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It was an event with all the trappings of royalty. On Sunday, January 8, 2023, the Lagos Island and its environments was agog, as the descendants of the late Lagos businessman, politician and community leader, Alli-Oloko Balogun honoured one of their own, a great-great-granddaughter of Alli-Oloko Balogun, Alhaja Lateefat Yoyinsola Makanjuola as Iya Adini Musulumi of Alli Oloko Wasinmi Mosque. It was also a great opportunity to celebrate the family’s progenitor, Alli Balogun whose remarkable and unmatchable legacies and achievements continues to live on, 90 years after his demise
It was a great day, as members of Alli-Oloko Balogun Descendants Union celebrated the legacies of their patriarch who died in 1933 after 103 years of purposeful and impactful living.
At the event, many of Alli-Balogun’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, among others, took turns to extol the virtues of their progenitor, a very wealthy businessman, political and spiritual leader, and philanthropist who left considerable wealth for his offspring, and which many built upon.
One of the great-great granddaughters of Alli-Oloko is Alhaja Lateefat Yoyinsola Makanjuola, wife of the eminent businessman and chairman, Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc. Alhaja Makanjuola, a renowned educationist, was trained in England and has impacted many lives through her school which she has run for many decades.
She is also widely celebrated for her philanthropy, a trait she must have inherited from her family’s progenitor. Everyone says she’s fulfilled only after putting a smile on the faces of people, especially the less privileged.
On January 8, members of the Alli-Oloko Balogun Descendants Union bestowed on Alhaja Lateefat Yoyinsola Makanjuola the title of Iya Adinni Musulumi of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque.
Looking royal and resplendent in a white gown with green headgear and other clothing accessories at the occasion, Alhaja Lateefat Yoyinsola Makanjuola was the cynosure of all eyes. Speaking after her turbaning as the new Iya Adinni Musulumi of Alli-Oloko Wasuinmi Mosque, Alhaja Makanjuola said she was elated at the honour bestowed on her by the family. She described the late Alli Balogun as a legend whose name would continue to evoke pleasant memories from generation to generation.
“The occasion is significant because we remember our great legend,” she noted. “When we talk about someone that is specially chosen first by the Almighty Allah and the community, we will say my great-great-great-great grandfather was a legend.
“It is a historic day for us as a family, which is why we put everything aside today to come and celebrate him. We are extremely excited that his offspring are being turbaned as the Imam of the mosque he built almost over a hundred years ago.
“I am extremely excited because it has to be like that. He single-handedly built his mosque amidst no other mosque around. It’s a matter of charity beginning at home when you have your own on top of things you built to glorify and worship Allah.
“It is an everlasting legacy that we should have one of us to be part of ‘The League of Imams in Lagos State’, and I wish him all the very best and pray that the Almighty Allah continues to increase his knowledge, and guide him right at all times.”
She said she was surprised at the honour. In her words, she had thought she was relatively young and another member of the family would have been chosen. “But well, I can see now that even the Imam of Lagos and our own newly installed Imam are quite young, that is why I accepted it.
“So I thank God, I am so elated and I feel honoured and I pray to the Almighty Allah to continue to guide me just to live the legacy and keep it going for our children coming behind us.”
Also speaking, the newly installed Imam of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque, Alhaji Monsur Kehinde Alli- Balogun gave all the glory to Almighty Allah for the new title.
“I give thanks to Almighty Allah. I also thank my family for giving me this opportunity, and I pray that the Almighty Allah continues to be with them and watch over them in all their endeavours.”
Earlier, while delivering his welcome address, the Chairman, Alli-Balogun Descendants Union (an offspring of Alli Balogun), Otunba Nurudeen Adegboyega Ojora-Adejiyan said the family took three of Alli Balogun’s legacies to heart – the good name, Alli Balogun that must not be tarnished; the family bond, and the edifice named Wasinmi Mosque.
“For the mosque, we saw that we do not have a choice because the old man fought a battle at the Lagos Central Mosque, and left the place. He left the battlefield, with his Imam and supporters and moved to this site to build the mosque, as well as a befitting house for the Imam by the side of the mosque.
“Unfortunately since the mosque started its Islamic chores, it has not been blessed with a direct blood-relative to be chosen as an Imam despite the strong Islamic learning of its founder and his family members. We are therefore thankful to Allah, and appreciative of the Muslim community of Lagos led by Alhaji Sheik Sulaimon Abu-Nolla, the Chief Imam of Lagos, for supporting the family’s quest on the nomination of our son from the Busari branch of the family, Alhaji Monsur Kehinde Alli Balogun to be turbaned as the Imam of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque after almost 90 years of our patriarch’s demise.
“The descendants union will not be found wanting in being at the forefront of supporting the Lagos Central Mosque, its Ratibis at all times as well as keeping the Islamic relics in better shape than bequeathed to us with Allah’s guidance.”
Speaking in an interview, another another offspring of Alli Balogun, and the Vice Chairman, Alli-Balogun Descendants Union, Dr Gbolahan Alli-Balogun said all through his life, the name Alli Balogun has served him very well in good stead. He described the turbaning of his kinsmen as historic.
According to him, “this event is a slice of Lagos history for several reasons. No Alli Balogun has been an Imam in the mosque. But this time around, that succession has now fallen on Alli Balogun for the first time.
“It goes way beyond having our bloodline among the League of Imams. The extent of support the Alli Balogun family has offered the Lagos Muslim family, whether in the central mosque or otherwise, is enormous. And you could see part of that today that most of the people who were turbaned today are Alli Balogun’s offspring.
“The mosque is in good shape. Three or four years ago, we carried out an integrity test, because here is a mosque that is 98 years old. And the structure is still fantastic and could last another 100 years. And as it is now it is in a very good shape.”
The highpoint of the event was the official turbaning of the new Imam of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque, Alhaji Monsur Kehinde Alli- Balogun by the Chief Imam of Lagos State, Alhaji Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abu-Nolla.
Other chiefs, including Alhaja Lateefat Makanjuola and Alhaja Falilat Sanusi, the Otun Mogajia of Alli Balogun Family were turbaned by the newly installed Imam.
The Imam also turbaned Alhaja Wasilat Ayoka Alli Balogun as the Iyalode Adinni of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque, Alhaja Riskat Abeni Alli Balogun as the Majeobaje Adini of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque, Alhaja Kuburat Shokunbi as Arowose Adini of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque, Alhaja Sikirat Adeola Olowookere as Agbesinga Adini of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque, and Alhaji Dawudu Omotoyosi Ibrahim as Sanmori Adini of Alli-Oloko Wasinmi Mosque.
