Eminent personalities, yesterday, graced the funeral service of Mrs. Hilda Victoria Joanne Adefarasin. They included former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and his wife, Dolapo; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu .
The event, which was held at Guiding Light Assembly in Lagos, founded by her first son, Wale Adefarasin, also had in attendance Founder, Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo; Senior Pastor, Trinity House, Ituah Ighodalo; Serving Overseer, Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Presiding Archbishop/General Overseer, Action Chapel International Ministry, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams.
Others were: Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Fashionista, Abah Folawiyo; Founder, First City Monument Bank, Subomi Balogun and Secretary, National Action Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Olusegun Awolowo, among others.
Gowon described the deceased as a virtuous woman, who was dedicated to the things of God, and wellbeing of the people, while Otunba Balogun described her as “a gracious woman.”
Founder, Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, described Mama as disciplinarian, yet gentle and firm with all in her care and company.
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He described Adefarasin as a public servant, humanitarian and women’s rights activities, who dedicated a great part of her life to the rights of all women, which she believed in, and given the occasion.
Adefarasin said not once did she fail to wisely speak truth to power, on equity and equality of women, as she was a firm believer in the ethic of nation-building and was committed to devoting her time, energy and resources to anything that would help Nigeria to live up to her potential.
“It was this devotion that brought her to the attention of the then President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR (rtd) who nominated her to be one of only two female members of the 1986 Political Bureau. The Bureau was inaugurated to conduct a national debate on the political future of Nigeria, an exercise deemed to be the broadcast political consultation conducted in Nigeria history.”
He added, “Mummy taught us both respect and respectability, she insisted on the importance of showing respect to elders. She was particular in how she taught all of us self-respect, underscoring the axiom, which says, ‘how you treat yourself determines how society will treat you.’ She taught us courage, how to tackle life audaciously and to never let anything hold us back. She was generous to a fault and never hesitated to pour herself into the many young men and women she mentored through the course of her life.”
In his homily, entitled: ‘The memory of the just is blessed,’ Oyedepo said Mama Adefarasin displayed lots of godly character in her lifetime.
“I met her 27 years ago and what I saw was an overflowing love for God in her life. She loved God. She was always carrying a smile. Love is the overriding spiritual virtue in the kingdom of God, everything works together for love and this is reflected in her lifetime. No wonder she lived long because being in love with God guarantees a long life.” (The Guardian)
