MY POP TURNS 70 - JUBILANT PLATES FOR HIS PLATINUM JUBILEE

 

He is fondly called Igwe by his political associates; Kollington by old school mates; Doki by persons in his social & medical circles; Egbon by those who adore him as a reliable big brother; Honourable by people who remember he was a member of the Ondo State House of Assembly between 1992 and 1993; Kola by his contemporaries; and daddy or grandpa by those of us with filial ties to this charitable persona.

Ask for three words to succinctly characterize Dr. Kola Ademujimi - my old man - and I will echo ‘simple, kind-hearted and people-centric’ seventy times, at least to remind the world of his platinum jubilee on the surface of the earth this 30^th day of June, 2023. Here is one father who never, I mean, never, raised his hands on me as a child till I moved out of his house as an adult – a very rare characteristic of an African father! Here is one father who ensured I honed my skills of independence at a ‘prime age’ through two remarkable events – a funded bank account and driving lessons. If I had one hundred friends and acquaintances at the time, I can bet that I was one of the only five among that number who enjoyed these two privileges at that age.

Tens of people have severally and rhetorically inquired of me; “Why is your father such a simple and people-loving person? Why is he quick to render help to even strangers? In and out of public office that dominated a significant part of his working life, why does he choose to unwind with all classes of the society, sipping his favourite ‘simple’ beverage (beginning with letter ‘G’) in a brown-coloured bottle and not expensive champagnes? Why did he, as Chief of Staff to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, choose to live in his 4-bedroom bungalow in highbrow Ijapo Estate, Akure and not the Government House quarters at Alagbaka throughout his 8-year tenure? Why would he rather cruise himself around town than allow a driver do so? How come he’s got no airs around him in and out of public office? Why did he choose to invest millions of naira to set up his private medical firm in his hometown of Idanre and not a more commercially viable city such as Akure, the capital of Ondo State?” The barrage of questions has become my daily cross to bear, as I relentlessly strive to pontificate that the twin traits of humility and humanity are his conscious personal choices.

What more stand him out? My father is high on a God-given intellectual capacity, so much so that he quickly grasps issues. He attended University of Ibadan (1976-1982) and University of Ife (1975-1976) where he won the University of Ife’s National Award in 1976 having emerged as the overall best student in the Department of Biochemistry at the 100-level final examination of 1975/1976 set. Earlier, a bright Kola had a stint at Ibadan Polytechnic (1974-1975); Olofin Grammar School, Idanre (1971-1973); George Burtons Grammar School, Ilesha (Jan – Dec. 1970); and Methodist Modern School, Idanre (1968-1969), where his academic feat earned him a double promotion, causing him to complete his Junior Secondary Education within two years instead of three and he emerged the overall best student at the Modern Three Leaving Certificate Examination in December 1969. His qualities of hard work, courtesy, networking, political sagacity, loyalty to friendship & courses, peace-making and modernity have all distinguished this man.

Don’t be carried away by the finished product you see as Kola Ademujimi among the septuagenarian club today because he’s got his rags-to-rubies story. I recall some tales of his early years shared with me at in his office as the then Executive Chairman, Ondo State Housing Corporation (1999 – 2003). I had asked on this fateful day as I dropped off his office bags and waited to receive some cash on my way back to school; “Why are you addicted to the use of nude-coloured nail cortex & hardener on your toenails?” He retorted; “As a boy, my long years of farming activities in our village destroyed the natural beauty of my nails”. His far-from-silver-spoon birth at Kajola village in Idanre town and subsequent life struggles that followed the demise of his father, Chief Michael Makinwa Ademujimi, in his early adolescent days tipped him and his siblings to be regular callers on the farm to support their mum (now late), Chief Mrs. Comfort Durosomo Ademujimi. Thankfully, the grace he enjoyed in his intentional pursuit of education as well as in his multi-dimensional careers later overshadowed the indelible marks of previous economic misery such as his scarred & husky toenails.

Countless number of grateful hearts have opened up to me about one kind gesture or the other that my father freely & selflessly offered them, their friend(s) or someone they do not know but heard him/her testify of Dr. Kola Ademujimi’s benevolence. When my friends & colleagues say my default settings are problem-solving, quick-helping or warmth-exuding, I tell the curious lot that these inter-related traits are phenotypic inheritances from my father, just as his gesticulating habits that I portray. It’s not surprising, therefore, that my siblings and I have enjoyed some measure of goodwill, even across partisan and non-partisan lines, that are connected to his perceived plethora of past & present good deeds to humanity.

How about his premium on family? in spite of the larger-than-life image that his political and social sojourn over the last three decades, particularly across Ondo State, have afforded him, ba’mi (my father) Jones no dey use that one joke! My virtuous and Deeper-Life-attendee mother, Mrs. Iyabode Ademujimi, would truthfully tell of his unfailing nature as a provider, protector and promoter of his family over the past four decades of their union. His extended family of three brothers & three sisters and numerous cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and so forth is not likely to say otherwise. 

With all that I have penned, a soiree put together by my humble self and siblings - Mrs. Toun Akingbesote, a Chartered Accountant and Toyosi Ademujimi, Ph.D, a manufacturing engineer, with the generous support of our mum and spouses, to celebrate our high-achieving father in his fields of medicine, politics, entrepreneurship, social engineering, community service and church vineyard is surely not an extravagant or garrulous endeavour. Friends, associates & well-wishers have been humbly invited to join us in clinging wine glasses and striking jubilant plates with judicious cutlery to mark the platinum jubilee of an accomplished medical doctor, astute politician, absolute statesman, acknowledged socialite, articulate traditional title holder (Otunba Ajiroba of Idanreland and Akayejo of Iropora-Ekiti), amiable Knight of John Wesley (KJW), accessible Baba Ijo of Methodist Church, Idale-Idanre and affable pop. This one is a celebration he undeniably deserves!

The icing on the birthday cake of the party-loving celebrant alongside his party-shy better half would be the opening of a 400-seater event hall they both built somewhere beside St. Michael’s Catholic High School, off Ijoka Road, Akure. This new commercial building, which has displaced their first-ever personal house that was previously on that parcel of land, would host the 70^th birthdate bash of our paterfamilias as its debut event and is joyfully named “Jones & Lily Place” to immortalize its co-founders – Dr. Kola Jones Ademujimi and Mrs. Iyabode Moromoke Lilian Ademujimi, even in their lifetime!

Ba’mi Kola, having attained enormous milestones at 70, we wish you many more landmarks beginning with letter ‘e’ - extra wins, excellent health, elongated life, exciting news from your children & grandchildren and above all, eternal life. Happy 70^th birthday dad, for you’re a jolly good fellow and so say all of us!

Dr. Adetolu Ademujimi is a Medical Doctor, Health Financing Specialist, Author, Reformer, Coach, Public Policy expert and Social entrepreneur