• Friends, Associates Join Family To Give Befitting Burial To Woman Of Destiny
• Family Vows To Sustain Legacy Of Love For Education
• Donates Cash, Gifts To Orphanage Home

To the world, Madam Bukola Abeni Awodiya-Balogun of Ilesa, Osun State, was just an individual, who came, played her part and left the scene like every mortal does, but to her children, she was more than an individual who came to the world. She was humanity personified. She was everything good about universality of human existence.

Till she breathed her last, Mama Awodiya-Balogun’s life was an eloquent testimony in hard work, relentlessness, industry and capacity. However, when she joined the saints triumphantly in 2020 at the ripe age of 85, the family could not celebrate her demise as a result of COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world.

With the pandemic over, family members, including children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, in-laws, acquaintances, friends and high networth guests from all walks of life converged on the ancient city of Ibadan, the land of Oluyole and Ogunmola described by the poet, JP Clark, as running splash of rust and gold, flung and scattered among seven hills like broken china in the sun, to give a befitting burial to the enterprising woman who came, saw and conquered.

To celebrate her memories, landmarks, impacts and triumphs in the sands of time, motley of events and activities were lined up by the family. The event started with a memorial service on December 22, 2023 at The White House, Space Avenue, Solekan Oniyeye Estate, Off Alao-Akala Way, Akobo, Ibadan.

Dignitaries, children and acquaintances from far and wide graced the service with each of them describing the Ijesha-born business tycoon in superlative terms, reeling out how she weathered life storm to come out triumphant in life.

Summing up their words, they were all unanimous in the fact that the late Madam Bukola Abeni Awodiya-Balogun was a study in perseverance, discipline, resourcefulness, assiduity and acuity.

In her sermon at the memorial service, Pastor (Mrs) Seyi Bakare, congratulated the family for the celebration of life and times of the late business mowan. Pastor Bakare was supported by other men of God, including Supt. Pastor Sola Omowale, Pastor Iyiola and others.

‘’It is a good thing to succeed one’s old person. Mama was highly industrious and lived a good life,” the cleric said.

Quoting from the Acts of Apostles, Chapter 9: 36, Pastor Bakare reminded everybody present that death is inevitable; according to her: ‘’It is appointed for a man to die once. One day, all of us will answer the call of God.”

She, therefore, charged all and sundry to begin to live a life that impacts humanity and try to make amends.

In his tributes on behalf of the family, Prof. Olawale Daniel Awodiya, who flew in from the United States,  said his late mother had unyielding guts; while  hard work was her forte, and markedly different from her contemporaries.

The academic said: “I am happy to be here. I cannot stop talking about my mother.

‘’She had utmost dedication to the family; she was able to educate her children. She was proud of her children achievements and would stand up with any police officers and challenged them if they wanted to trample on her rights. Mama was like a hawk over her children.

“My mother would wake up early and go to Lagos before Lagosians would wake up. She knew the intricacies of Apapa Wharf like palm of the hand. She never waited for her husband for the provision of family needs unlike her contemporaries. She sent me to America, taught me financial literacy. We did business together. We bought Pickup for business and even put me on a salary scale.”

On her part, Dr (Mrs.) Oluyemi Awodiya described the late business icon as a go-getter who went extra for her children, adding, “she was dedicated, enterprising, creative, strong and energetic.  She would not give up on any good cause.”

The renowned communications scholar, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, who was also at the event, said he came to honour his brilliant student at the University of Lagos, who was religiously committed to excellence (Prof. Awodiya) in celebrating his late mother.

In sustaining the love their mother had for education, on Saturday, December 23, 2023, the children moved the celebration to Total Parental Guidance Orphanage Home, Oluyole, Ibadan, where the family extended benevolence to orphans and hapless students.

The family donated a sum of N1 million to the home for the children’s education, N500, 000 for general upkeep of the home as well as donation of equipment such as washing machine, orphanage wears, and others.

Dr. Oluyemi Awodiya, who spoke on behalf of the family at the Oluyole Home, said the late Madam Awodiya-Balogun loved education, saying the gesture was to keep the love of late businesswoman’s alive.

She said: “To the glory of God, we are giving N1million for education. This goes towards education of these children.”

Speaking on the donation, Prof. Awodiya, said: “We donated some money and equipment such as washing machine, orphanage wear and others.

“We are celebrating the life of our mother who passed on in 2020. We could not have this ceremony because of the COVID-19. We now have the opportunity to come to the country to do so. On her behalf, we are donating these and we now have a foundation in her name. So, this is the beginning of it. Mama loved education so much. She sent all her children to universities.

“We are making sure that children here receive education even up to the university level. We already have something like this in Akure. My wife is into this as well. So, we are extending it to Ibadan in the name of Madam Abeni Bukola Awodiya-Balogun.”

Responding, the matron of the orphanage home, Pastor (Mrs) Grace Akpan, expressed a gratitude to the family for the donation.

Expressing how the home had been unable to pay the tuition fee of a 200-level Biochemistry student at a private university, Miss Abiodun Ayinde, Akpan stressed that with the benevolence of the Awodiya-Balogun family, the challenge was over.

She said:”Abiodun’s school fee is 800k. But we have paid N300k. You removed our load and God will remove your load. You are our partners. The seed you sow today, you will reap the benefits. Almighty God will bless you.

“This is just the finger of God. We did not expect this at this critical time. The Lord of last minute has done it again. God will bless you,” she concluded.