When Aworis celebrated their past heroes

Even though Pa Isau Aremo Olorunfunmi, Oba Saula Alabi Rufai Olugbede and Alhaji Nasirudeen Akanbi Ibraheem Aroworatira are dead, their memories are being kept alive by the Awori Progressive Elite Club (APEC) of Idimu, Lagos which organised a celebratory event in their honour last Sunday.

Alhaji Issa Adaranijo, APEC Chairman, told Oseyiza Oogbodo Blog why APEC deemed it fit to organise the event despite the fact that all the honourees were all late.

“The three of them were sons of Awori who contributed greatly and invaluably to the development of Aworis and Idimu. And as a society dedicated to the development of Aworis and Idimu, APEC decided to honour them albeit posthumously in order to encourage other Aworis that they should see the development of Awori as a priority. And that whatever they do for Awori will live beyond them and are what they and their generations will be recognised by in future.” 

Disclosing why the three were chosen out of the millions of Aworis worldwide, he said, “The late Olorunfunmi, Olugbede and Aroworatira were heroes and worthy leaders and nation builders during their time. They lived by example and left behind legacies that can never be erased by time. Not only did they help Awori indigenes individually, they ensured they brought constructive development to Idimu which is our own base.

“Pa Olorunfunmi for instance voluntarily offered his personal house at Council Street, Idimu as the secretariat for the running of the newly-created Alimosho Local Government for eleven good years from April 1980 to 1991. He didn’t stop at that; he donated 10 acres of land for the building of the permanent secretariat. He also donated another 10 acres to Catholics Mission in 1987 to build the first secondary school in Idimu. That school is St Francis Catholic School, Liasu Road, Idimu.

“In his own case, Oba Olugbede was the Onidimu 111 of Idimu. He reigned for twenty years, 1979 – 1999, and was the father of former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai. During his reign, Idimu attained a lot of development.

“It was during his reign that electrification of Idimu was completed and commissioned by former Governor Lateef Jakande. He ensured that the Idimu Obaship stool was elevated to first class among the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs and he was the Secretary to the Council until his demise in 1999. A firm believer in education, he facilitated the arrival of the first government secondary school in Idimu, Olorunfunmi Grammar School, in 1996.”

As for Aroworatira, Adaranijo described him as a foremost Islamic scholar who impacted his Arabic and Quranic knowledge on Idimu.  “Many of his students are great personalities today. Some of them are Alhaji Muibi who is Chief Imam of Lagun Town; Alhaji Musendiku Obalanlege, Chief Imam of Ikotun and Alhaji Sulaimon Alawiye and Alhaji Abdl Rafiu Akorede who are missioner and Chief Imam of Rahmat Society of Nigeria respectively.

“His children are also great children that we Aworis can be proud of. Alhaji Sharafdeen Ibraheem is the present Chief Imam of Idimu while Alhaji M A Ibraheem, a chartered accountant, is presently Nigeria’s Ambassador to Switzerland.”

Another of Awori’s prominent sons, Architect Olutosin Akinyemi, President, Awori Resource Guild (ARG), was the special lecturer at the event.

“It is not surprising that these three worthy Awori sons are being celebrated today. They are worthy to be emulated by all Awori sons and daughters. They did not think of self aggrandizements or immediate gains but left legacies for generations yet unborn. I charge all Aworis to start living up to these three past heroes of ours.”

Praising APEC for organising the event to celebrate their past heroes, he then launched into a mild but succinct tirade of how the Awori race was losing its identity and that the loss must be prevented.

“There are dangers ahead of us Aworis. Questions we should all mandatorily ask ourselves are: Who are we? Where do we belong? Who are our leaders? What are we to our leaders? What do we have to showcase our race and culture? What and where is our language or dialect today?

“These and more are issues concerning every Awori wherever he or she may be. We should be wary of the consequences of our actions or inactions when we see ourselves in position of influence to improve the lots of our people. It may be the last opportunity we have to be so close to deliver the needs of the people.”

Urging all Aworis to come together under one umbrella, he said, “Unity is the key for the progress of the Awori race. We would make our presence and effects felt globally if all Awori societies collaborated as one single, large entity rather than in small splinter groups like APEC and ARG.”

Citing an example of the benefits of unity, he said, “In Ikorodu for instance, there is no way non-indigenes can take over the reins of power, be it political or otherwise. They behave, think and speak in one voice on the issue of Ikorodu nationality.

“One of the instruments they use to foster their unity is their old time culture and tradition. They still believe in Oro, Liwe, Eluku and other festivals which they celebrate with all their hearts and they migrate home from far and near to participate in the festivals. But can this be said of Aworis? Haven’t we rather let the Muslim and Christian religions take us over?

“But whether we like it or not, we have to return to our roots. That is the only way the Awori race can really move forward. Our culture and tradition is what is really ours and that nobody can really take away from us.

“Is it not a thing of shame that we have our own language but most of us cannot speak it? Though we would all have myriad excuses for not being able to speak our own language, we cannot make excuses any more. We have to start speaking Awori and ARG is setting up sessions to teach Aworis the Awori language.”