YOUNG OBAFEMI AWOLOWO ALMOST MISSED MARRYING HER

Awolowo had wanted to marry Augusta Omoriola Onafowokan because she was the first Ikenne girl to attend a secondary school and after her completion of the CMS seminary in Lagos, she worked at the colonial secretariat as a clerk. But Augusta’s father, Gabriel Onafowokan, who was the Native Administrative Treasurer of Ijebu Province and at that time one of Ikenne’s most prominent citizens did not agree to Awolowo’s proposal for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Augusta’s father rejected Awolowo’s proposal of marriage based on the ground that his daughter was already engaged to another man.But many believed Awolowo’s stubbornness and independent mindedness, earned him Augusta father’s rejection. His family background which was not too economically buoyant could also have contributed to this rejection. Perhaps, the phrase ‘my jewel of inestimable value’ would not have been made by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, if he had married Augusta.

LIKE EVERY OTHER LADY, HANNAH PLAYED HARD TO GET

The 'hard to get' play did not just start today as Awolowo had his fair share of 'shakara' from Hannah. After the rejection by the Onafowokan family, Awolowo was bent in marrying an educated lady from his home town Ikenne. As luck would have it, one of his juniors at Wesley College, Ibadan, told Awolowo about a young girl who just came back from Lagos, after her secondary school education. That young girl was Hannah Idowu Dideolu Adelana, who just graduated from Methodist Girls High School, Broad Street, Lagos. Awolowo’s junior at Wesley College, Ibadan eventually introduced the two to each other and the toasting started in earnest from Femi, with Hannah playing hard to get. Letters and tons of letters were written by Awolowo to convince Hannah of his genuine intention, all to no avail. It took the pressure from Hannah’s mother that Femi was the only indigene of Ikenne among all her toasters and as her only surviving child out of seven she would not allow her to marry outside Ikenne.
The emotional blackmail of Hannah’s mother worked and she succumbed to Femi’s overtures and for another two years they courted.


HER LONG LIFE WAS WITHOUT TRAGEDIES

Like the popular Yoruba maxim, no human can have the luxury of living long and having a hitch-free life at the same time. Chief Hannah's life was without some tragedies. Out of her five children, three died in her lifetime. The first of her children to die was her first son, Olusegun Awolowo, a lawyer and father of Olusegun Awolowo Junior, who died in 1963 at the age of 24. He died in a ghastly motor accident. Another tragedy struck Mama again in 2011, when her fourth child, Otunba (Mrs.) Ayodele Soyode, the mother of Vice President’s wife, died on Sunday, April 10, 2011, at the age of 66. She was said to have died of complications from cancer. Certainly for someone who was already advanced in age, this could be devastating. Mama was still probably recovering from the death of Otunba Mrs. Ayodele Soyode, when death came visiting again to her only surviving son, Chief Oluwole Awolowo. He died in March 2013 in a far away London hospital. He was said to have died of complications from a motor accident he had in 2006.

SHE WAS INDUSTRIOUS

Mama HID Awolowo was a business woman and successful one. In one of his books, Chief Obafemi Awolowo attested to this fact when he said “She is a resourceful business woman; and in this regard, she is a worthy upholder of the traditions of her mother (Madam Elizabeth Oyesile and grandmother, Chief Adebowale Oyegunle) both of whom are successful traders.” By the time mama died, she was sitting comfortably on a vast business empire that she started herself and those left by her late husband. Among the business she left behind are: Dideolu Stores, Dideolu Estate, Dideolu Specialist Hospital and African Newspaper of Nigeria Limited.

HER PERSONAL MANAGER IS A MUSLIM

Although a devoted christian, she has a Muslim manager who is in charge of all the domestic staff. The manager, Alhaji Osinaike reported directly to Mama but he is in charge of all other staff in the compound. After the manager are Mama’s secretaries. They are two in number. There are also two drivers, two nurses, three cooks working for Mama. There is also a steward who doubled as cleaner and who also pushed Mama around on the wheel chair. There are electricians who take care of all electrical work in the household. Another person takes care of the two generating sets in the compound. Mama also had some women working in her Dideolu Stores at Dideolu Specialists Hospital Annex, Ikenne.

SHE WAS FRUGAL WITH CHOICE OF AUTOMOBILE

She was using three cars when she was alive. The three cars she was using include six seater Mercedes Benz that her husband was using when he was alive, a Toyota Camry and a KIA Cerato.

PLANNING FOR HER CENTENARY BIRTHDAY WAS ALREADY UNDERWAY BEFORE HER DEMISE

No doubt, she was looking forward to her 100th birthday celebrations before her demise. To this end, she had instructed her grandchildren to organize a week long activities to mark the milestone. As a matter of fact, that Saturday, September 19, 2015, that she died, there was a meeting of the centenary planning committee in the compound. The centenary committee consists of Mama’s two surviving children – Rev. (Mrs.) Tola Oyediran, Dr. Tokunbo Dosumu and her grandchildren. The week long activities would have involved her alma-maters – Saint Saviour’s (Anglican) School, Ikenne, Saint Peter’s (Anglican) Faji School, Lagos and Methodist Girls’ High School, Broad Street, Lagos. Her royal family background – Owobagbe Liyangu Akarigbo Ruling House of Sagamu and Obara Ruling House of Ikenne – were also booked to play a significant role in the centenary celebration. There was also supposed to be a day of praise songs by different choirs as part of 100 years celebration of Mama. The Apostolic Church, where her mother, Deaconess Elizabeth Oyesile Adelana, was a staunch and founding member, was also booked to play a role in her never to be centenary celebration. Ogunde Troupe, were also billed to stage a play to honour her on her 100 years on this terrestrial earth.

HER BURIAL WAS BILLED FOR HER BIRTHDAY

Some of these activities will still take place before or on November 25, 2015, certainly without Mama. Because on that day, rather than Mama dancing to symphony of music to mark her centenary birthday, she will be interred into mother earth.

HER LAST RESTING PLACE WOULD BE AWO MAUSOLEUM

Mama's resting place will be beside her husband inside Awo’s Mausoleum right inside the family compound in Ikenne. Her final resting place has already been created beside that of her husband and covered with a sheet of glass.

ADIEU JEWEL OF INESTIMABLE VALUE! ADIEU YEYE ODUA!!