An African Abroad
by
Aurora Mizutani

Introduction

Unlike my father’s remarkable, numerous achievements, I have had memorable encounters with a handful of heads of state. Moshood Adisa Olabisi Ajala accomplished a challenging task by travelling to more than seventy countries on a moped and meeting with
heads of state, to name a few of his recorded adventures. If he had been caught, my father’s ordeal would have been physical in the form of possibly torture and brutal imprisonment. Moshood Adisa eluded imprisonment in Russia, perhaps even the dreaded
Gulag.
It has been said that Adisa died in poverty. That depends on one’s definition of wealth. Ajala died living behind around a dozen children. My father wanted to ensure that at least one of his offspring would carry his legacy. Moshood Adisa, a true pagan,
had the foresight and wisdom to understand that earthly riches are just that. Earthly riches. Arguably, as Adisa died in the knowledge of true freedom, I dispute the assumption that he died in poverty. What freedom? Read on to find out.
Olabisi Ajala must have had a complete understanding of the game ‘Monopoly’. When one has finally mastered the game ‘Monopoly’, they learn that reaching their objective is futile. That is to say that when the game is over, all proceeds inevitably
go back in the box. The bottom line is that one cannot take the money, or anything else, to the afterlife. The Egyptian Pharaohs died wealthy. They buried their vessels and riches in crypts. These riches were excavated by archaeologists and are now on
display worldwide. Moshood Adisa had the foresight of spending his money on this earth, as it’s apparent that we cannot take it with us. Adisa left behind his scions and his written legacy, the true treasures of this material world.
I persist in my unwavering belief that Moshood Adisa died a wealthy man indeed within this reality.

My Father Olabisi Ajala
by
Aurora Mizutani

We know that Moshood Adisa Olabisi Ajala travelled to America and became a great success. My father’s story began in North Africa where Moshood Adisa Olabisi Ajala originated from.
I always wondered how my father gained his notoriety. From articles in local newspapers to being cast for parts in Hollywood movies. The only answer I can come up with to explain my father’s spurt in his exploits is by him having been given a leg up.
Olabisi Ajala frequented Roosevelt University, in Chicago, USA. It would not be entirely surprising if my father had gotten recruited into a fraternity. I am aware of the influence of a fraternity amongst piers. A brotherhood that goes beyond scholastic
fleeting friendships and is an everlasting bond forged on Campus. The impact of having a fraternity support you, can be colossal. Many of the politicians we see today were forged in that mould.
Another interesting fact about my father Olabisi Ajala is his biography, which was edited by one of his common-law wives whilst he was living in Australia. Australia is one of the many countries that Olabisi Ajala visited. He wrote extensively about the
country’s economic and social situation in his acclaimed narrative “An African Abroad” by Olabisi Ajala.

Read more on my blog: https://medium.com/@diagoro33/my-father-olabisi-ajala-41854e54ac2

Or check out my book: AN AFRICAN ABROAD by Aurora Mizutani https://www.amazon.com/African-Abroad-Aurora-Mizutani/dp/B0BXCVCJ4K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2OGTG6JZCIIT8&keywords=an+african+abroad+aurora+mizutani&qid=1678491719&sprefix=%2Caps%2C267&sr=8-3

Or the website:
https://www.ajalalegacyforum.com



On Monday, 22 February 1999 at 17:00:00 UTC+9, Ayodele Ayetigbo wrote:

Your raping analogy makes me wanna reach out for the bazooka to blow the brains of such a father and the rapists out. Haba! That scenario you stretched from James' angle is too gruesome to imagine. Anyhow, let's deal with what's on the ground. Is the

transition on course? If it is and Obasanjo is unqualified to be our president (looks too late), in your judgement, then campaign for Falae. Alternatively, if out of course, discard transition and let Abubakar keep bungling with it till he finds the
right torchbearers to hand over to. I am sure, Nigerians don't want that. They want this demo-thing fast like a Burger King's Double Whopper with cheese and French fries treat. Our people are salivating for it. Thanks to James' muse on Pavlovian
theories.

Agreed, we need a better life for our people. The system has given us a choice between Obasanjo and Falae as torch-bearer to that better life. Our people will have to choose one of the two contestants. Talking of rape metaphor, Americans would not

entrust their daughters on Clinton as a surrogate uncle, yet he's favored to stay presidential two times around. What's the greatest Obasanjo's sin against Nigerians, really? Has he been raping raping our interns? My concern is Babangida's support of
Obasanjo. I hated how he bungled with Abiola's mandate. But, Naija life must continue. Falae is not cleansed of this Babangida virus, either. Nigerians can kill Babangida virus if they choose. Worrisome to me also is why Nigerian presidency has ended
up as a Yoruba on Yoruba head or head toss up. Anyhow, no saintly politicians anywhere in the world. You only hope for the best candidate to win out of the pack. How did Ajala's death creep into this?

