Olakanmi Fadele’s exit

WHO can really escape from the clutches of the dreaded enemy of the human race, death? Both animate and inanimate creatures share the same fate through death. And so it was the turn of Architect (Chief) Daniel Olakanmi Fadele, the Mogaji of Ajagba’s compound in Oke-Ofa Babasale, Ibadan in the early hours of Thursday, December 30, 2021 when  the cold heads of death took away the Doyin of Ajagba community away. Death, where is thy sting? Pa Fadele was born in Ayade Model Village of Egbeda Local Government Area on February 12, 1930. His parents were Pa Joseph AkangbeFadele and Madam Alice TinuolaFadele. He was the third child of the family. His elder siblings were Mama SerahEesuola Orimadegun and Pa Dr. George  AyoadeFadele, both of blessed memories. He started the elementary school at the Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School, Erunmu in 1940. That is at the age of 10. In fact because of his brilliance and prowess, he was given double promotion in the elementary School and had to finish up successfully in 1947 with the then Standard Six Certificate.

His mates at the elementary School include Retired Pastor Alade, Professor Ajagbe Toriola Oyewo and Dr. Johnson Ajagbe Adeniji, a former President of the West Nigerian Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventists. They were the ‘trio’ of Ajagbes. As fate would have it, the youngest of the trio is the first to be called home by the Lord!  For his secondary school education, Papa attended the famous Ibadan Gramar School from 1948-53. Late Papa Alayande was his School Principal. Papa was the ‘boy-boy’ of the late Chief Bola Ige. In those days, the senior boys would occupy the upper layer of the double decker bed while his ‘boy-boy’ would man the lower decker! In the school, Papa excelled in many subjects especially in English language and Latin. His working career started in 1954 when he was recruited into the Civil Service of the then Western Nigerian as a ‘clerical officer’. He was later admitted to the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology to study Architecture which resumed from long vacation in October 1956.

Papa had always been a son of destiny. His two miraculous escapes from the clutches of death in his early years will buttress this assumption. He was playing under a tree with his immediate younger sister, Abigael, now Mrs Adesina when they were young: the tree fell on them but the duo miraculously escaped untimely death. Also in September 1957,  Papa was on his way back to the Nigerian College of Art, Science and Technology, Zaria, Ahmadu Bello  University via rail transport and there was a train disaster at Eregeji, some kilometers from the then Lalupon Railway Station and many lives were  lost, including some students of the institution. He was hospitalised for many months at the University Teaching Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, before he later returned to Zaria. Papa travelled to the United Kingdom to further his sturdy in Architecture.

He got married to former Miss Mary Aduke Laoye of Oke-Ofa Babasale in London in 1962 and the married was blessed with four boys and two girls. They returned to Nigeria in 1966. Papa works with the Western Nigeria Ministry of Works on his return from Britain. He was also with the Western Nigeria Housing Corporation, Bodija, Ibadan. It was from there that he cooperated with people of like minds and desires when they established the Allied Architects, a very formidable Architectural Firm. He was a man of the people. Not only his immediate family members but also the members of larger society. He was nominated and awarded the chieftaincy title of Mogaji of Ajagba of Oke-Ofa Babasale by the then Olubadan of Ibadan. He was philanthropic, always passionate about his immediate and non-immediate family members, the church, and residents of his environment. He was really generous to a fault.

Papa  was always worried when people of his environment suffered lack. He always did everything possible to alleviate their suffering. He abhorred indolence and laziness. He was always apt to correct things, especially the wrong use of English words, and he hated doing things sluggishly. He would not compromise on any wrong issue, be it social or professional. He was known and recognised for strong professional ethics, especially in architectural works. Contractors who built any structure contrary to what he designed were always sanctioned and the offending structure demolished without compromise! Papa was instrumental to the establishment of the flourishing Oja Tesan Community Bank and he made sure that all hands in the services of the bank were ethically decent.  His exist has created a void and valley gulf which only the Good Lord can fill. Our sincere prayer is that the Lord Almighty will uphold the family he left behind, the Lord will also uphold the church and the entire Ajagba community and with the Balogun Oderinlo clan which pap strongly linked together. May the bond continue to flourish and made stronger.

Adieu papa Architect (Chief) Daniel OlakanmiFadele, as you continue to rest in the bosom  of the lord our Saviour.

• Elder Fadele writes in from Ibadan.

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