November: Baba, Mama and Me — A Month of Many Memories

By Ademola Adedoyin

November drifts in softly, carrying echoes only the heart can hear— the tender memories of the much-beloved old gentleman, Ada Sanni Giwa Adeoti Adedoyin; the cherished nostalgia of moments with the unforgettable matriarch, Yeye-Oba Memunat Ahinke Emiloye Adedoyin; and the small footsteps of me, Otunba Ademola Adedoyin, still dancing through the corridors of yesterday.

Yesterday has etched itself permanently into my memory—constantly reminding me of a precious past that can be recalled but never reenacted.

Baba remains larger than life in my mind, even 21 years after he crossed to the other side. His quiet nature, rich philosophical outlook, deep sense of family history, and untainted love—not only for his immediate family but for the broader Ada family and the Okeya-Ipo community—are among the many reasons his memory remains evergreen. Most importantly, his tireless efforts to pass down our rich heritage to the younger generation remain an inheritance beyond measure. Baba insisted on taking you through the family exploits so that when he was gone, no one—no matter how old or powerful—could rewrite your cherished history, whether out of ignorance or mischief. Or both.

Baba answered the final call on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. At over a hundred years old, he had truly seen it all and paid his dues. And fittingly, he chose my birth month to transition to the higher realms.

Long before his glorious exit, his selfless service had earned him admiration in both family and community. He carried a rich array of titles: Giwa Egbe of Olorunnishola (arguably the club with the largest membership in Okeya-Ipo history), Majeobaje Adinni of Okeya-Ipo, Osolo of Okeya-Ipo, and Ada of Okeya-Ipo—each title rooted in history and meaning.

A man of noble pedigree, Baba descended from forebears known for extraordinary exploits. He was the son of Yesufu Edunjope Adedoyin, the renowned Ifa priest across Igbomina country, who inherited the sacred Odu Ifa from ancestors who migrated from Ile-Ife. His brothers included Amodu—father of the late Lagos business mogul and Chairman of the iconic Oredola Okeya Trading Company, Alhaji Adeshanu Amodu—Titilayo Ajide Ade Ali, Kasumu, among others. Their father, Abubakare, a prominent community figure, was the son of legendary Ipo land war hero Itialayo Aderounmu.

Itialayo Aderounmu, an Ipo and Igbomina warrior of renown, recorded many feats during campaigns with the Ilorin Army in the Yoruba internecine wars of the 18th century. Returning from one of these famed campaigns, the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo was so impressed that he insisted Itialayo remain with him as an honoured guest before returning home to Okeya-Ipo. His life, exploits, death, and burial remain so rich and remarkable that they deserve a major historical study.

Itialayo was the son of Adejoorin Ododo-Ifa, the Ife prince of the Ogboru Ruling Family, who left Ile-Ife with his elder brother, Osayaara, after losing an Ooniship contest. Ododo-Ifa, along with those who accompanied him and those who later traced him, settled in Okeya-Ipo during the reign of Oludopo Arojojoye of the Olunlade Ruling House. Osayaara, meanwhile, established himself in Offa-Irese. Until his last days, Baba held Ada Compound in Offa-Irese close to his heart.“Àwọn ebi wa l’Offa-Irese” (“our relatives in Offa-Irese”), he would say—and visiting them whenever necessary was non-negotiable. It is no surprise that during his final burial outing, our relatives from Offa-Irese poured into Okeya-Ipo to honour a most loving patriarch.

By the time I reached adulthood, Baba had imparted so much family history that it was easy for me to trace our lineage to the late Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty Oba Okunade Sijuwade (of the Ogboru Ruling House), when I met him as a TSM reporter at Government House, Osogbo in August 1991. Kabiyesi was so delighted that he introduced me to other traditional rulers as his son and insisted on meeting the entire family. Later in February 1992, the two Ada families of Okeya-Ipo and Offa-Irese held a reunion with Kabiyesi’s emissaries led by the late Prof Omotosho Eluyemi, the renowned archeologist and Apena of Ile-Ife, at the Bristol Hotel in Lagos.

As I remember Baba this November and reflect on his exemplary sojourn on earth, my mind also turns to our heroine and mother, Yeye-Oba Memunat Ahinke Emiloye Adedoyin.

The daughter of a princess—her mother being the Beere (first daughter) of Oludopo Oyebanji Ajagbe—Mama was a woman of beauty, grace, and regal composure. Blessed with a Midas touch and a heart of gold, she possessed profound knowledge, an exceptional memory, and remarkable intellectual depth. When it came to family and community matters requiring deeper analysis, she was my intellectual sparring partner.

Most importantly, she was a mother in a million—her love immeasurable, her prayers unending, always interceding for the wellbeing of her children and grandchildren.

And like her beloved husband, she too chose November, my birth month, to board the final flight.

In the early hours of Wednesday, November 15, 2023, after nearly 70 days of managing a fibula fracture from a fall, Mama, aged 99, bade us farewell—just days before my 60th birthday. On that remarkable day, an era came to an end when the first Yeye-Oba of Okeya-Ipo transitioned to higher glory.

Today is my birthday. And as I reflect on my journey on this side of the divide, I know I have every reason to thank Almighty Allah—for the gift of life, for good health, for achievements, for divine guidance through challenges and setbacks, for protection, and for granting me the grace to witness this day in joy and peace of mind.

Happy Birthday to me,

Ishola Ade,

Omo Ada AdeotiOmo Yesufu Edunjope AdedoyinOmo AbubakareOmo Itialayo AderounmuOmo Adejoorin Ododo-IfaOmo Onibu AraOmo Ada dúdè yó m’egbe dáOmo OòduaOmo AganjuOmo Oran’yanOmo Ogbooru Ile-IfeOmo Adade Owo Ife OoniOmo Ajibowo yi i p’omo elomii lole

O se odun yi.Kí o sì ṣe ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ọdún l’áyé.

*Ademola Adedoyin, fnipr , an award-winning journalist, media consultant, and communication strategist, is the Otunba Onigegewura of Esieland.