In Oyo, Alaafin’s wife identifies with 120 widows

Although she is the youngest wife of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, the spirit in the heart of Ayaba Badirat Adeyemi, is older than her 29 years on the surface of the earth. With her Badirat Adeyemi Foundation, she is an emerging humanist who is connecting her past with present to shape future of the underprivileged of the society.

Last Monday, Ayaba Adeyemi woke up from bed, observed her early morning prayers, did few things and led his friends and aides of the Alaafin to Olorieru Open Space behind Alaafin’s palace where she brought smiles to the gloomy faces of a group of widows.

Buhari never said shoot on sight, don’t misinterpret him ― Tinubu

Done with the excited women, Ayaba Adeyemi headed for Araromi Market in Oyo East Local Government and later Cele Junction in Oyo Wes. She finally rounded off her visit at the Akibio Palace in Afijio local government. Items such as bags of rice, clothing as well as cash were distributed to 30 widows in each of the four local government councils in Oyo metropolis. Before that visit, Ayaba Adeyemi had a rich profile of humanitarian gestures since 2017.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that she had empowered about 50 people who were sponsored to undertake different vocational training in Tailoring, hair dressing, decorations, make up artistry.

She was a cynosure of all eyes at the graduation of some of the beneficiaries of her foundation in Ibadan. The parents of the lucky ones, who had looked for opportunity to show gratitude to her, overwhelmed Ayaba with praises and prayers for changing the fortune of their children where they least expected.

“On that day, I was emotional; touched by the joy I saw in those people. I derived one lesson in that, and the lesson is that every good which one does attracts commensurate inner reward, which is joy and sense of fulfillment,” she said.

On her return to the palace from the four local governments, Ayaba Adeyemi revealed that Oba Adeyemi inspired her to embrace charity having long observed him as a monarch who daily plays host to the needy and cushion their pains.

“I have seen a lot here in the palace watching baba doling out gifts, particularly money to different people that come to seek his assistance. At a point, I began to key into his heart of kindness and thought that I would also do same. I am always impressed watching those people smiling and laughing after baba has attended to them. That feeling also brought some joy to me. That is why I decided to also go into it,” she also said.

Aside Oba Adeyemi’s factor, she revealed with some emotions that her childhood history as one from humble background also ignited the charity passion in her, saying that whatever God gives to the rich also belongs to the poor.

“Baba would always tell us that whatever we have should be shared with the underprivileged. He always encouraged us to develop kind heart to our fellow humans to have a peaceful environment where everybody would be happy,” she added.

Specifically, she said her choice of widows was informed by her understanding of what they go through after the death of their husbands.

Oba Adeyemi, who showered encomium on his wife, described widow as victim of unfortunate circumstance, some of whom end their lives in untold sufferings owing to societal attitude to them, adding that death of a spouse is compounded by the cultural demands of widowhood as many are blamed and stigmatized for death of their husband and thrown out of their marital home.

The traditional ruler said Nigerian society is a male world where widows live with psychological, mental, sociological and indeed financial torture that reduce them to almost sub-human beings.

He recalled the three-year-old Civil War during which thousands of lives were lost on both sides, leaving their wives as widows who needed to fend for themselves and their children without support from their in-law.

Yet, he stated that Nigerian government lacks any legislation or mechanism to support and cushion the effect of loneliness on the widows, a contrast to what obtains in developed countries where adequate social security is provided for them.

“Talking from experience, I made it a duty to visit the eldest and only surviving wife of my late father (Alaafin Ladigbolu) in her residence located at Oke-Olola area in the Atiba local government area. What we are doing in the palace is to sensitize the government on need to give priority attention to these underprivileged of the society. Each of my wives runs a NGO (Non Governmental Organisation)