Baba was a wonderful, happy man – Son, Akinjide and daughter, Toyin

Baba was a wonderful, happy man – Son, Akinjide and daughter, Toyin

Sunday, February 18, 2018 12:43 am


Akinjide, the late Prof Isola’s son


AKINJIDE, a lawyer, the first son of late AKINWUMI ISOLA spoke with GBENRO ADESINA about the death of his father

How many children did Baba have?

We are three: I am the eldest, my sister, Oluwatoyin and the youngest, Bukola Ladipo, a lawyer too working in a company in Lagos.

How did you receive the news?

This morning, my mother called me on my mobile phone and said that daddy was not feeling fine and was feeling very uncomfortable. I asked her to be watching him. He has a doctor, Dr. Oni. My mum called the doctor. He came and confirmed him dead. It was a shock because this morning, he still spoke to a lady called Nifemi. The last time I saw him, he was quite fine. Mother told me today that he ate ‘amala’. It is still a shock that my father is dead. We will miss him. I will miss him so much. Though, it looks like a dream but the truth is that my father is gone. In any case, I am happy for him because he lived a good life, a very good life. He was a contended man. He was a happy man. That is one thing you can’t take away from him.

What will you miss about him?

A whole lot. I will miss his way of life. Humility and honesty, he got them. He was not someone always shouting. You hardly saw him angry. He was a great man who was very friendly with anybody. Anytime you came to him, he was ready for you. If you came to him 1am, he was ready for you. Nice and loving to a fault. He was a wonderful man. Yes, he was my father but he was one of those that I have highest respect and regard for.


My Father lived a very wonderful life – Toyin Somefun

OLUWATOYIN SOMEFUN, an administrator and the first daughter of late Akinwumi Isola, who wept throughout the interview, spoke with GBENRO ADESINA on the demise of her father

What will you miss?

I will miss a whole lot as well. He was really a confidant. He was very loving. He loved his grandchildren. We usually came here during the holidays and the children were always excited to be here. Anything the children asked for, my daddy would buy for them. He gathered them and told them lots of stories. We will miss his honesty, down to earth spirit. He was just so loving. He would tell you the truth about life. As my brother has said, he was a very happy man. He was just full of life. We would really miss his calls. He would call us to say how are you? He loved everybody: his biological children and every single person he came around with. It is really a shock but we will thank God for him. I will miss everything about him.

What was the last moment you had with him?

We were all here in December, myself, my sister and all the grandchildren. Then my younger sister just had her babies. He was very excited to see the twins and he was just calling their names saying bring the twins to me. Each morning, we would come here in his room. We would eat with him. While he was eating and we were eating, he would be telling us stories. The stories that were not relevant for the moment, once he remembered, he would tell us. Before we left last New Year, we all took pictures here. I remember it was this particular chair we sat on. He sat here, my mum here and all his grandchildren and he was so excited. When we told him we were going back to Lagos, he said “Oju a tunrari” meaning that we would see again. That was the very last time I saw him and I saw him a happy man. I cherished that moment and I am glad we had that moment.

I can see tears rolling down your cheeks. Are they tears of despair?

Well, what do we do? It is not tears of hopelessness at all. It is painful. I do not expect him to go now. But I am glad because he lived a very wonderful life. The last time we came in December, I sat him down and we had a father-daughter talk. I can’t forget every single thing he said during the last moment I shared with. I am not crying because I am sad. I am actually happy he went peacefully and he is with the Lord. The cry and the tears are because we are going to miss him. We are not expecting this at this time but we are happy he lived a very wonderful life, a good life, a life worth emulating. I give a whole of respect to him anytime, any day. I can’t remember anything he has ever done what one can say that it is bad. It is not that parents don’t do something that is bad but I cannot just remember anyone. He was a wonderful man.


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