Lagos State Pig Estate in Gberigbe, Ikorodu. Her piggery was a choice one, used as research centre.

She was a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (MNIM), Nigerian Institute of Training & Development (MNITD), NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NEW) and the Lagos State Piggery Farmers Association.

Deaconess Ibiyemi Oluremi Famuyiwa, the Managing Consultant of Ibiyemi Consults, a training and management consultancy company whose clientele included the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Nigeria. She equally supervised activities of Ibifam Ventures, a subsidiary responsible for trading and farming. She organised training and sub-let her facility to those interested in learning the rudiments of pig farming. She had a great passion for working with people and worked across cultural, social and developmental backgrounds.

Life of God-Inspired Devotion

October 30, 2013

Oluremi’s sonorous voice was dedicated to worship.  A spiritual leader, prayer warrior, relentless counsellor and deliverance minister who went the extraordinary mile to shoulder the burden of her children and those God sends her way leading to testimonies of healing, salvation, deliverance and many miracles! When you find her awake at 2AM, it was to pray. Little wonder are children and many who met her became injected with her life of selfless service and absolute devotion to God. Wherever she went, once she opens her mouth, be it to sing, teach or reach, her voice became a pull factor.

She won a Soloist Emeritus Award! As she rendered "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth, some years ago in Araromi Baptist Church, a white dove flew into the church leaving everyone awe-struck! During the Last Synod, despite just taking her seat in humility with other Lay readers, she was invited to lead songs, prayers and her groups report, which she was asked to present was adopted as part of the communiqué for the event, which fielded many notable religious leaders.

Big or small, young or old, she was always excited to strike a friendship and go beyond hello as she travels for training, visits and mission. Years after she visited Olubamidele in the UK, many still ask, when is Mama coming back!

Pillar of Strength

October 30, 2013

In 2009, she relocated to Ikorodu to better attend to her farm in Gberigbe. She also made a decision to return to the church of her birth, the Anglican Communion. She joined the Lagos West Anglican Diocese and served in 3 churches including Holy Trinity Anglican Church Egbin where she was ordained a Lay Reader. She was later posted to assist Rev. Ogabi with the growing of a new church – Christ Anglican Church, Eletu. She made positive contributions and transformed many lives through her sacrificial giving, counsel and prayers. She was given a pride of place beyond what most Lay Readers do; it wasn't unusual, for instance, to find her preaching. During a service where Vicars and Venerables came before the altar for thanksgiving prayers, she was invited to the sacristy (the rail was opened to usher her in), to bless them! A honour she always gave God glory for.

Iya Adura (as she is fondly called by her children and admirers) was well loved and admired everywhere she went. She was instrumental to and left no stone unturned in the educational advancement of her children, training of her siblings and wholesome development of in-laws and strangers some of who adopted her as mother e.g. Waheed, Oderinde and Ezekiel. Her children’s friends were so enamoured by her that a mother-child relationship developed between her and many including Bewaji Fasina Oyewole.

She was a visioneer par excellence who made positive proclamations about the future and encouraged many to break new grounds in computer education, residential estates and farm settlements to mention a few. She was part of a number of charitable endeavours some of which were self-motivated e.g. care of the less privileged, prison evangelism, educational support to indigent students, provision of basic needs to families in need and training and employment of unskilled professionals.

Service to God and Humanity

October 30, 2013

Ibiyemi Oluremi was involved in many associations and groups towards the advancement of her faith, Christianity in particular and humanity in general. Shortly after marriage, herself and her husband joined Araromi Baptist Church, Moloney-Lagos.

At ABC, Mami (as she is fondly called by her daughters), served in numerous positions including as Teacher, Adult Education (1983–1985), Director, Lydia Auxilliary (1992-1994), Busy Bees President (1995-1999), Member, Executive Committee (1995-2001), Auditor (1999-2001) and WMU President, during which she personally paid off the debt owed by her predecessors to remove the smear on the church.She served on the Scholarship Board (2002-2004) and on the team saddled with the responsibility of revamping Araromi Primary School. She was a long serving Choir Member. Little wonder she was ordained a Deaconess in 19xx.

