HOW I WILL BURY MY LATE MOTHER IN APRIL – Ben TV Director, Lanre Ijaola, Recalls last moment with her

Lanre Ijaola with new boss and founder of Ben TV, UK, Alistair Soyode

The  regional Director (Africa) for London based
Ben Television Lanre Ijaola has opened up to Africa’s number one celebrity
encounter blog asabeafrika on final plans towards the funeral of his late
mother Apostolic Mother Esther Foluke Ijaola who died on Tuesday January 28th
2014 at age 71.  The Ogun state born
media practitioner who is famously addressed as Ijakoko in the social circle
was the first publicist for Fuji Music Czar, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1 De
Ultimate) before he left for the United Kingdom in the early 90s. The Veteran
broadcaster who flew his mother to Oklamohoma State university, Massachuset,
USA in November 2013 for medical correction was full of good words for the late
woman of God who together with her late husband, Most Reverend Apostle (Dr.)
Jacob Ayinla Ijaola founded the very popular Salem Church of Christ (C&S)
at Obanikoro on  Ikorodu Road in 1959.
Before she passed away, Apostolic Mother Esther Foluke Ijaola was the Woman
Leader of C&S Aladura, the Lord is Good Church, Ogba; Lagos. Lanre who was
consoled by his former boss and friend of many years, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal
in a two days visit to the family house somewhere in Fagba area of Lagos, South
West Nigeria  equally spoke on the
massive support and goodwill given to him by the Fuji Music lord and promises
to give his mother a befitting funeral come April 25th 2014. Enjoy
the encounter.

My Mum by Me

Lanre Ijaola with elder Sister (Princess Iyabo) Iya Oge of London

Ijaola opened up to
asabeafrika by first talking about his late mum, describing her as a woman of
virtue. Hear him “If we have to talk of my mum, it will come with a lot of sober
reflection. Because at this point in time of my life that I am just losing a
very dear mum, a sweet mother for that mater, I am one of her favorites, we are
family of six children (Iyabo, Lanre, Tope, Morayo, Clara, and Aina). Because
this is a woman of virtue, a very good woman who stood with her husband, when I
see a woman today I want to see the example of my mother who will knell down
hours before my father wakes up and will make sure that my father’s breakfast
is ready by 8’o’Clock. My father’s well being was her genuine interest. She is
all in all that I can see; she has sold her clothe just for me to go to school.
So, for a woman to go to the market place and sell her clothe because I was in
the university and we were going through our challenging times and this woman
had to sell her clothes for me to buy my books and pay my fees. I give it to
her, unfortunately we lost her, God knows best but we tried all our best. We
flew her to the United States of America, my younger sister (Mrs. Aina Osifeso)
spent over $58 thousand US Dollars, but unfortunately that couldn’t revive a
life and we had to bring her back (On Thursday 23rd January) and we
lost her. The pain was too much since she came back; she was in deep pain for
five days and eventually we lost her. To God be the glory, she is gone but she
has six children and twelve grand children. That is the record”.

Mama in her spiritual regalia

 Lanre
who is the scion of the Ijaola family told asabeafrika reasons where he
wouldn’t like to talk about his mother’s illness even when sources alleged she
died of an ailment related to old age; “medically, we are not allowed to say
much about her illness since it is an old age thing. It is an illness that came
with old age. For what she said, it didn’t really occur to us when she was
telling us on the bed in the US that we must all live in unity and ensure that
the name Ijaola does not go into extinct. She specifically spoke about
unity among us and the need to let the name continue to excel. That was her
sacred wish and we intend to uphold it. We flew her first class on United
Airlines into Massachusetts and she was treated at Oklahoma State Hospital
where Doctors did their very best to put her in a very good condition but still
yet, she has to go to the bosom of her maker. 
We flew her the same way back to Nigeria but like I said to you earlier,
the pain was too much and she departed”.

The 47 years old
Television guru went on to describe the kind of personality his mother was in
her life time “Yeah, like I said earlier on, the book of proverbs says “who
will see a good woman for her worth is more than a diamond”. That is how God
described a good woman; my mother was a woman who stood with her husband right
from the beginning when they both started the Salem Church of Christ on
Ikorodu
Road in 1959. She stood with her husband till death; even when people
were castigating her, she still stood by her husband. You can hardly find women
of today standing by their husband, irrespective of the good and bad time. You
hardly find women of such virtue nowadays. So, my mother brought us up with
strict hand, we grew in a Christian family. She, by the grace of God today
earned it in the house of God; she is a Special Reverend Apostolic Mother. That
is the highest grade of honor you can get in the Aladura sect that I grew
up from.  And if I want to describe my
mum I will not say anything else than say quintessential.

When
we asked Lanre to tell one hard experience he once had with his late mum, he
told us this; “I remember when  I was
growing up at the age of 26 I was still being spanked, my mum took no nonsense
because my father was often busy with activities of the church and his
congregation. He was a benevolent shepherd. I remember there was a day I
sneaked out of the house, went out and she was waiting for me. And immediately
I stepped in, I got the beating of my life. I mean this are the things I so
much remember about my mother; you know people know me as Lanre but my other name
is Ojukotimi
( I am not disappointed) which has a lot of spiritual meaning because
my mother really suffered for the children. She had us all through God’s covenant
and God has never stop being good to us. She went through a lot, unfortunately
this is not the best time I should have lost her because I still have more to do
for her but she is gone; I cant do anything else. When she died, I called her
but she couldn’t wake up again. I called her at the mortuary but she couldn’t
wake up again and I said to myself ‘that is it’. She is gone. I started crying
because she is gone. She is gone to the bosom of the Lord”.