Ayo
........................
A.Kumoluyi wrote:
Prof. Badejo:
You didnt get the import of my message, i will try again:
Men of your ilk, are messengers of evil - you guys cavort with the ruiners (IBB, Gowon, Obasanjo, Abacha, etc) of our nation, yet when you see the glaring consequences of damages done to our pscyhe by your ogas, you shed crocodile tears. Pls stop insulting, we were not born yesterday.
With regard to your support for Obasanjo, yes i do have a big problem with it.
This is the way, I see it. Using James Fabunmi' analogy, I will stretch it a little bit - imagine you have just witnessed the hallowing rape of your daughter, but instead of seeking justice for her, you tied her hands down, and
ask the rapist to continue, bcos you are both a sadist and voyeur. That is, exactly what you guys are doing with Obasanjo (nay all the other bastards from
naija), you want Nigeria to be ruined again. What else do you guys want? Our people are already in state of hopelessness and desperation. We need a better
life.
In a nascent democracy, our founding fathers should be 150% righteous, anyone
short of that criteria, should stay out of public life.
Akin Kumoluyi.

From [email protected] Sun Feb 21 10:18:57 1999
From: [email protected]
Comments: Authenticated sender is <[email protected]>
To: [email protected], [email protected],

[email protected] (A.Kumoluyi)

Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 19:18:34 +0300
Subject: Re: Sad death of Olabisi Ajala: A lesson for us all
CC: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected] >>

Akin,

I will refer you to go and re-read Joe Akinmusuru's piece of
today titled: "Rising above the level of mediocrity." You never met
me, you know nothing about my life, and you wrote the piece below.

Well, what can I say. Any Yoruba that differs with the mainstream >>politics of Yorubas normally fall in the hands of thugs. So I can >>understand. But our country will not move forward until Yoruba >>liberalism accepts that we all do not need to back one candidate.

I wish you all the best.

'Femi


On 20 Feb 99 at 17:46, A.Kumoluyi wrote:

Cc: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], >>> [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
From: [email protected] (A.Kumoluyi)
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 17:46:39 -0600
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: Re: Sad death of Olabisi Ajala: A lesson for us all

Femi Badejo wrote:

Thanks for bringing Ajala's death to our attention.

His experience is a lesson on personal wealth management in a country >>> >>that so far does not care for the health of its people because the
elites in that country only think about themselves.

I write:

Hello!!!!!! I dont get it, at all. You dined and wined with these bastards,
yet you have the audacity to vilify them. Hypocrite? Pls for god sake, stop
insulting us...

A beg, make you go look your face inside the mirror.

Akin Kumoluyi.

Its a shame.

'Femi

On 20 Feb 99 at 7:17, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju wrote:

Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 07:17:05 -0800 (PST)
From: Bamidele Ademola-Olateju <[email protected]>
Subject: Sad death of Olabisi Ajala: A lesson for us all
To: [email protected]

Sad death of Olabisi Ajala

How renowned globe-trotter and socialite, Olabisi Ajala died in penury
in Lagos.

By Bolaji Tunji

OLABISI Ajala. The name may not readily ring a bell to the younger >>> >>> generation of Nigerians, but the older generation would certainly >>> >>> remember him as the happy-go-lucky bearded globe-trotter and socialite
who put the nation on the world map, as he traversed the globe on his
motor scooter.

Ajala explored the unexplored and charted the hitherto uncharted areas
of the world. He wined and dined with heads of state and leaders
including the late Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, first Republic Prime Minister
of Nigeria; the late Paudit Nehru of India; the late Abdel Nasser of >>> >>> Egypt; the late Golda Meir of Israel; the late Marshall Ayub Khan of >>> >>> Pakistan; the late President Makarios of Greece; the late General >>> >>> Ignatuis Acheampong of Ghana and the late Odinga Oginga, one-time >>> >>> vice-president of Kenya. The list, indeed, is endless.

But on the February 2, 1999, the man fondly known as "Ajala travel" >>> >>> died. He died in penury. The world famous Ajala died unsung and
unrecognised. His grave in central Lagos is no different from any other.

For more than a year, Ajala suffered. He had a stroke which paralysed
his left limb. But his army of children were not there to give him >>> >>> succour. He only had two of them around, Olaolu Ajala, a 20-year-old >>> >>> student of Baptist Academy, Lagos, and Bolanle Ajala, his 17-year-old
daughter who had just finished her senior secondary education at the >>> >>> Baptist High School, Bariga, Lagos.

With him also in his last hour was another teenager, 14-year-old Wale
Anifowoshe. Wale was especially fond of him. He kept all Ajala's
money, the little there was.

Some of his children who could not be with him include Dante, Femi, >>> >>> Lisa and Sydney all of whom are based in Australia. They are the
children of his Australian wife, Joan.

Some of his other children are also spread around the globe. There are
Taiwo and Kehinde in the United States as well as Bisola in England. >>> >>> But all were not around to bid their father a final goodbye except >>> >>> Olaolu and Bolanle.

