Fidau Tribute : One Abiola Ajimobi , Many ‘Idris-es’ – Comrade Socrates Grieves , Extols His Virtues

Fidau Tribute : One Abiola Ajimobi , Many ‘Idris-es’ – Comrade Socrates Grieves , Extols His Virtues .

‘Please, permit me to use past and present tenses as the case may be ‘.

Dear Daddy, Mentor and Benefactor! Sen. Isiaq Adeyemi Abiola Ajimobi, sir, since your demise, the more I try to marshall my energies and muster courage to put this tribute together, the more my hands fail me, the more I find it difficult to do so as your death still look like a dream to me . I remain expectant , may be, one day, someone would wake me up from my dream but it is like the reality of your death has done on us and no more day dreaming . May your soul rest in peace.

You are our dad, this is not because we are your biological sons like our brother, ‘Idris’ Bolaji Ajimobi but it is because you have chosen and adopted many of us as your beloved sons, ‘Idris-es’. You have always been there for us as father , mentor and benefactor. May God Almighty repose your soul and give us all fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

“Yah Gafuur !
Yah Lateef !!
Yah Rahman !!!
Oh Allah ! Forgive Sen. Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi’s shortcomings, bless him and repose his soul in Aljanat Firdaus (Amin) “.

As persons , to me and my comrades , you remained our resourceful mentor . Yes , you are our mentor that had always been readily available as our erudite tutor and trusted advisor on many intellectual and academic brainstormings, philosophical and political discourses .

Either one on one or in company of my comrades, I was one of your mentees that positively troubled you a lot , mostly, to make collective requests or simply to tap from the pool of your expansive knowledge, wisdom and experience . And perfectly, you understood my these idiosyncrasies that many feeble minds might count as arrogance, aggression or intimidation .

I love you, I love your mind. I adore you and I adore your candour, courage, carriage, capability, capacity and charisma.

Yes, you are my evergreen benefactor because you had done a lot for me as good father you were but unknowing to you in your life time , sir, many of it did not materialise and some that materialised were politically hijacked but I maintained my calmness and refused to report such to you to avoid any further rancour and to forge ahead as my confidence in you had never wavered and my hope kept rising based on your sincerity of purpose and forthrightness of leadership .

Father ! Thank you so much. You did not only support and empower me as NANS Cadre and youth advocate but you also mentored me democratically, made me politically and gave me platform to operate as Vice Chairman of Aare Latosa Local Council.

Like two months to your demise in the presence of Prof. Olowofela, Hon. Abiodun Ambali and other progressive stalwarts, I was with you and when I wanted to leave, I mistakenly took your white handkerchief instead of mine. In your charismatic manner, you called my attention to that and jokingly asked if you should give it to me so that I would be able to put it in a bag of beans and it turned millions. I also jovially responded that I really needed it but not to make money but to gain knowledge whenever I rub it across my head and you smiled that I should also add wisdom.

On that fateful night, as I was pouring your tea, I was making a demand after concluding our major discussion that I wanted to break a jinx that night by collecting money from you as Akintunde Adeyemo(Socrates) and that night, you surprised me and gave me reasonable amount of money.

Since your assumption in office in 2011, you had always been there for all and sundry of youth and students in the state without any discrimination.

In 2013, you donated buses to Students Union Governments, NANS, FOSSU, NYCN and other organizations after we had come with superior argument. This a uniqueness of yours, you did bow for superior arguments and act responsibly .

In 2014, as Oyo-State governor, you did not only empower youth with life-long lucrative jobs but you also approved and gave other dividends of democracy like pilgrimage slots, Hajj and Jerusalem to youth and student leaders in the state but on my own case, before I could see you, time had already gone, despite the opposing forces even when many were saying that time had already gone, you insisted that we should also give mine trial and process it internationally. Our father and your then SSG , Alhaji Ismaila Olalekan Alli tried a lot on it and heavily stayed on Libragold Hajj and Umrah Travels to the extent of delaying his own departure to the holy land because of my case but as fate would have it, time constraints finally made us to miss it that year.

After 2015 when there was a rumour that you wanted to appoint me as an SA, I did not even take the hint serious but I later heard that it was true but may be, due to my unseriousness and powerplay that later occurred on your youth and students desk, the SA-ship would never come and the rest is history .

In 2015 when I wanted to contest for Oyo State House of Assembly, you blessed me but the agenda never see light of the day due to the then existing realities and still you never deny me.

Again, in 2016 that I consulted you on my Local Government chairmanship ambition, on the leverage of your closest ally, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, even, when the Ibadan North was still together, you ‘ok-ed’ it even when I was even not that sure of myself, you encouraged me that you believed in youth and you believe that I could do it.

Again, in 2018, against all odds but due to your confidence in youth and your interests in mentoring young minds, you democratically made me Vice Chairman of Aare Latosa Local Council, Oyo state , Nigeria.

Still despite, all the challenges of 2019 general election, you had never denied us and you still remain father, mentor and benefactor that you were.

Few days to your departure to Abuja, trip of no return alive but in spirit, I received a call from Your Excellency very late in the night that you heard about a program that I featured on, you commended me and in our usual mentor – protege manners, we started our intellectual brainstormings . I reminded you of something that I had openly requested from you during one of our post 2019 Friday meetings at your Oluyole residence. You told me that you had worked on it but I should remind you next morning . When dawn fell, I only sent you text message as I decided not to trouble you on phone as regard that matter but to come down to meet you at your Oluyole residence and sort the matter out whenever you return . I did not know that I would later be there to sign condolence register of your demise, so sad but we are soberly submitted to the will of your creator.

“Akanji Iko Bi Ode Orun Ire Ki Ose Orun Ire”, sir, now that you have finally arrived heavenly city, remain great and gallant you were. Help me greet your fellow Ibadan kinsman and my biological father , Pa Imran Adeagbo Adeyemo who also died in June, 2014, exact 6years ago at the same age of 70 of yours .

Sir, also extend my tribute to my another sure man and your partner in stability and peace projects during your reign as Oyo state helmsman, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde Fele! My father and benefactor, RIP too.

And never forget your speaker whom I shared the same initial and surname with, M.A Adeyemo and all the great minds like yours that had gone to celestial city, “Iwale Asa as Yorubas will put it”.

SAA! Your Adored Matriarch and Our Blue-eyed Mother , Chief (Dr) Florence Ajimobi misses you.

Your closest ally and good brother, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola misses you .

All your political lieutenants , administrative aides and our leaders miss you.

All your biological children and we the adopted one miss you.

“Yes, the conservative forces see us as your sycophants but the progressive minds know that we are your loyalists. Either way, yes, if they say we are your sycophants, yes we are but a genuine one. Thus, if they say we are your loyalists, yes, we are and unalloyed one”.

Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi ! Aare of Ibadan Land and Sheu of The Universe , sir, you were not just a public figure but a legendary one that lives on.

“Rest on Master as Ajumose Legacies Live Forever “.

Your son,
Comrade Monsuru Akintunde Adeyemo(Socrates),
Vice Chairman, Aare Latosa LCDA /
President,
Pan-African Internationalist Movement(P-AIM) .