Mrs Funso Adegbola, the first child of late Chief Ajibola Ige, former Attorney General of the Federation who was murdered was our guest recently on our Radio Show anchored by OLAYINKA AGBOOLA on Splash 105.5fm, Ibadan. She spoke about sundry issues including the Vale College pet project she started decades ago…
Excerpts:
It is normal for us to ask you how it still feels to know that the killers of your dad are still at large over 20 years after…has this affected your faith in Nigeria as a nation?
It is so sad that there is nobody that has been punished for my father’s murder…of course the killers are also Nigerian and they are still moving around the streets while it’s already 21 years plus that he has been killed. So, if those people think they have gotten away with it, there is a God in heaven who sees everything and justice is His, He is going to judge everybody accordingly because I believe my brother and I were unable to get true justice for the death of our father, but we believe that God will surely judge on the day of reckoning and everybody will get their deserved justice.
Last week you held the 20th anniversary of the demise of your Mum, Late Justice Atinuke Omobonike Ige, do you wish to discuss the circumstances leading to her death?
My mother was killed by the emotions that somebody killed the person she loved so much and sincerely that scenario had lots of negative effects on our family, but the way we were brought up was that there should be justice. But even if somebody was condemned, if somebody is punished, it will still not bring Bola Ige back.
You know as an Attorney General married to a Justice of the court of appeal it will just be a travesty (of sort) if we did not follow the legal system, I am a lawyer, my late brother was a lawyer, my two sisters In-law are lawyers and my mother is a Justice of the court of appeal and there is no way we could let go of that case and not take the legal route, but since it’s a criminal system -it is a state versus the person so there was very little we could do apart from giving our evidence in the court which I am glad that we did and I am glad that my mummy saw and she supported us in doing whatever we could do to get Justice, but my mum was shocked when the principal witness changed the story and that is all I can link to the death of my mum, because she was not hypertensive, not diabetic.
Your late dad was a progressive and since his assassination, politicians have gathered, regrouped in different parties… They just finished a series of electoral processes and nobody seems to be talking about him…
No, I can’t say Bola Ige was not loved, people loved him and they are still talking about him till date, there are people who were very close to my father, even at death- someone like Professor Wole Soyinka who happens to be my dad’s best friend…he is always in touch and keeping the flag flying. And of course, people are still talking about my father and Pa Obafemi Awolowo’s legacy in education sector as you always hear people talking about Bola Ige free education till date, some of the schools created by my father are still there.
Some people said you are not ready to allow your brother, Architect Muyiwa Ige to venture into active Politics…
That’s not true, Architect Muyiwa Ige is a grown-up man who can decide to do anything on his own, he has his reason for whatever he is doing, if you remember, he served as a commissioner under Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State and he has his reason for staying off politics for now.
Moreover, my own son, Kayode is also into politics and he attempted to get a seat at the state house of Assembly in Ogun State but he was not lucky to have the party ticket during the last election and I am sure there is time for everything, if God says he is going to make impact, he will surely get his chance at the appropriate time.
But the advice I always give Muyiwa and my son is they should know the children of whom they are because I can’t afford to cry over either of them and I always pray for them.
Let us talk about your School, The Vale College located here in Ibadan with Iyaganku GRA, how did you start the project?
I started The Vale International College with just 13 students and 10 teachers in the year 1994, that’s exactly 29years ago while I got inspired to start a secondary school in support of young people and to raise God fearing children that will become leaders of tomorrow.
At first, I struggled with this inspiration as I felt I was brilliant than to be a teacher and if I intended to be a teacher, I should have attended NCE immediately I left St Anne’s School Molete, but I am a Lawyer, so how do I now establish a school but you know the way God does His things. That spirit now took me back to the school I attended in Europe and how they have been impacting lives over the place.
So, I told my parents and they both supported me with some necessary things I needed. My mum gave me a building that I used as the Hostel while my Dad gave me money to rent an apartment for school and over the years, The Vale International College has been a success story.
Now the school is proud of different successful alumni and they are doing fine in there various fields. We have Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers and Politicians whose are making the school proud and I am glad to say that the current speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly Rt.Hon Adebo Ogundoyin is a proud product of The Vale College.
What is your advice for Nigerian youths?
My advice for them is to choose what they love doing and be passionate with it. It is always good for every youth to complete their education and training no matter the challenges they may be facing and when they start something, it is better to finish and that is the only thing that can make them standout in life.
