Families, Friends Honour Late Bode Akindele One Year After

It was a Tuesday evening. The Bay Lounge hall in Lekki area of Lagos State was kept abuzz with songs of exaltation from a few friends and families. This was to honour the life of Nigeria’s industrialist, the late Chief Olabode Akindele, who passed on June 29 last year.

This was the ambience that set the tone of the service, as his acquaintances, and families kicked off with songs rendition at past 5pm in solemn remembrance of him. Leading the renditions, a band of 10 chanted songs including La to Ojo ti mo pe; Otuaka Chineke a e di e; Oluwa E Tobi; The Champion of the Host Above; You Are A Great God; and Faithful Lord You Are among several others.

Facilitating the service were Pastors Kayode Faseyi, Dele Balogun, and Kingsley Bature from This Present House Church Lekki. They harped on the importance of leaving a lasting legacy for the future generation, as Christ has commanded.

“It is important that our purpose in life is to serve our generation, not in our own way. So we bless God for the life of Baba Olabode.

“We are here because the late Chief had done something good. Those of us here: blessed are the dead in Christ for they rest from their labour. Those of us here the Bible says what manner of man ought we to be therefore.”

Faseyi, who led the Bible reading from Acts chapter 13 verse 36 and Revelation chapter 14 verse 13, told the congregation that God is counting upon those alive to leave a legacy of godliness.

His charges: “We are conscious of the fact that we are here to serve the purpose of God in our generation and in our nation,” while imploring everyone to dedicate themselves to God and to do His work in our generation and in the nation.

Praying for the first son of the icon, Oladipupo Akindele, who genuflected before the congregation, the men of God supplicated that God’s comfort rest with the family.

They interceded further: “You know the thoughts and intents of their hearts. According to Your will, grant them the desires of their hearts and sustain the legacy.”

With this, the congregation sealed the prayers with the popular hymn, “Standing on the Promises of Christ My King”.

When asked to describe his father, Akindele, heaved a deep sigh as memories ricocheted around him. He reminisced about his best moments with his father.

In a flat tone and a pause, he recounted: “My fondest moment was when he got his chieftaincy as the Parakoyi of Ibadanland which is probably the highest chieftaincy title in the land. I was side by side with him throughout that period. It was my closest time with him.

“I grew up especially loved by my father.” According to Akindele, his father was always a man that “We would always want to please because he set that standard. It’s a lot. But definitely growing up I got a special kind of love from my father.”

As the first son of 11 siblings including nine girls, Akindele encouraged everyone to embrace family values that existed before the advent of social media.

“It’s very important for people not to lose the values that existed before social media, which is like having family moments, family celebrations, not just for our parents, but when any member of the family has their birthday.

“It’s just the fundamentals. Social media is very new and it can be very distorted. I still very much believe in the old school. I was brought up in the old school, especially on social media. People get lost. A lot of people are on social media alone. I would say people should be very careful.”

Among the guests at the occasion were Messres Lanre Nzeribe (his family), Suleiman Sanusi, Charles Durosaro, Mayowa Owolabi, Debo Adeleke, Chief Anthony Tosan Prest, Kayode Shobanjo, Shittu Abiodun, Charles Durosaro, Dare Adeleke, and Mrs. Olayemi Bush-Sarumi.