Family honours Lagos ex-lawmaker, launches foundation

The family of the late Alhaji Mustapha Ajibulu, the first elected lawmaker to represent Oshodi-Isolo Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Thursday honoured his legacy with a public lecture and the launch of a foundation to promote humanitarian causes and community development.

The event, organised by the Adisa Ajibulu Descendants Union to mark the 20th memorial anniversary of the late politician, was held in Ikeja, Lagos.

The public lecture, themed “Sacrificial Leadership and Community Development: Yesterday’s Heroes, Today’s Players, and Leaders of Tomorrow,” attracted political leaders, traditional rulers, community stakeholders and students.

 Speaking during the event, the General Secretary of the Adisa Ajibulu Descendants Union, Shola Ajibulu, said the programme was organised to preserve the values of selfless leadership exemplified by his father and inspire a new generation of leaders.

He recalled that the late Ajibulu became widely known in Mafoloku, Oshodi, after facilitating the intervention of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in a dispute between residents and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria over land acquisition for airport expansion.

According to him, the intervention helped resolve the crisis and cemented the late lawmaker’s reputation as a leader committed to defending the interests of his people.

“My father believed in standing up for the people. He was willing to make sacrifices and defend the interests of the community. Those are the values we want younger generations to learn from,” he said.

Ajibulu lamented what he described as a decline in the values that once defined public service, saying many politicians now pursue personal gain instead of serving the people.

“We need to return to the values of honesty, integrity and sacrifice. If we are to build a better society, our institutions must be driven by leaders who genuinely believe in those principles.

“That is why we invited students to this programme, to expose them to examples of leadership rooted in service,” he added.

Also speaking, one of the children of the late politician, Ibrahim Ajibulu, said the newly inaugurated Mustapha Adisa Ajibulu Foundation would continue the humanitarian work for which their father was known.

He said the foundation would provide support for indigent persons, including assistance with medical bills and other welfare interventions.

“Our father was a man of the people who always helped others within his means. Through this foundation, we want to sustain that legacy by reaching out to the less privileged and contributing to society in whatever way we can,” he said.

Also speaking, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Adelola Matemilola, urged Nigerians to prioritise building a good reputation over the acquisition of material wealth, describing the late Ajibulu’s enduring legacy as his greatest inheritance.

The monarch congratulated the children and relatives of the late lawmaker for sustaining his memory, saying the respect the family continues to enjoy is a testament to the life he lived.

He said, “When people ask if you are related to the late Hon. Ajibulu and you answer in the affirmative, they remember him for his good deeds and ask what they can do for you. That is an inheritance that goes far beyond houses, money or businesses.

“A good name is worth more than material possessions. We should all think about the legacy we are leaving behind because what outlives us is not necessarily our wealth but the goodwill we earn through our service to humanity,” he added.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Prof Dapo Asaju, extolled the virtues of the late politician.

He also urged the government at all levels to take grassroots development very seriously.

He noted that the likes of the late Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikiwe and some other African leaders who shared similar ideologies with them liberated the people from slavery and colonialism through grassroots development.

The late Ajibulu represented Oshodi-Isolo Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly between 1979 and 1983 and was the first elected lawmaker from the constituency before the military terminated the Second Republic.

Among the dignitaries at the event were traditional rulers and community leaders, who paid glowing tributes to the late statesman.