On the afternoon of Tuesday 28 January, 2020, Ikere-Ekiti went agog as the First Lady of Ekiti State, Her Excellency Erelu Bisi Fayemi, arrived the residence of Late Princess Rachael Jolaade Osho to commiserate the demise of a woman she called ‘Foster Mother’, marking the commencement of burial rites for the deceased.
Until her death which occurred on Sunday 26 January 2020, Mama Osho enjoyed the dedicated love and care of Erelu Bisi Fayemi since she was discovered through the “Ounje Arugbo” Scheme initiated by Office of the First Lady, Ekiti State. She was also a beneficiary of Owo Arugbo during Governor Fayemi’s first term in office.
The burial rites commenced with frying of bean cake (Akara) in line with the custom of the Yoruba tradition. Erelu Bisi Fayemi, in the company of some political appointees then proceeded to eulogize Mama with a celebration dance through the streets of Ikere-Ekiti. This act signified the doggedness of Mama Osho’s fight against hardship as she was largely celebrated by all and sundry.
OUNJE ARUGBO SCHEME: MAMA OSHO’S DATE WITH DESTINY
First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi came in contact with Mama Osho in 2019 during the advent of the Ounje Arugbo Scheme as initiated by her office, with over 1,100 beneficiaries across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State.
According to findings made by officials of the Scheme headed by the Programme Manager, Mrs. Bunmi Alonge, Mama Osho was discovered in penury, without a livable apartment, and without a child to call her own. She was subjected to a very hazardous environment, physically and psychologically.
Shortly after her plight was brought to the attention of the First Lady, Erelu urgently addressed Mama Osho’s living conditions, making her a top priority in the scheme of work. She was relocated to a new furnished apartment complete with a new wardrobe and two care givers to keep mama company and attend to her needs. This intervention by Her Excellency changed the narrative of Mama Osho in the twilight of her 12 decades of existence and as a sign of gratitude, she adopted the First Lady as a foster daughter and Governor Fayemi her foster son.
Until her demise on Sunday 26 January, Mama was a regular beneficiary of Ounje Arugbo Scheme, receiving food supplies, medical attention, and monthly stipends for her upkeep.
In her narration, Programme Officer, Ounje Arugbo, Mrs. Bunmi Alonge said that the Scheme was borne out of the need for the government to look after the aged members of the society.
“The programme came in to serve the vulnerable aged citizens in Ekiti State. We embarked on a verification exercise in June 2019 to register 1,100 aged citizens across the 16 LGAs in the State. Coming to Ikere-Ekiti, we met Mama Osho in a very terrible living condition which was reported to the First Lady who ordered urgent attention for Mama even before the project officially commenced,” she said.
THE LAST MOMENTS OF 110-YEAR OLD PRINCESS JOLAADE OSO (AS RECORDED):
- Yesterday evening being Sunday 26 January 2020, Princess Jolaade was bubbling with life, telling stories and cracking jokes to the delight of those around her. She then asked for the bible newly bought for her, passed it to one of the ladies around her and asked her to keep reading to her. After some time, she broke into a self-coined song about Fayemi and Erelu:
Fayemi lo lee se ooo
Ijoba…ijoba…ijoba…
Erelu lo lee se ooo
Ijoba…ijoba…ijoba…
With the song, Princess Jolaade lulled herself to a deep sleep. - This morning, Monday 27 January 2020, Mama woke up looking radiant, cleaned up and demanded for a hot pap, which she took sumptuously. She then started narrating to those around her how wonderful her adopted daughter, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, the First Lady of Ekiti State, had been to her. She took some nap till afternoon.
- Mama woke up in the afternoon, and requested for pounded yam for lunch. This she ate well, relaxed a bit and continued with her narration about Erelu, which, according to those around her had been her sing song for sometime now. “Opelope Erelu Bisi Fayemi lora mi…she would tell whoever cared to listen.
- After a while, Yeye Jolaade got up unaided, and left for the backyard where the two chickens, which she had been rearing in the name of Fayemi and Erelu, were chuckling.
- At around 2.30pm, Yeye returned from the backyard where she went to attend to the chickens sat back on the sofa, heaved a deep sigh, threw back her head, and breathed her last.
Peacefully, happily, complaining of no ailment, but appreciative of what her foster daughter had done in her life, Erelu’s foster mum left this sinful world to join the triumphal saints.
As written in the biblical book of Numbers 23:10b: Let me die the death of the righteous. And let my last end be like “hers.”
Goodnight Princess Jolaade Oso. Erelu Bisi Fayemi nsedaro lehin re o, omo Ikere oloke meji takotabo, omo aba gbami eye gbami, agbagba fiafia alapa faari, omo oju kee boju leru omo eleo jeun ree omo ekun omo erukuluji, omo ukere kete oniyan ana olosunta orun ukere orole baba oke.
O digba.