20TH YEAR MEMORIAL: CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PRINCE AJIBADE OJORA

Last Thursday, November 27, marked the tenth year remembrance of one of Nigeria’s outstanding boardroom gurus, Prince Ajibade Mustapha Ojora. His family and close friend hosted a prayer session in his honour at his home in Ikoyi, Lagos. The chief host of the event was Ojora's widow, Olarenwaju Ojora, the celebrated society matriarch and style icon. She was ably assisted by her children, Adesola and Aderonke. 

His widow, Lanre Ojora

Prince Ojora died on November 27, 1994. He was aged 51. Indeed, if the will power of man could hold him back, there was enough love and goodwill to keep Ojora back. His memorial ceremony, which drew hundreds of dignitaries, bore eloquent testimony to this fact.

The late Lagos born blue-blood was the the younger brother of boardroom guru, the Otunba Adekunle Ojora). Until his death, he was a top executive at Mobil Oil Nigeria. It is imperative to add that, the late Bade Ojora, together with Pius Akinyelure, Solomon

The late Bade Ojora and his family

Oladunni, was known to have influenced former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to work in Mobil Nigeria, upon the completion of his studies in the United States. 


 His marriage to Lanre was blessed with three children- Abimbola, Adesola and Aderonke. The first child of the marriage, Abimbola Babalola died in 2005, in the Bellview air crash. She was married to Engineer Lanre Babalola, the former Minister of Power, and the son of Chief S.O. Babalola. The union, which was consummated in 2001, in London, produced two children- Folarin and Rolake. 

The tragic death of her husband, no doubt marked a dramatic turning point in the life of Lanre Ojora. Imagine a woman who could not think of life without her husband! Imagine a woman who was so over pampered by her husband that she had the whole world at her feet! Imagine a woman whose husband found no fault in her suddenly being alone. One could only imagine the pang of pain

With first daughter, Abimbola

Lanre Ojora felt when her husband left her so suddenly in the lurch, to cater for their children. But then, she rose to the challenges and has been able to weather the storm, against all odds. And for this 65-year-old grandmother of two, life goes on and it couldn't get any better.