Former Lagos First Lady, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, and her siblings held a classy burial for their beloved mother, Madam Edith Baby Dibofu, popularly called Mama Aladura last Wednesday, 19th July, 2023. She also has other lovely nicknames like Mama Bimbo, Sister Edith and Mama Charismatic. A Christian Wake and Night of Tributes was held in her honour that Wednesday, 19th July, 2023. Mama passed on to glory on Saturday 24th June, 2023 at the age of 87.
The 2-in-1 event was held at the popular The Sable, Event Centre, at the Union Bank Ground, located on Bode Thomas Street, a highbrow street in Surulere, Lagos.
It was a worthwhile event and an evening to remember. It saw the attendance of many dignitaries. Notable among them were the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu who came with a team of 12 female officials of LASG, Lagos State SSG, Mrs. Bimbo Salu-Hundeyin; former Deputy Governor of Lagos and Federal Law Maker, Senator Orelope Adefulire; Honourable Jumoke Okoya Thomas; Representatives of the Oba of Lagos and White Cap Chiefs; retired government Excos and Permanent Secretaries, retired IG, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, retired AIG, Hakeem Odumosu, COWLSO members, family, friends and well-wishers. The hall was filled to capacity with about 2,000 good quality guests.
The Christian Wake was highly spirited. It was typical of what late Mama Dibofu was known for in her lifetime. The programme featured singing of lovely hymns, reading of Bible verses, and delivering thought-provoking sermons. It was indeed a worthy service held in honour of a worthy devotee.
The Night of Tributes was top notch. It began with Praise and Worship, where Gospel singers like Big Bolaji, Minister Dieko, Minister Bola Discovery as well as Dr. Dickson and his Urhobo Dance Group from Delta State thrilled the audiences. Special performance was done by Amoke Akewi, who sang to eulogize the deceased and dwell on praising her family heritage.
The high point of the night was when one of the granddaughters of Mama Dibofu, Oluwaferanmi Adeojo, a highly talented young lady who plays Saxophone with great dexterity. She did a solo musical display with her sax, which took the entire audience by storm. She performed exceedingly well that night. She dedicated the songs rendered to her grandma. All the songs she played were well delivered to perfection.
Lots of encomiums were showered on the deceased as all those who paid their tributes spoke well of Mama Dibofu. They referred to her as a true prayer warrior who would go to any length to assist anyone in distress. Many of those who spoke about her testify to her life, which is totally devoted to God. They gave instances where she showed service to God and humanity through her unprecedented charitable act.
Her burial was a celebration of Life for the families of Ojo’badan and Dibofu.
Her rite of passage began with the Wake Keep & Night of Tributes that Wednesday, 19th July, 2023 at the Union Bank ground, Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, Lagos. The colour of the day was Sky Blue.
Funeral mass was held the following day Thursday, 20th July, 2023 at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Yaba. The colour of the day was Royal Blue.
The Service of Song was professionally handled by Eventful, one of the very best event organisers in Nigeria. It deployed over 30 ushers to take care of the about 2,000 guests.
8 Ministers of God handled the service.
Rev. Mons. Bernard Okodua, former CAN President, Lagos State delivered a powerful sermon on Death and why everybody should be ready.
He said although we choose to call the event various names like Sendforth, Wake Keep, Service of Songs, etc, it all means one and the same. “It is atime to reflect on Death which is not new to us. “Is there anyone in this hall who is afraid of Death? he asked. “It is good to talk about Death often, so that we can prepare for it”.
She said the deceased was a prayerful woman and in her lifetime she would wake up everybody up to come and pray. That is why they call her Mama Aladura. He described her as an epitome of a prayer life.
He charged everyone to be ready for Death. “Death does not give notice. People die suddenly. Jesus said be prepared, I will come like a thief in the night”. How many of us can say: I am ready at any time for Death? The hall was in pitch silence.
He said everyday is a day of giving thanks.
“Always do good things because Death can come anytime. Serve God don’t serve Money or Wealth”. Don’t be selfish. Be rich for others.
The turnout at the event was huge and impressive.
Who is Mama Edith Baby Dibofu? According to her children, she was born in 1936 as the eldest child and daughter of Pa Gbiyan Dibofu, (a prominent textile merchant) of Ovwian township in Udu Local Government of Urhobo Kingdom and Ma Catherine Dibofu nee Oghenekaro family of Owhrode, Warri in the former Mid-West region of Nigeria, later Bendel State and now Delta State, Edith ‘Baby’ Dibofu as her father fondly called her “Baby” was called to fellowship and serve in the house of the Lord from her earliest childhood memories when her father presented her with a white Bible and also imparted her with his love for tea as she so fondly remembered. The Bible thumping and tea loving was an integral part of her nature until her final adieu.
