Ademola Babalola in Ibadan
The house of the late Ibadan politician, Sir Adegoke Adelabu (a.k.a. Penkelemesi, a slogan in Yoruba parlance meaning ‘peculiar mess’), has been turned to a monument named ‘African Centre of Intellectualism.’
The Chairman of the Adegoke Adelabu Foundation, Lekan Alabi, disclosed this yesterday while addressing journalists in Ibadan, saying that the one-storey building located at Oke Oluokun area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, would be unveiled on September 3 to mark the late politician’s posthumous 101st birthday.
Alabi said the house, originally named ‘Taj Mahal’ by the late politician, is being remodelled to serve as a monument for tourists, researchers and other users seeking enrichment of knowledge and preservation of Adelabu’s ideals.
He added that the house has the potential of becoming a world tourist destination for the learning of Adelabu’s great ideas and ideals.
The Secretary of the Adegoke Adelabu Foundation, Mr Yinka Adelabu, while reviewing his book, Africa in Evolution, a book on the late politician’s political thoughts, said the ideas are still practical solutions to the problems Nigeria is facing today.
The two-part book, contains the late politician’s thoughts on how Nigeria can gain independence, educational development, economic planning, agriculture as well as unity among the ethnic groups, among others.
Adelabu was born on September 3, 1915. He became the first indigenous manager at the United African Company (UAC) at the age of 21 years. He later went into politics and became one of Nigeria’s most colourful politicians.
