The third admirer of my series who reached out was Dr. Lucky who phoned from Port Harcourt and said my articles are one people have gained a lot from…
Sina Adedipe
I start with an apology that this column, like some others, did not come out last week. It was because of the high number of adverts published. I am most grateful to the seven readers who phoned or sent text messages to ask about my welfare and be sure that the situation was not caused by illness or another sad occurrence.
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These are 79 year – old Dr. Isaac Adeola Odeyemi (a Ph.D. Computer Science graduate); Sir Amos Ofonome, 82, a Knight of the Anglican Communion (081 – 2268 – 1520); Chief Rotimi of Ilorin (080 – 3844 – 3820); Mr. Thomas P. Ekpeyong of Abuja (070 – 5595 – 7750); the owner of GSM number 080 – 3911 – 6105, who was anonymous in the text message and my cousins, Professor Victor Olusegun Adedipe and Mr. Adekunle Adedipe, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors.
Apart from Professor Tam David – West, Professor Victor Olusegun Adedipe, Professor Tony U. Obayi and Professor Kayode Rufus Adeboye, whose complimentary remarks I published two weeks ago, I also received commendation from five other cerebral readers on my polygamy series. Three of them live in the country and one in each of the United Kingdom and United States.
The first to do so in Nigeria was Dr. Bayo Ogunmupe (070 – 1190 – 2497), a columnist with the Guardian on Saturday and a professional colleague I had known since 1974, 44 years ago, when we wrote for Times International, a weekly magazine published by the Daily Times of Nigeria. It was a part-time contribution as I was then a Current Affairs Editor with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, IKoyi, Lagos (Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria since April 1978).
Bayo affirmed that I was correct in describing those who claimed that Jesus Christ was preaching and promoting monogamy when he spoke against divorce in Matthew 19:4 – 6 as men and women with bizarre reasoning faculty who were being clever by half. He said in philosophy such fellows are known as people suffering from “cognitive dissonance.” In order words, they lack the ability to reason logically.
The second thumbs up came from Dr. Andrew Atai Omachi, Ph.D. Chemistry, a Chief Lecturer and Head of Department, College of Education, Ankpa, Kogi State (080 – 6127 – 4657), who in nine text messages sent in a period of one week praised me for my articles. He followed up eleven days ago, on Sunday, September 30, with a phone call during which he again commended me during a discussion that lasted 30 minutes and 46 seconds.
He was extremely happy reading my series because after perusing the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, he once contemplated writing and publishing a book to let people know that there is no evidence in the Bible that Almighty God is against multiple – marriage. And that He even gave out rules to polygamous men on how to live peacefully and happily with their wives and children in Exodus 21:10 – 11 and Deuteronomy 21:15 – 17.
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Dr. Omachi joy knew no bounds because he saw my article making up for the book he was unable to write.
The third admirer of my series who reached out from Nigeria was Dr. Lucky (081 5362 4147) who phoned from Port Harcourt and said my articles are one people have gained a lot from on the position of the Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ on polygamy in the Christian Holy Book. As more than 20 readers have done in the ten years I have been writing on polygamy in this column, he too advised me to turn my series into a book for the benefit of present and future generations in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world.
Of course, I will do so along with other issues the Heavenly Father had discussed with me and those He would explain to me later.
But the applause I found more enthralling and special because of what they said came from Mr. Abbey Ikotun of Agarawu Street in the Nnamdi Azikiwe Street area of Lagos Island who lives and works in the United States and called me at 8:27 p.m. Nigerian time on Sunday, July 1. And Ondo town – born Mr. Jimmy Akinduro, the Chief Engineer of Underground (Tube) Stations in London, who has been in the United Kingdom since 1989 (for 29 years now). He phoned me on the memorable day of Wednesday, August 8 (08/08/18) at 6:50 a.m. Nigerian time.
To be continued next Wednesday
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Phenomenal matriarch of the Adedipes, Falaes, Ade – Ojos & others (21) – 16 – Lawyer offspring
In the last edition published two weeks ago, I showed that while other families in Akure have one or two professors, that the descendants of our legendary and mystical matriarch have six. Indeed, we have more graduates (people with university degrees) and excel in most professions than any other clan in Akure.
Today, the focus is on law where we have sixteen lawyers and produced the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria in Akure, three years ahead of other families. I doubt if the descendants of any other matriarch or patriarch in Akure, if not elsewhere in the country, have up to six barristers. And if any other family has a father who is an attorney along with three of his children as is the case with two members of our Elemo Adedipe dynasty.
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The first lawyer from our family was late Mr. Adebayo Adedipe who practiced in Ibadan, the son of High Chief Akomolafe Adedipe, the 12th Elemo of Akure (1920 – 58), who qualified in 1960 or 61. He was followed by late High Chief Bolanle Arifalo Adedipe, the 14th and immediate past Elemo of Akure (1977 – 2012), who became a member of the Nigerian Bar in 1964. And was a Parliamentary Secretary (Minister of State) for Agriculture from December 1964 – January 1966 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in the First Republic. His eldest son, Adebayo Arifalo Adedipe, a graduate of the University of Lagos and who now lives and practices in Kingston, Jamaica, his mother’s country is also a lawyer.
For continuation next week
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My 74th birthday (3)
Featuring in my appreciation today are my sisters Professor (Mrs.) Adeola Abaelu, my mother’s eldest child who was 79 two Thursdays ago (September 27) and Mrs. Kehinde Oloka, 67, who both called me on September 4 from the United States where they are holidaying with their children and grandchildren.
Also for my gratitude are the following younger sisters: Mrs. Adebola Adejoro, 67, in Akure; Mrs. Adeoti Adefemi, 67, Mrs. Adepeju Aburo, 63, and Mrs. Aderosoye Ayiloge, 59, who all live in Lagos; Mrs. Adeboye Akintola, 64, who is in Osogbo and Mrs. Fadeke Olaleye, 63, in Abuja.
More to follow next week