Loss Of Values In This Generation And Arbitrary Family Lifestyles Is Due To People’s Failing To Learn From The Awolowo Family Model – Joe Odumakin

 

Obi of Onitsha, HRH Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe CFR, mni; Chairman of the Occasion  Mrs Ayo Obe; Founding Member Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Prof Oladipo Akinkugbe & Guest Speaker, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin At the Public Lecture on: The Nigerian Woman in The Footprints of (HID) Organised By Obafemi Awolowo Foundation to Mark the Unveiling of the HID Awolowo Foundation, Monday, Sept 19th, 2016, Ikene-Remo, Ogun state.

One year after demise of the widely revered “jewel of inestimable value”, Chief Mrs. Hannah Idowu Dideolu (HID) Awolowo, her friends, associates, groups and adorers joined her children at their family home in Ikene, Ogun State to appraise her lifestyle, pray for the family and float a support foundation named after HID Awolowo.

The commemorative anniversary event was preceded by a service of prayers and songs at the Efunyela Hall within premises of the Awolowo home in Ikene and graced by dignitaries. The event included a lecture and unveiling of advisory council for the HID Awolowo Foundation and was chaired by popular Nigerian female legal practitioner, Barrister Ayo Obe. 

The anniversary lecture was delivered by prominent Human Rights activist Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, who leads the Women Arise movement across Nigeria. In the lecture, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin extracted the qualities of HID Awolowo, drawing her premise from the famous statement of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, wherein the sage had referred to his wife as his “jewel of inestimable values”.

ED Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu; Chairman Advisory Council HID Awolowo Foundation, Sentor Daisy Danjuma; Chairman of the Occasion  Mrs Ayo Obe; Guest Speaker, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; Chairman Nigerian Tribune, Rev. Tola Oyediran & Secretary HID Awolowo Foundation Mrs Folusho Olaniyan At the Public Lecture on: The Nigerian Woman in The Footprints of (HID) Organised By Obafemi Awolowo Foundationt Mark the Unveiling of the HID Awolowo Foundation, Monday, Sept 19th, 2016, Ikene-Remo, Ogun state.

Joe Okei-Odumakin said one of the major sources from which a woman’s character can be described is comment of her husband about her.

Speaking on the topic; “The Nigerian Woman in The Footprints of HID Awolowo”, Dr. Okei-Odumakin said Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his wife, HID Awolowo led a symbolic family model, which is worthy of emulation by couples in this generation. She said the loss of values in this generation and arbitrary family lifestyles is due to people’s failing to learn from the Awolowo family model.

She decried the rising spate of domestic violence and other forms of gender abuse as a matter of family failing, which she said was not found with the Awolowo’s.

“Papa never subjected Mama to domestic violence”, she said.

ED Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu; Chairman Advisory Council HID Awolowo Foundation, Sentor Daisy Danjuma; Chairman of the Occasion  Mrs Ayo Obe; Guest Speaker, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin At the Public Lecture on: The Nigerian Woman in The Footprints of (HID) Organised By Obafemi Awolowo Foundation to Mark the Unveiling of the HID Awolowo Foundation, Monday, Sept 19th, 2016, Ikene-Remo, Ogun state.

The speaker alluded to complementing roles of the model of couple; Chief Obafemi and HID Awolowo.

“For Papa (Chief Obafemi Awolowo) to describe Mama as inestimable value, he had also invested and involved inestimably in the virtue he was now bold to showcase to the world”, Okei-Odumakin said.

The activist, while admonishing men, said HID is a reflection of values held by her husband, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. 

“Papa shared his vision with Mama, made her his confidant and allowed her role in decision making process…such that when he was unavoidably away during the heat of political storms, Mama was effectively playing nearly all his roles”.

While advocating for emulation of the Awolowo family values, Okei-Odumakin said she trusts the children of Chief and Mrs. Awolowo to continue representing the values and also championing the cause of spreading the values for contemporary families to copy.

She appreciated the efforts of Rev. Omotola Oyediran and Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, both children of Chief Obafemi and HID Awolowo for hosting the event and also inaugurating a Foundation in HID’s honour to support women in leadership and engender entrepreneurial skills for them.

“Women must now go back to learning from the Awolowo Family model and start again to creating great homes, become fountains of supply rather than liabilities”, Okei-Odumkin added.