Family Origins

Jolaade Arigho Ojo-Ologun was born at Akure on March 25, 1926. Her father, Ojo Ologun, was a descendant of Bini warriors that garrisoned in Akure until 1897 when the British sack of Benin empire emboldened the vassal regime in Akure to fully rebel against Benin overlordship. The erstwhile warriors and lords thenceforth became stranded in Akure as majority of them had intermarried and had transmogrified to a distinct faction now known as Ado-Akure. The word “Ado” here should not be confused with the town called Ado Ekiti. Rather, Ado here, pronounced just like the “Edo” alternative name of Benin people, is the Akure word for Bini.

Ojo, her father, was initially an itinerant trader that went as far as Ilorin – on foot, to buy, sell and move his wares. These traders travelled in companies and were usually armed to protect themselves from thieves and other hazards on such long trade routes. By the time mama Jolaade was born, Ojo-Ologun had become a Roman Catholic and had settled down as a successful cocoa farmer in Ogbese, on the way between Akure and Owo. He surrounded himself with relatives and friends. Cocoa trade was good, and his success was measurable as one of the first people to own a motor vehicle in Akure.

Her mother, Omomo-Ojo-Ologun, was the youngest of siblings fleeing Effon Alaiye in Ijeshaland during the several wars and slave raids of that era. At Akure, she was married to Ojo-Ologun as his first wife. That marriage produced the following children that survived to adulthood: Osasogie (called Shasoge in Akure), Ajari (Eye Jimoh), Omolagba (Omoruyi), Jolaade (Arigho), Imatitikhua (Titi), Mary and Abiye. Ojo-Ologun had children from four other wives.

Ologun’s wealth in material goods did not instruct him to educate his children. There was no immediate correlation between success and the new idea of “Western” education. He therefore educated neither male nor female initially. The earliest of the children that had any formal education came after mama Jolaade. None of his children preceded his grandchildren to high school. His cousin, Peter Eke, was a trained surveyor and his neighbor at the Igisan quarters. Jolaade’s accurate birthdate was due to diligent record-keeping by this sole educated member of the family.

Early Life

Jolaade, the teenager, like her father before her, began itinerant trading as soon as she was old enough to do so. Trading with neighboring towns such as Ado-Ekiti, Owo, etc, with traders, as was the practice, going on foot and carrying their wares on their heads was the mainstay at that time. Mother told me she was quite grown up and successful in trade by the time she became Papa Isaac Fakinlede’s fourth wife! Interestingly, records show she was only seventeen at that time! Papa Isaac Fakinlede, his brother Fayanju (Uke) with their wives and families, continued to live with their parents on Arakale road, until 1950 when he moved his family to the present family house on Oyemekun Road. Relative prosperity at that time showed up in their ability to build a storey building (petesi) and having much more room than they could use. As the house was close to the government’s Public Works Department (PWD) yard, there was sufficient room to add a number of paying tenants to the large family house. Mama Jolaade built her shop in front of the building and traded in small wares as well as ran a ’buka’ for the workers of the PWD. The older children attended school at St Thomas’ Primary School – close to the original family dwelling while younger children, beginning from Coli, went to St Theresa’s as it was closer to the new family house.

Struggles and Hardships

Jolaade’s life was heavily affected by two major issues of life: The second child, a male called Ayo and the third, - a daughter called Womiloju. Ayo’s neurological challenge reduced the ability of mama Jolaade to move around since his problems increased to the extent that he could not remain in school and had to be taken care of at home. She was unable to cope till her mother, Omomo Ojo-Ologun relieved her and caused Ayo to live with her. That temporary respite gave mama Jolaade the time to increase her trade and she was reasonably successful. Apart from selling provisions and cooked food, she also went into brewing the local barley beer (burukutu) and later went into the clothes dyeing business.

Her life changed again with the tumultuous incident of Womiloju’s death at 18. Ayo returned home after grandma Omomo died in 1980. It was a life of toil and hard work to assist father to keep us in school, with her first son in the university beginning from 1966. Things changed for the better in 1970 with Olubodun’s graduation from university and there was a respite as school fees were no longer such a tough challenge for her.

Travelling Days

Mama’s travelling days included a heavy dose of churching for herself and the children – just like everyone in the Fakinlede’s household. Sunday mornings were memorable. There was this elaborate dressing and make-up with “tiro” eyelashes and “papanlolo” for the face after everyone had a good bath. Everyone walked to church in our house. Even baba with his two vehicles (a Raleigh and a Rudge bicycles), parked them and had that early morning walk to go and pray “Ki Oluwa ki o pelu nyin, ki O si pelu emi re, E je ki a gbadura …”. Synod report, end of year bible drama, etc. The church also encouraged membership of groups and Sunday afternoons were elaborate age grade meetings (mitini egbe) and children waited for the rice mama would return home with from the ‘mitini’!

Mama Jolaade’s travelling days began with being born into the relative wealth of the successful cocoa farmer and this showed up in her Bini name “Arigho” literally meaning “We eat money”! Starting out with teen itinerant trading and married off at 17. Bearing nine children and burying five of them: three at the common childhood morbidity prevalent in the 19day, and two in tragic adulthood. She soldiered on, looking after these children in the new era of costly education. The education of those days began, for some of us, as “Free Primary” education. Our parents took advantage of this and the location of several “Mission Schools” in proximity of our home, with father’s great encouragement, meant every capable child could attend.

By the time you reached secondary school, it became a bit more expensive. Small-time traders, like my father, could not afford the fees for the large number of children he had, but he too soldiered on encouraged by our mothers who would not take staying at home as an option for any child. Jolaade stayed the course with all her children no matter what the obstacles were. If there was any partiality, it was by staying with the weakest until they mended!

Wednesday, September 13, I got a call that mama was having a serious pain at the back. I promised to be there the next morning. Many calls later, we appeared to be in the clear. Mama woke up on Thursday, had her bath and requested a specific breakfast that was promptly made by my sister, Abegbe.

Thirty minutes later, mama had stopped breathing: Travelling days were over! The strife of life was over, the battle won. May we continue to sing the songs of triumph. Amen!