Her dedication to worship and service extended to the J.T Ayorinde Baptist Association where she served among other roles as Chairperson Education Committee (1996–2000), Director of Stewardship & Service (2000-2002), Auditor  (2001-2004). For Lagos State Busy Bees, she served on the Evangelism (2001-2003) and Welfare Committee  (1990–1996). She was also the President of Surulere Shepherds’ Club from 1989 to 1993.

At some point, she began attending church with her children – RCCG Throne of Grace, RCCG Balm of Gilead, Foursquare Gospel Church. It was a special time of bonding during which she enjoyed fellowship with her children and interacted with their pastors and friends.

She later joined Christ Royal Family and was regularly attending in Egbeda. During her brief membership there, she helped to set up the layout for the church’s educational system beginning with the crèche. That seed sown in humility has grown to include vocational training centers and a university. In 2007, she joined the Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA) and was instrumental to driving the vision. She instituted the prayer arm and established the prayer vigil. It seem this awesome woman bloomed wherever she landed; so it was that when FOTA was going to ordain her first set of leaders as a full-fledged church, Ibiyemi was ordained a deaconess. Her devoted service there lasted a couple of years.

Other churches she has been involved in include: Surulere Baptist Church, Good News Baptist Church and many Baptist Churches under the J.T Ayorinde Association of the Nigerian Baptist Convention.

Career in Civil Service

October 30, 2013

In 1969, Oluremi obtained employment in Civil Service with Nigerian External Telecomunications (NET) Limited. She progressively rose through the ranks such that by the time the company’s name was changed in 1985 to Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), she had moved to the senior cadre. While a staff she attended numerous courses across the country and spearheaded many initiatives and was instrumental to generating 70% of revenue from external organisations during her tenure as Head of Commercial School. She served in a number of positions and participated in ad-hoc activities including Representing NITEL Training Centre at Various Exhibitions, serving as Chairperson of Welfare Committee, Leader of Training Need Identification Committee and Secretary of Committee on Capital Project Implementation.

Ashake (chosen to be cherished) was personable and went over and beyond just immersing herself in work; as part of her journey in Civil Service, she won the 1974 NET Beauty Contest after which the company branded the corporate calendar with her photograph. She was a multiple Winner (1972-1977) of the International Telephone Operator weekly award and the only female in top management level for 5 years in the NITEL Training Centre. She served as Designer, Negotiator & Coordinator of Telephone Operator Courses for Chevron and Committee Chairperson for a course for 70 newly appointed Accounting Officers. During her tenure as Head of Commercial School, her school became the concurrent Winner of the School Cup Competition so much so that other schools wonder whether it was necessary to keep participate!

She had a very cordial relationship with her staff members and went beyond being a business leader to participate in their development and welfare which included paying school fees for their children and taking up prayer burdens for their needs. She retired voluntarily from NITEL in 1998 after 29 years of Meritorious Civil Service.

Woman of Faith

October 30, 2013

Ibiyemi Oluremilekun Asake Odu was born on 19 November 1947 to Samuel Odu and Esther Adetoun Odu nee Fatolu in Ebute Meta, Lagos. In 1971, she got married to Joseph Olukunle Famuyiwa at the registry following the traditional engagement.

She obtained her Secondary School Leaving Certificate from the African Church Grammar School Abeokuta in 1968. She willingly gave up further studies to enable her give financial support to her mother in the education of her siblings. Her desire to earn a degree led her to seek admission to study accounting at the University of Lagos; combining this with her role as a civil servant, wife and mother, was one she managed excellently; she graduated with a BSc in 1990. To further her vision of a lifetime of service to God, she obtained a Certificate and Master Life Diploma from the Institute of Mission Studies (2006, 2000) and a Diploma in Theology from the Dunamis Seminary, Lagos.

Her friendship circle includes Chief Gboyega Awomolo, SAN, Pastor Segun Adegbiji of RCCG, Chief Mary Ebike Williams (Late), Mrs. Balogun, a former colleague and Evangelist Mopelola Kolawole nee Oluyemi, a childhood friend with whom she remained friends. 

Ibiyemi is survived by her siblings - Canon Adetunji Odu and Mrs. Dolapo Shittu, her husband - Olukunle, children - Olubamidele, Omolola, Olurotimi, Olufikayo and Motunrayo, their spouses, grandchildren and extended family members.