Indeed, it is a sad end for a man whose scooter is now a national >>> >>> monument. None of his numerous wives was around to bid him goodbye to
the world beyond. His first wife, Alhaja Sade, could not find time >>> >>> during the year-long sickness of her husband until he finally died. >>> >>> She lives in Ikotun, a suburb of Lagos. "We told her that he was sick
and she told us she would come, but we never saw her," Olaolu said. >>> >>>
He was not sure whether she is aware that her husband is dead. Joan, >>> >>> only got in touch with him through correspondence. There are also Mrs.
Toyin Ajala in England and Mrs. Sherifat Ajala, mother of his last >>> >>> daughter, Bolanle.

But they were not around to tend to the man when he was battling with
his sickness.

A neighbour in Bariga who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "He >>> >>> could have survived if he had had adequate care."

Adequate care was indeed far from the late globe-trotter. In no other
place was this manifested than his residence, a rented apartment in a
two-storey building on Adenira Street, Bariga.

Climbing two flights of stairs to the top floor, one is immediately >>> >>> confronted with the way life had treated Ajala. A passage leads into a
16-by-12 feet sitting room.

The sitting room, devoid of carpet has a table with about five locally
made iron chairs in a corner. This, the reporter gathered, serves as >>> >>> the dining table. An old black and white television set sits
uncomfortably in all ill-constructed shelf. The cushion on the sofa >>> >>> hurts the buttock as it has become flat. The curtains on the windows >>> >>> of the two bedroom flats show signs of old age. It is indeed a story >>> >>> of penury.

But his two children in Nigeria still hold fond memories of their >>> >>> father. They eagerly answered questions and consulted calendars to >>> >>> give precise dates which they had marked on the calendar. The mantle >>> >>> of responsibility falls on Olaolu who printed the poster that gave the
details of his father's death.

Narrating the last days of his father, Olaolu told {The Guardian On >>> >>> Saturday} that he had a stroke on June 18, last year. "On that day, I
had gone to school. When I came back, he told me he fell down on the >>> >>> balcony. We went to call a doctor about three blocks away. It was the
doctor who told us that he had a stroke."

According to Olaolu, medications were prescribed. "We bought the drugs
and we followed the doctor's instruction that we should allow him to >>> >>> rest."

The doctor, who came from a private hospital further advised the
children to get their father a physiotherapist. "We got one for him at
the Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital and he was always coming home to give
him therapy. And we noticed that he was getting better."

But the picture changed after three months of home medication. "After
three months, we realised that he had relapsed. He was able to walk if
he held on to someone. But this suddenly stopped. He could no longer >>> >>> walk."

That was when divine intervention came from a family friend, Morufu >>> >>> Ojikutu, who arrived from Germany. "He advised that we should take him
to the hospital when he saw his condition. He also gave us money for >>> >>> his treatment," Olaolu said.

The reporter gathered that what really stopped the ailing Ajala from >>> >>> going to the hospital was the lack of funds. Says Olaolu: "When he got
sick, he did not have money but later my sisters and mum sent in some
money for his treatment. And it is this that we spent to keep
ourselves together."

But Bolanle chipped in that at times, money sent to their father
doesn't get to him. "Brother Femi (his second son) sent him £500 but
he never received it and that was what he was harping on until he >>> >>> died", she said.

In spite of the lack of funds, Olaolu believes that he died because he
did not get quick medical attention. "When Mr. Ojikutu came, it was >>> >>> already too late. I think he also knew he was about to die and he did
not want to die at home. That was why he insisted that he should be >>> >>> taken to the hospital."

Ajala eventually ended up at the General Hospital, Ikeja. "He was >>> >>> there for 11 days. Prior to his death, his younger sister also
deposited money with an aunt at the hospital to take care of him," >>> >>> Olaolu said.

It was gathered that before his death, Ajala had demanded that his >>> >>> relatives should bring a more comfortable chair, radio and orange >>> >>> juice. "But when the things were taken to him on February 2, he was >>> >>> already dead," Olaolu said.

According to Wale, who was with him in the hospital, Ajala had been >>> >>> restless since the weekend before his eventual death. "When he first >>> >>> got to the hospital on January 25, he was always playing and joking >>> >>> with the people in the ward. But from Sunday, January 30, he could not
breathe very well. He was always breathing through the mouth until he
died on Tuesday, February 2," Olaolu said.`

`Ajala explored the unexplored and charted the hitherto uncharted >>> >>> areas of the world. He wined and dined with heads of state and leaders
including the late Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, first Republic Prime Minister
of Nigeria; the late Paudit Nehru of India; the late Abdel Nasser of >>> >>> Egypt; the late Golda Meir of Israel; the late Marshall Ayub Khan of >>> >>> Pakistan; the late President Makarios of Greece; the late General >>> >>> Ignatuis Acheampong of Ghana and the late Odinga Oginga, one-time >>> >>> vice-president of Kenya. The list, indeed, is endless.`





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