Her formative years were spent at Catholic Convent Primary School, Warri, then on to MaryMount College, Agbor for her Secondary School and on graduating gained admission into College of Education, Agbor a teacher’s training college. She admired teachers as she prided herself on having taught English and Geography after her graduation from her tertiary studies.
She was being groomed for a life in the convent before God had other plans for her. It did not take long for Edith Baby Emmanuel Ade-Ojo nee Dibofu (Mama Bimbo, Sister Edith, Mama Aladura, Mama Charismatic) to sojourn into the world outside of the protective close-knit family and world she was born into when she met her husband our father, Barrister (Chief) Emmanuel Aderibigbe Ade-Ojo of the Ojo’badan family who took her from the ever protective hands of her earthly father to Lagos and Ibadan where she would become a constant staple amongst her new in-laws.
A woman of humility, grace, principle, mischief, would immerse herself respectfully, humbly, adoringly and lovingly to her new Ibadan in-laws as an outsider (non-Yoruba) that they could not help but fall for her effusive and heartwarming personality. God so kind, she did birth 5 children for the Ojo’badans and also had several more spiritual children that were as dear to her heart as her biological children. Even in his later years, our father, rued how she left him to marry Jesus.
Very unassuming, approachable and modest as they came. Mama Bimbo related more to the forgotten and neglected of the society; the poor, the sick, the fatherless, the motherless, the widows and ensured her evangelism ministry was not only to feed the soul but to also help meet the basic needs of all she came in contact with.
A founding member of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria five decades ago, out of upper room community at St. Dominic’s Church, Yaba, where you could find her singing in spirit and truth to her favorite gospel, “I love that man of Galilee’: An active leader of the Catholic Women’s Organization (CWO) and a Patron of St. Pio, Mama Charismatic as she was fondly known in her faith community truly embodied the spirit of servitude and evangelism.
Sister Edith travelled the length and breadth of Nigeria bringing the Good News to All without fear nor hesitation. She also embarked on multiple international evangelism outreach and crusades to share the Good News and spread the word in several areas outside the shores of her beloved country Nigeria. No one will easily forget the battles she surmounted defending the Charismatic Renewal movement in its infancy days as she always ascribed it to God’s Grace and never once shared in HIS Glory for her commission.
As fervent in scriptures, prayers, worship and praying the Holy Rosary and reciting the novenas as Mama Aladura was, she was almost as meticulous with hygiene, discipline, ethics, etiquette and documentation. She kept impeccable records as she still had original copies of documents over half a century old in pristine condition as if they were museum artifacts. Her original letter of employment into Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) where she began in 1965 is still safely stored.
At NITEL she went from a Staff Officer Level I through different promotional ranks exhibiting her faithful prayer life qualities where she led both Christians and non-Christians alike in prayers and showed her empathetic leadership qualities that allowed her to blossom from a young staff officer into leadership roles across the organization. Mama Aladura was renowned for being unwavering in her principle and frustrated coworkers who had sinister or cunning motives in the dispensation of their duties. She had a popular saying, “you will not steal on my watch because I do not want to go to jail and want to retire successfully at NITEL”, which she did to the Glory of God.
A woman of virtue that her spirit was always gladdened and celebrated everyone around her yet shied away from being publicly recognized, continued to excel at her job through multiple course completions and successful promotions and retired after 35 years of public service in January 2001 as an Assistant Chief Commercial Superintendent at NITEL.
Her life was fully immersed in the life of the scriptures, and she lived as a doer and not only a hearer of The Word. She was a daughter of Zion, sister, wife, mother, aunty, grandmother, great grandmother, mentor, companion, and God’s own battle axe as a prayer warrior. She was the person you needed in times of joy and in times of trouble. Her steadfastness in prayers was only eclipsed by her faith in all situations to utter the words, “we thank God’: and “Thy will be done’:
Mama Charismatic learnt not to hold anyone in unforgiveness and was quick to respond and placate anyone she offended or offended her after an emotional outburst of anger.
She will be fondly remembered for the character of her soul and her footprints in the hearts of those she crossed paths with. Mama Bimbo has come home to the bosom of her Creator.
We your spiritual legacy may miss you, but we celebrate your homecoming as your best friend and husband, our Savior, Jesus Christ welcomes you, home to your spiritual heritage.
We thank God!!!
Eternal rest grant unto her o Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon her. May the soul of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
This was what the children wrote in their tribute to Mama
