Family and friends celebrate as Baba Adesina clocks 84.
3 min read
High profile chief, elder statesman and the CEO of Royal Waterparks Okota, Elder Adebayo Adesina on Friday last week being June 21, 2024, marked his birthday in grand style as he turned 84. Friends, associates and family members of the octogenarian defied the evening rainfall and made it to Adesina Close Isolo, a bubbling town in Lagos Mainland for the epoch making event. By the time the local affairs correspondents of Umuaka Times arrived at the event, a heavy presence of great men and women of substance was noticed as they were already seated to celebrate the iconic grandfather and great grandfather.
From the fillers Umuaka Times gathered, several organizations had their representatives during the birthday bash and prominent among them was Isolo Kingdom’s Elders Forum. It can be recalled that Chief Adebayo Adesina was the first president of Isolo Elders Forum and he is today a life patron of the high profile Isolo based socio-cultural organization.
Because of some certain reasons, the guests who attended the high profile birthday celebration were divided into two; some sat downstairs inside the compound while some others who had come from far and near seated in the living room of the celebrater upstairs. Around 5pm, the ace female master of the ceremonies Tutu Kazeem, announced her presence and subsequently ushered the octogenarian “birthday boy” to the event. As he was coming in, all the guests stood on their feet to honour him. After he had seated in a special corner prepared for him, the MC called for an opening prayer.
Chief Adesina is a devote Muslim and for that, the opening prayers were offered according to Muslim pattern to the Most High Allah. At the end of the prayers, all the guests present chorused amen. After the opening prayers, the next segment that followed was a brief biography of Chief Adesina which was read by the MC herself. She MC also took time to announce the names of the children of Chief Adesina. Those of them who were present during the event came and greeted the guests and those that were not present were also recognized.
Another segment of the event which was very emotional was when the MC called for a minute silence in honour of the late wife of Chief Adesina, the late Mrs Ibilola Adesina. From the indicators Umuaka Times gathered, as Chief Adesina is known as a father to all, his late was very supportive and also a mother to all when she was alive.
During the cutting of the gorgeously decorated birthday cake, the octogenarian Chief was asked to come to the centre of the living room where the cake-stand was elegantly placed. Some family members joined him for the ritual of cutting birthday cakes. In a unanimous decision, all the guests chorused “Allah” after the MC who conducted the segment sang a song and Baba Adesina, the “birthday boy”, cut his 2024 birthday cake in grand style.
Umuaka Times gathered that some of the guests who attended the event flew into the country to witness the event from several parts of the world especially the United States and Canada. By the time the event came to an end, several high profile personalities at the event extolled the virtues of Chief Adebayo Adesina and wished him more years on earth. One of such personalities who spoke with Umuaka Times in an exclusive interview under the condition of anonymity, described Chief Adesina as a man who came, saw and eventually conquered.
Chief Adebayo Adesina, the Otunba Adebayo of Isolo kingdom, Baba Ewe of Ire Akari Grammar school Isolo, the Olori Ebi of Gamugasa dynasty of Ijebu-ode kingdom was born on 20 June 1940. He attended primary and secondary schools in his hometown before he proceeded to Yaba College of Technology where he read business administration. From Umuaka Times birthday research findings, Chief Adesina shares the same birthday with several prominent personalities across the world. Lionel Richie, an American music guru and an ace footballer, Frank Lampard were also born on June 20. Umuaka Times wishes Baba Adesina a happy birthday and more years ahead.
