A TRIBUTE TO A GREAT SISTER

in 2007

“Hello Mi Hermano, how Iya ibeta? Hapi Daddys’ day in advance. Abeg, we would luv 2 ride with U 2 Adelakun’s 2morrow. We’ll attend our 1st service, den join TNCBC Fathers’ day.”
This was the text message she sent me on Saturday 14th June 2014 at 5:41PM. We (our families) were to go out together on Sunday the 15th of June to visit one of our friends. After service when I didn’t see my Sister I decided to give her a call. After several calls, and no response forthcoming, I decided to give her Husband a call. He then told me that she was ill and was taken a private hospital at Ogba. On hearing this, I told my wife what I was told and we set out to the hospital. At the gate of the hospital, I called her husband, Biodun, and asked where he was. He told me she had been taken to the General Hospital in Ikeja and immediately we went there.

At the LSUTH Ikeja the story was that there was no bed space and she could not be admitted. Right there the medical personnel were told that her medical records of two (2) years ago were right there in the hospital. The unfortunate answer was that two (2) years ago was a long time and that the record was not recent, how amazing. She was then referred to Gbagada General Hospital.

On getting there, electricity power was out, and inside the hospital was filthy I must say. Again an attempt was made to refer her to Lagos Island General Hospital until they were resisted by her husband and others who were there with them. In the late afternoon, my wife and I left for home.

At about 3AM in the morning I got a call from Biodun asking me to give him my Father’s number which I did without suspecting anything. And that was it. When I got to know at about 7AM, I couldn’t say a word for a long while.

Though we were not related, we shared a deep relationship; though we were not Biological siblings, we were Bio-Spiritual siblings; though not of the same school of thought, we shared the lessons of life and living. A Strong-Willed, Stubborn, Resilient, Determined Sister who was a writer of special breed, she almost always wore a smile and anytime she didn’t I would help her stir up the smile that was from within her.
At Patigi in Kwara State (2013)

 I got to know her in the year 2006 through Sola Adeniji, not ten (10) years yet, but it does seem like a very long time. After service she called me and introduced herself to be Ayo Oni and made known her intention to be part of the Youth Organization of The New Covenant Baptist Church. When we got talking I found her to be an Enthusiastic, Energetic, Positive young woman who was determined to put in her best in everything she was to do. The writer of LAMPROS, a publication she gladly tagged as a monthly publication of the Youth Family.

The trio of Herself, Gabriel Ojo and me was one that brought out the best in us by helping us focus our minds on bigger things even when all around us were not on the same mindset pedestal as we were privileged to be. How can I forget the times our trio prayed together and shared together, times when one of us needed someone to talk to? I remember her as one who helped me remain focused in shaky times. A Special daughter of Pastor Omotosho you were, with your D&G (Daughter and God) hat, you were Special.


I will always remember her as one who prayed for me when I became the President of the Youth Organisation of the Church in 2011. It was so clear that she was praying for me from her heart that God opened my eyes on one occasion in my sleep to see how she was praying for me and the words the prayer translated into. You can only pray for people you truly love.

The time has come for you to take the exit door out of this world, this domain, this dimension into another domain that speaks beyond human comprehension. A dimension no man will have a glimpse of and still decide to remain here. Your translation happens to come now, at a time when none of us expects it to be, a time when we thought that you are just starting your life on a new level. What can I say but a big thank you for being a good Sister, one who thought me that it’s not about me, not about any of us but the one who formed us and opened the door for us to come into this world to fulfill an assignment only Him can help us to fulfill.
Till we meet again Sister Ayotunde, Ayanfe 

OLAGUNJU OLUWASEYI OLADIPO DAVID

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