Beautiful, calm and very conversative are the best words to aptly describe Olanlesi Mamora ,the pretty wife of a former Speaker of Lagos State House Assembly, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora. She cuts a picture of a dutiful wife and one, who takes her marriage and home front serious more than any other thing. She is the wind propelling the flight of her husband and she has been able to keep her marriage for many years. Though, she seldom attends parties, but because her husband is a public figure, she makes sure she complements him at some of his official and social functions. Meeting Olanlesi Mamora for the first time,you would surely take her for a lady because she looks beautiful and younger than her age.Another peculiar aspect of her is her use of English language and how she speaks faultless, very good English. She was one of the dignitaries, who stormed Bisi Olatilo’s wife, Sade’s 60th birthday and 36 wedding anniversary in Lagos penultimate weekend and she looked beautiful in her very simple outfit.She was accosted by City People’s Society Editor, Tayo Fajorin Oyediji, where she talked about her relationship with the celebrator,
“I feel really elated for her because she is a very warm personality and she is a God -fearing person, so she deserved the new age she just attained and she deserved the good wishes from everyone here and my prayer for her is that as she goes through life, the Lord will continue to guide her, she will not spend the second half of her years in pains,in sorrow. Her desire will be fulfilled. I have known her for so many years, I met her through my husband and through her husband as well. We have been family friends for a long time”. Olanlesi, married to one of the best in the legislative sector,her husband’s high profile has rubbed off on her that the business of keeping her home lies in her hands because of her husband’s busy career. She also talked on how she coped with her job for many years.
“The business of his job is also a good thing because that means we have our separate lives and then we come back in the evening to share how the day has been. Our affairs, our aspirations,our dreams and our successes as well, so there is always something to discuss.We have balanced ourselves and jobs well and we have come this far.
Being married for 35 years is surely not a joke. She is married to a public figure and has been saddled with the responsibilty of keeping her home for many years,she shared some of her principles.
It has always been the grace of God, you know there are some laid down rules in the Bible, which is the constitution of the kingdom on how we should deal with every area of our lives, husbands should love their wives,as they love themselves, so that the affairs will not be hindered,and the wives should be submissive to their husbands. There are so many, I have made sure I follow the principles dutifully. Contentment, being submissive,patience and great respect for him. When you do all these things,your husband will also perform his obligations and your marriage will work. The Bible is complete, so I have solely leverage on the grace God bestowed on me to keep my home and family together.”
She truly potrays a person, who has all the good things in life to herself and lives her life in contentment, she spoke about her simple life.
“I don’t bother about many things. I am contented with everything. Our wants are very unlimited because at the end of the day, you will keep aspiring for more so if you focus on the needs, that are basics. Basics are food, shelter, clothing ,it does not have to be anything out of this world, if you think like that you will not have any problem…so that is the way I see life”.
Her love story to her husband of 35-years started in 1976. They were friends and courted for about 6 years before they got married in 1982.They met when they were students at University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University. She reminisced: “We were friends, after we met ,we became friends for 6 years before we got married, we will be 35 in December, I have known him for 41 years.i met him through my friend’s brother.,My friend’s brother was his friend, and they usually came to check on my friend then, so that was where it started. We got attracted to each other, but he has a good smile. Mrs Olanlesi Mamora is a trained economist. She has worked at First Bank for 18 years before she pulled out to take care of her family and home front. She was born in Ikare, Ondo State, to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Odugbemi. Her father was a teacher at the St. John’s Teacher Training College, Owo but grew up in Owo. Her mum is also a teacher. She attended St. John’s Demonstration School for her elementary education and proceeded to Christ School, Ado-Ekiti. She also attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan, for her ‘GCE’ advanced level. She later got admission into the University of Ife, where she studied Economics.She observed her youth corps service at Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research in Ibadan before taking up her banking career.
–TAYO FAJORIN OYEDIJI
