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Today, Tuesday, 18th June, 2019, is the 5th anniversary of the call to eternal rest of Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola Alao, (CON), the first Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, second Aare of Ibadanland and late Vice-President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
Aare died on Wednesday, 18th June, 2014 in his London (UK) home, aged 69 years, and was buried on Friday, 20th June, 2014 in his home at Oluwo Kekere, Basorun, Ibadan, Oyo State. May Allah (SWT) forgive him his sins and keep him in Aljannah Fridauous. Amen.
Aare was known in Nigeria and abroad as a cheerful giver to the rich, poor, famous, strangers, old and young. His attributes have been documented in a book of tributes titled, “Arisekola In Our Minds”, edited by Professor Rasheed Aderinoye, which was presented to the public on Thursday, 18th June, 2015 by then Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, at the first remembrance (Fidau) of Aare at his Oluwo Kekere, Orita Basorun, Ibadan, Oyo State home.
In an average day in his lifetime, Aare Arisekola took great delight in entertaining visitors, solving religious, social, financial, political or any other problem for that matter of people of different religions, class, tribe and status. It was a great passion of his.
Born on February 14, 1945 to the late Pa Abdul Raheem Olaniyan Alao and the late Alhaja Olatutu Alao at Adigun Village of Ibadan, in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, young AbdulAzeez attended St. Luke’s Primary School, Adigun and ICC Primary School, Igosun, Ibadan where he persistently topped his class until he obtained the Primary School Leaving Certificate (Grade A) in 1960, the year he came to the city from his village.
Till he died, he kept referring to himself as an “Omooko” i.e villageboy. He, thereafter, successfully passed the entrance examinations into the prestigious Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State and Lagelu Grammar School Ibadan, but could not take up his admission in either school due to the poor financial position of his parents. A scholarship opportunity was not allowed by fate to be utilized by him either.
Nonetheless, the determined AbdulAzeez studied Western, Arabic and Quranic education privately, and comfortably transacted business with the brightest and best in the corporate world.
Young AbdulAzeez first joined his uncle, the late Alhaji Karimu Olasupo Jenrola at the popular old Gbagi Market in Ibadan as an apprentice trader.
After successfully understudying his uncle, he started the sale of Gammalin 20 products vide the incorporation of his Azeez Arisekola Trading Company in 1961 with a loan of 310 pounds given to him by Mr. Olaniyi Owodunni.
The Western Regional Manager of Imperial Chemical Industry (ICI) of England, Mr. P.K. Hampel, a Briton, discovered in the young AbdulAzeez, great business acumen, a fantastic impetus for hard work, integrity and creativity and therefore appointed him a dealer of their products in the now-defunct Western Region of Nigeria. From there, the future business magnate took off, combining charity as a hobby.
Within a year, he received a commission of 1,000pounds from ICI and an all-expenses paid trip to the company’s headquarters in the United Kingdom. An astute young man, he purchased a Peugeot pick-up van at the cost of 400 pounds and by 1970, he built his first house at the age of 25 years.
In 1972, he registered his motor company, Lister Motors, becoming the star dealer for the Japanese brand, Datsun. It was during that era that Aare’s fame as a philanthropist soared as he donated cars to institutions and individuals like one donates loaves of bread.
He also had a fair share of social life and became the toast of parties and juju musical bands. But all the social circuit stuff stopped in 1980, when he became the first Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland.
His business interests included automobile, oil and gas, banking and insurance, food and beverage, farming and animal husbandry, real estate, publishing, transportation and food processing.
From his league of friends, staff and admirers, Aare was a detribalized man as his love for Nigeria was great. His avowed love was based on a popular saying of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) that, “The love of one’s nation is part of faith”.
He had amongst the staff of his business conglomerate, all ethnic tribes of the federation as well as foreigners. Knowing the importance of education, Aare gave scholarships to indigent students both at primary and tertiary levels within and outside Nigeria. He established a scholarship scheme for that purpose in honour of his father, Pa AbdulRaheem Alao.
In appreciation of his love for his place of birth, Ibadan, he was honoured with the chieftaincy title of Aare of Ibadanland in 2006 by a late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Yinusa Bankole Oladoja Ogundipe, Arapasowu I.
The first Aare of Ibadanland was the late clergy, educationist and statesman, Pa Emmanuel Alayande.
He performed his first holy pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia in 1971, and was turbaned the first Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland by the League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland on July 14, 1980.
Being a celebrated Muslim leader, he established the AbdulAzeez Arisekola Mosque on Iwo Road, Ibadan, Oyo State. He founded the Grand Council for Islamic Affairs (GCIA) in Nigeria in 1996 to complement Islamic propagation efforts just as he set up the Alasalatu Ibaadu-Rahman Society for the spiritual advancement of the womenfolk.
He was patron and foremost financier of more than 100 muslim organizations in Nigeria and abroad. From 1980 when he became the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, he extended annual Hajj scholarships to hundreds of Muslim faithful just as he sponsored Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem annually too.
Aare was one of the privileged few honoured by the Chief Imam of Makkah to send delegates for the annual ceremonial washing of the Holy Ka’bah. He was also invited to the annual Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs International Convention in Cairo, Egypt. He was on record as the one who mobilized support for the settlement of the internal rift amongst the members of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Oke-Seeni, Ibadan and ensured the settlement of their rift out of court. The said church eventually conferred on him the title ‘The Defender of Faith’ in recognition of his love for religious peace and harmony.
Aare Arisekola was married and blessed with children who are successful professionals at home and abroad. The training he gave them has contributed to making them excel intellectually and morally. A blessing which he always ascribed to God.
Aare, may your kind and noble soul continue to rest in Aljannah Fridaous. Amen.
