•The Story Of Madam ABIGAIL MOJOLAGBE
It is no longer news that the governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde is bereaved. His mother, Madam Abigail Mojolagbe Makinde, died on Thursday. She was aged 81. The entire Makinde family, Omorege family, as well as their friends and associates, are still mourning the passing away of their own, Madam Abigail.
What many may not know, however, was the fulfilled life the deceased lived. As she was said to a mother of all. Those who knew Madam Abigail in her lifetime would readily tell you that she was indeed a loving and caring mother, not only to her biological children but also to those whose paths have crossed with hers. No wonder condolence messages have never ceased from pouring since the news of her death was broken last week.
Apart from the fact that her son is a sitting governor, Madam Abigail was a well-loved woman by her husband’s family, the Makindes of Ibadan and by extension, many of her son’s friends and associates who have been with him since his practicing days as an engineer and a businessman.
Despite that she was not from Ibadan (her dad was from the defunct Bendel State while her mom came from Akure), she was able to worm herself into the hearts of many through her impeccable characters.
Not many also know that Madam Abigail, like her son, Engr. Seyi Makinde, was also a cheerful giver. Though she was said to be a disciplinarian and a no-nonsense woman, but nothing was too big for her to give out. She was always ready to help. Even when the help was not within her capacity, she would still offer her advice and prayers. She was a source of inspiration to other parents.
Maybe all her good deeds were what were considered by God to grant her son’s longtime dream. In her lifetime, her son emerged the governor. What else would a good mother could have wished for in life? Madam Abigail Mojolagbe Makinde, indeed, lived a fulfilled and fruitful life. All her children have turned out good. Among them is a sitting governor, there is a lawyer and another one who is also an engineer.
The Makindes are all well brought up, hard-working and successful. They come from a very humble, Christian background. The five of them; 4 boys and a girl, are all doing wonderfully well in their various chosen careers. Engr. Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, is a seasoned engineer with a distinct record; his immediate elder brother Muyiwa, is a lawyer; their younger brother, Omololu Makinde, is also an engineer and a pastor. While the only girl of the family is a businesswoman. They are all making the family proud.
The successes her children have recorded probably was on Madam Abigail’s mind during an interview in the inaugural magazine (Omituntu) when she was asked about her experience, having left Akure to get married to an Ibadan man and what was going through her mind when Governor Seyi Makinde bagged Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes merit award in 2016.
“What usually comes to my mind when I think about Ibadan is that whatever God has done cannot be changed. I always thank God. When I pray, I say thank you Lord, You brought me to Ibadan and I have not regretted it and I know that till I die, You will not let me regret coming to Ibadan. And I tell people one thing, it is automatic; whatever you sow is what you will reap. All the while, I was doing good deeds: I never knew God was keeping the reward in stock for me. May God give us long life to enjoy the fruits.”
She also went further saying that, “I asked myself that day whether I was the only one in Ibadan or the only one that came to marry an Ibadan man. I thank God because my prayers are being answered. When a child is doing well, it is the prayers and efforts of the parents.”
Madam Abigail Mojolagbe Makinde (New Omorege) was born and bred in Akure. Though her father was from the defunct Bendel State while her mother is an indigene of Akure. She however relocated to Ibadan after her Modern School education in the ’50s. She worked as an interpreter at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and later as a telephone operator at the Oyo State Schools Board, Iyaganku, where she meritoriously served and retired.
-Dare Adeniran
