Obe bids Farewell to the “Striker”
The over 1,000 sympathisers who thronged the Isuti home of late Deaconness Aduke Mary Bello Obe, mother of the chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Hon. Monsuru Bello Obe, listened with rapt attention when he was called to pay tribute to his mother.
Obe stood up, facing the white casket that bore the remains of his 85-year-old mother, who joined the Saints triumphant on Saturday while he was co-ordinating the elections into the governorship and House of Assembly polls.
“ My mother is a striker”, he began, still too much in denial to talk about her in the past tense. Obe said Deaconness Mary, who decided to switch religion by converting from Islam to Christianity and changed her Muslim name, Tawakalitu to Mary, chose who to send a message she wanted to be delivered immediately. For instance, if she wanted to send Abdrahman, her last born a message, she would first report the matter to Obe, so he could ensure that the message was delivered.
Obe said the late Deaconness was a goal-getter who planned each of her moves meticulously and executed them with precision. “ There was no goal she set that she did not achieve,” he said, adding, “she had a team comprising her second son, Fatai, her third son, Abdrahman and her junior brother, Pastor Sarafa. All of them will plan and execute the game together.”
Obe’s account was corroborated by the pastor who conducted the service. Recalling how the Striker convinced her son to give the church a Jerusalem pilgrimage slot, he said Mama put pressure on him to let them go to the chairman together so she could secure the release of the funds. He had to counsel her to allow the church to follow the official procedure for getting the funds.
Even in death, she remained a “Striker”. For instance, the burial took place a day after she died because she had said she wanted to be buried as soon as she died. Second, the funeral undertakers were invited to entertain the audience by dancing with the casket because she witnessed it one day and told the pastor she would like to have them play at her burial.
Obe is well known for his sympathetic charity. Nobody knew where it came from until a woman came forward to recount how, after a day of selling fish and still having a few left, Iya Eleja ( Madam Fish Seller) would give them to her to feed her family rather than take them home.
Despite the fact that the event was announced just Saturday afternoon, a lot of dignitaries made sure they were present by 2pm on Sunday. They include the former chairman, the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Otunba Henry Ajomale; Former Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan, Member representing Oshodi-Isolo II in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson, Member representing Oshodi-Isolo in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Jude Idimogu; Chairman, Isolo Local Council Development Area, Hon. Bayo Olasoju; Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Oyinlola, Chairman, Parks & Gardens branch, Isolo; Hon. Monsuru Agbabiaka, Council Manager, Ejigbo LCDA, Mrs. Iyabo Ogunyemi; Leader of the Legislative Arm, Ejigbo LCDA and Councillor representing Ilamoshe ward Lanre Adebowale; chairman, Parks & Gardens, Ejigbo, Chief Femi Olowu, traditional rulers, dignitaries and captains of industry.
Her remains were lowered to Mother Earth after a solemn Christian service performed by the Apostolic Church.
