My Dear Aunty Adenrele, I am going to miss you immensely, words cannot describe how. Only God understands why this had to happen now. The Lord Almighty rules Supreme in the affairs of men.

Where do I start? I am at a loss for words. It’s still so unreal – A B-A-D Dream. She was the big sister I never had, friend and confidante. We loved each other unconditionally.

She was a unifying pillar for the family and friends. She was proud of her paternal heritage and got fully involved in family activities with needful support, even at the shortest notice. Aunty was so patriotic. She definitely got the gene from Papa – her beloved father.

“Aunty, you preferred to forgo disagreements for peace to reign”.

Aunty Denrele stood firmly on the belief that we all owed Nigeria and especially Lagos State a duty to build and develop her. She was an incredibly courageous and astute politician who never held back the truth when it came to crucial decisions. She had this uncommon IQ – a sophisticated form of street smartness that was ideally suited for navigating the rough terrain of the peculiar Nigerian political, socio-economic and cultural life.

She was Caring, Loving, Accommodating, Free Spirited, with a Great Sense of Humour, and had an Empathetic Ear.

“You touched the hearts of thousands with your thoughtfulness and generosity”.

To Aunty Denrele, it was a sacrilege to be selfish and proud. She was concerned about the number of smiles you put on the faces of the downtrodden especially. “Aunty, You protected a lot of people from any form of lack and abuse mostly to your own discomfort. Nobody is perfect, but when I think of how giving and caring you were, I realise that some people did not deserve your friendship”.

She was a great listener who patiently had time for everyone – rich, poor, educated, uneducated, young, old and the” blessed boys” on the street.

There is virtually nothing I do not know about Aunty and vice versa. We often traded banters and she would say “Bawo lo se mo. O jomi sha” (How do you know ? You think like me.) Her sense of humour was unparalleled, and her charm was so disarming that you couldn’t but relax around her.

I will miss hearing her voice with the late night and the early risers calls. It is now excruciating to know that I will go through the rest of my life not talking to her.

I remember my Unilag days, her house which was nearby was the place I chilled out from the stress of campus life. How can I forget our trip to Rome and London in the late ’70s? Also, the local trips to Ijebu Ode, Ibadan, Abuja. Fola’s wedding in Ghana was also memorable.

One incident that cracked our ribs occurred when my daughter was about 18 months old. Aunty was staying in St John’s Wood, London and she had this cantankerous, elderly neighbour. My daughter cried continuously and was scolded for it because it was disturbing for the neighbour. She stopped, looked at Aunty curiously for daring to admonish her and said “Oyinbo”. We were both shocked and rolled on the floor with laughter. Aunty said, ” Omo Ijebu Yi Se Emi Lo Nba Wi. Ma Na E O ” (You child from Ijebu, Are you talking to me? I’ll smack you).

Our God is unquestionable, for he knows the end from the beginning. God will give us the fortitude to bear the loss of this loving, devoted and committed mother. Princess Adenrele Oyebola Adeniran Ogunsanya was very, very, very special to me and always will be.

My very own Egbon. Adieu. May your gentle soul rest in peace. Amen.

Love

‘Bimbo Subair-Oworu.