•He is Awujale’s Otunba
The news of his passing away came as sad news on 27th January, 2020. This is because late Amb. Femi Fowora was a great man, in his life time. He was a seasoned diplomat, an accomplished Ambassador and a big Ijebu technocrat who was one of Awujale’s Otunba. Amb Emmanuel Olufemi Fowora was born on Christmas day, 25th December 1936 at Ijebu -Ode to Pa Moses and Otunba (Mrs) R.O. Fowora.
He had his primary education at Emmanuel School Isonyin – a small town of peculiar kind- which was in the forefront of education advancement in the whole of Ijebu province at that time.
The Ambassador entered Ijebu-Ode Grammar from 1951 and left in 1956 and after clearing the West African School Certificate in Grade II with distinction in History and Religious knowledge.
He worked briefly from December 1956 at the high Court Lagos until July 1958 when he left for further educational studies in North Western Polytechnic, Kentish Town, London. After an academic term 1958/59, he passed his Advanced level, General Education Certificate papers in 3 subjects at one sitting, and entered University of Hull in October 1959 to read Law and graduated LL.B second Class Upper Division (Hons) in 1962.
Ambassador Fowora was recruited in London in 1962 into the Nigeria Foreign Service. He served in the Ministry from 1962-1964, attended the then 3-month course at Nigerian Law School in 1963, and was called to Bar, thereafter he enrolled as a solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court in 1964.
From 1964, Ambassador E.O Fowora began serving abroad. He was posted to Khartoum Sudan and remained there as Head of Chancery until he was moved to the Consulate General in New York 1966 as a consul. In 1967, he was cross-posted along with 21 colleagues to the Home Service during the civil war, when the Home Service was devastated by the deserting Biafran officers.
He was returned along with his colleagues to the Foreign Service after 7 months, when Biafran officers similarly deserted the Foreign Service. He was posted to Dakar, Senegal in 1968, and remained there until 1972 when he returned to the Ministry as Director of Africa Affairs Department.
In 1976, Ambassador Fowora was sent to establish the Nigeria High Commission Canberra Australia as Acting High Commissioner in 1978.
At the end of 1979, he was assigned for the second time to Dakar Senegal as Ambassador.
In 1981, he was assigned to Surinam, Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago as head of the missions to those countries with residence in Port of Spain in Trinidad, as High Commissioner. He returned to ministry in Nigeria in 1982 and remained there as Director Administration until he was assigned to Belgrade Yugoslavia in 1986.
He was also High Commissioner in England between 1988/89 before moving to Senegal.
He finally returned to Nigeria in 1992 and retired after 35 years in government service. Thereafter, Ambassador Fowora had a stint of 7 years in a construction company (private sector) in Apapa as Executive Director until 1999.
Having finally retired from public and private sector services, Ambassador Fowora was honored with a title of Otunba Setejoye of Ijebuland in December 1996 by paramount Monarch of Ijebuland, His Majesty, Alaiyeluwa, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Adetona, CFR, the Awujale of Ijebuland.
He was later chosen as Baba Egbe of Egbe Bobagbimo, an age grade of Ijebu. He had earlier been decorated chevalier de national (knight of the National Order) in Senegal by President Senghor.
Otunba Setejoye is married to chief (Mrs) Edith Olayinka Fowora, Yeye Setejoye of Ijebuland. Their marriage is blessed with 3 children and many grandchildren. Ambassador belongs to many social clubs including Lagos Motor Boat club, Ikoyi club, Yoruba Tennis club and Island club all in Lagos.
