Iyalode Alaba Lawson, a true Afenifere, By Oloye Lekan Alabi
Long before the late Chief Augustus Meredith Adisa Akinloye, a former Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the now-defunct Western Region of Nigeria, dubbed the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo-led Action Group(AG), Afenifere, in 1952, had existed the Yoruba cognomen “AFENIFERE” for a person of goodwill, decency and charity.
Like “OMOLUABI”, “AFENIFERE” is a desirable and coveted toga, a trueborn Yoruba person would, and should,strive to don.
The late Iyalode Egbaland and Iyalode Yorubaland,Iyalode Alaba Lawson,was a true Afenifere. The other label she earned and bore with elegance was, “MAJEKOBAJE”(a sorter/setller of difficult issues) 22 years ago, in 2001, when the Yusufu Olatunji Foundation, initiated and founded by my humbleself, with the support of the then sitting governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, the late Ambassador Segun Olusola and King Sunny Ade, MFR, Iyalode Lawson attended the 3-day Yusufu Olatunji Foundation Fiesta, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta. She was accompanied by hundreds of Egba market men and women, apart from her personal donation of cash and materials. She also ensured that her domestic staff augumented my meals at the hotel where I lodged, with her homecookings of amala+ewedu+gbegiri(abula).
May God grant repose to the sweet soul of Iyalode Alaba Lawson,who acted very well, the divine script she brought from heaven, like a true Afenifere.