Lanre Ijaola and wife, Mrs. Nneka Ijaola (Nee Orisafele) hosting K1 De Ultimate at Fagba family house

Lanre and Nneka Ijaola hostig King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal at the Fagba, Lagos family house.

My mother’s funeral will say more
about me

There will be lot to eat and drink on
my mother’s funeral
On how the Friday April 25
event will be celebrated and where, Lanre Ijaola broke the news first to
asabeafrika “I am going to give my mother the best of the funeral I can give;
we are not going to be very lavish but we will be moderate because she was a
very faithful Christian in her life time. We are going to do it in the normal Christian
way. The venue is the Grandeur Event Center, Oregun Lagos.  We are going to have a live broadcast;
everybody living in Europe will watch the funeral telecast on Ben
TV via Sky Network. If you are living in the United State, if you are
in Europe,
if you are in the Middle East, you are watching the burial live both at my own
town Ijoko
and the venue of the burial, Oregun, you are going to be watching
the funeral live on stream. That is guaranteed; and of course it is going to be
a party where you can eat as much as you like and drink as much as you like. We
are going to celebrate her life, K-1 De Ultimate is going to be on
the band stand; definitely it is going to be a big party”.

Mama & a grand son

The
late Apostolic Mother Easter Foluke Ijaola was born on June 12th
1942 to the famous Majekodunmi family of Abeokuta, Ogun state, South West
Nigeria. She was the third child of her mother; she had her early education in
Abeokuta before going into marriage in the late 50s. Her Husband the late Most
Reverend Apostle (Dr.) Jacob Ayinla Ijaola with her founded the famous Salem
Church of Christ, Aladura by Obanikoro bus stop, on Ikorodu Road, Lagos South
West Nigeria in 1959. Together they had six lovely children, two men and four
ladies among which is Princess Iyabode Sanusi, the Yeye Oge of Ijoko land,
Prince Lanre Ijaola, a media executive, Prince Tope Ijaola, a business man
Princess Morayo Ijaola a media practitioner, Princess Clara Ijaola and the
highly respected Mrs. Aina Osifeso (Nee Ijaola) an American based intellectual.
Mama who lost her husband in 2001 later left the Salem church of Christ over
some private issues bothering on her integrity as the first wife of the late
founder of the church and joined C&S Aladura the Lord is good church where
she was made the leader of the good women. Until she passed away at age 71, Mama
was a full time house wife and as well a Queen of Ijoko Lemode kingdom in Ogun
state where her husband reigned as the king shortly before his death in 2001.
Until her death she was known for her passion for little children and
counseling of house wives. She is alleged to have died of an old age related
disease which her children especially Lanre Ijaola and Aina Osifeso battled to
save her from in America. She is survived by 6 children and 14 grandchildren.

Bisi Olatilo, Lanre Ijaola, Alistair Soyode and Tayo Adejumo of Ben TV, London.

In
a most supportive gesture that can be expected of any one to his loved one
conglomerate of big boys in Nigeria and the United Kingdom have decided to
support Lanre Ijaola aka Ijakoko for the funeral rites of his mother, Senior
Reverend Apostolic Mother Esther Foluke Ijaola come Friday April 25 in Lagos.
In a recent Saturday evening meeting at the family house at Alarafa Oje,
Alamutu Estate in Fagba area of Lagos, South West Nigeria, some big boys who
include Music Czar K1 De Ultimate, Global Excellence Magazine publisher, Mayor
Akinpelu, Romance Journalist Kayode Ajala and a few others sat and took a
decision to ensure that the final rites of the mother of one of them will be a
successful undertaking in history.

Lanre Ijaola with former boss and Fuji Music Czar,  K1 De Ultimate during the condolence visit

The chairman of the committee is K1 De
Ultimate who vouched to play the role of a father to a man he considers
his best publicist in history. Leading the pack of goodwill brokers are the
founder of Ben Television and Lanre’s boss, Alistair Soyode who has donated
unlimited air time for the streaming of the funeral live on Ben Televison at a
very reduced rate. Others are London big boys Dele Ayinla aka Coolu Temper,
Lekan Osifeso, Laide Fowosere, Gbola Oba, Kayode Babalola, Murphy Ajala, Bobby
Adeyemo, Fola Rahman and a host of other very important personalities from the
UK black community. Another big boy on the team is London big boy Bimbo
Akingbade aka BIMS of Linkup properties, the biggest
property company in the United Kingdom. On the Nigerian side, Lagos
Commissioner for Water Front, Prince Segun Oniru is said to be pulling the
string for the successful outing of the funeral of the Ijaola Matriarch. In
Ibadan, the likes of big boy Alao Lateef and Hadjy Bashy with the compliment of
Honorable Fijabi are pulling the weight to support Lanre Ijaola who is very
influential among his friends in the South West.  In Abuja, Senator Grace Folashade Bent is
pulling the string; she paid her condolence to the Ben TV big boy recently via
her tweeter handle. Already, the funeral committee chaired by Fuji Music Czar, K1 De
Ultimate has been inaugurated to see to the successful planning of the
Friday April 25th event.  The
late Senior Reverend Apostolic Mother Ester Foluke Ijaola who hails from the
prominent Majekodunmi family of Abeokuta, Ogun State in South West Nigeria is
survived by 6 children and 14 grand children. The venue of the funeral is at
the Grandeur Event center beside the Christ Embassy Church, Oregun Lagos South
West Nigeria. Entry is strictly by Access Card according to reliable family
source.