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As eulogies continue to pour in for late Ma. Ajasin, who passed on in the early hours of Tuesday, her last daughter Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose has described her mother, as her pillar, just as she revealed that Psalm 121 was Ma's favourite bible verse. Ma Ajasin was the widow of the former Ondo State governor, Chief Adekunle Ajasin.
As eulogies continue to pour in for late Ma. Ajasin, who passed on in the early hours of Tuesday, her last daughter Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose has described her mother, as her pillar, just as she revealed that Psalm 121 was Ma's favourite bible verse. Ma Ajasin was the widow of the former Ondo State governor, Chief Adekunle Ajasin.
Recalling the good times she enjoyed in the company of her late mother, Jumoke said: 'You know I am a widow and when you are alone taking decisions on your own, you need somebody by your side, my mother was that pillar for me. She gave me Bible verses to read when I had difficulty in taking certain decisions. I will miss her dearly.
'Definitely we will miss her counseling. She was a prayer warrior, always fasting and praying for her children. I, in particular, will miss her because her prayers were stabilizing for me. She was always praying for me. Her prayer was a source of stability for me. When you live alone and do a lot of things on your own, you need a pillar. She was a pillar for me. She was there for me all the time. If I have problems, she would refer me to some passages in the Bible to find succour."
Jumoke who warmly recalled her mother's commitment to God, revealed: 'As children, she taught us two Bible verses, Psalm 121 and Psalm 23. Anytime we are traveling, she will ask us to recite Psalm 121 and once we recite it, we have confidence that nothing will happen to us."
Premonition
Did mama have any premonition that it was time to join her hubby? 'When somebody is old and frail, definitely she knew time was close by, though she couldn't tell precisely when it would happen. She remembered her husband always. She talked about him from time to time. In fact, she remembered him particularly when certain things happened and certain decisions were to be taken in the family.
Childhood days
Offering rare insights into their childhood days under Ma Ajasin's tutelage, she said: 'She was a loving mother, always praying for her children and we were always around her. She was there for us all the time."
Memorable experiences:
'Everyday with her was memorable because there was something to talk about. Every moment was memorable even before she passed on; every moment of her living was a memorable event for us. When we were growing up, there was no partiality, no favouritism. No special child, we were all taken care of by her."
How did Ma Ajasin combine motherly roles and her position as the first lady, Sunday Sun asked? Jumoke responded: 'When she became the first lady, we were all married men and women, so she had little distraction from us, except when we took the grandchildren to her for visit. Ma spent most of her time then supporting charity work."
Last moments
'She even drank water before she passed on. My elder sister who went to see her in my elder brother's place at Magodo where she was staying gave her water, which she drank before she passed on."
Granny
'The grand children will definitely miss her because she never missed their birthdays. She was always sending them gifts. She made traditional attires like agbada for the boys and buba for the girls. She was an affectionate grandmother.
Relocation to Lagos
'Two years ago the nurse we employed to cater for her at home was not up and doing, that's why we brought her to live with our eldest brother, Dr Mude Bola Ajasin at his residence in Magodo GRA Lagos where she lived until she passed on."
Ma Ajasin who died at the age of 93, was often described as the pillar of her husband's tenure as governor of Ondo State.
Agreeing with this view, Ondo State Information and Orientation Commissioner, Mr. Kayode Samuel, said in a statement 'Chief Mrs.Ajasin was a pillar of support for her husband all through their married life, especially in the turbulent period of Nigerian history. She was renowned for her love for and contributions to the development of her community, state and country."
Afenifere, the Pan Yoruba Organization described her as a matriarch who lived a fulfilled life characterized by devotion to her husband who was a moving spirit of Yoruba nation, cared for her family and concern for the community.
'The Ajasins are worthy examples for the Yoruba people in terms of life of integrity, hard work, dedication to causes, loyalty to friends and community, principle in public life and exemplary conducts in human affairs," Afenifere said in a statement.