It was a night when history, heritage, and a fierce demand for justice fused as dignitaries and celebrities converged at the Civic Centre in Lagos to celebrate rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people and put history in perspective at the 138th anniversary remembrance of Madam Efunroye Tinubu, described as the legendary 19th-century Amazon

The commemoration, which was part of the events marking the end-of-year celebration of Adamakin Investments and Works Limited, spotlighted Efunsetan, not only as a 19th-century legend but also as West Africa’s most influential woman.

Adamakin Investments and Works Limited, led by Chief Akindele Akinfolabi Adamakin, is the sole administrator of the late Madam Tinubu’s estate.

Speaking at the event, Chief Adamakin, who is the chairman of the group, stated that Madam Efunroye Tinubu deserves a posthumous national honour while shedding light on the ongoing battles over her expansive estate.

In his compelling speech, Adamakin urged the Federal Government to bestow a posthumous national honour on the iconic figure, whose commerce prowess and conquests shaped Lagos and Abeokuta’s territorial foundations.

“Her contributions stand unparalleled. The land’s political leaders occupy today were acquired genuinely through purchase and conquest, long before colonial peaks. In another nation, she’d be canonised; her Abeokuta tomb could rival global tourism sites, drawing Americans to witness a Black woman’s empire,” Chief Adamakin declared.

He decried the erasure of indigenous heroes from Nigerian school curricula, contrasting Mali’s reverence for Mansa Musa with Nigeria’s neglect.

Madam Tinubu, he noted, traded with the Portuguese pre-British annexation, a brainy powerhouse predating modern institutions.

A pivotal moment clarified the Tinubu family lineage, linking it directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Chief Adamakin affirmed that the President’s surname traces to Madam Efunroye herself, yet a 1945 rift divides the Lagos and Abeokuta branches.

“The real Tinubu that our President embodies is Madam Efunroye. This platform reunites all Tinubus. We invite the President to unite with her living descendants for a unified front,” he stated.

Chief Adamakin didn’t hold back on the estate’s plight. He accused private individuals and some government bodies of illegally occupying lands stretching from Lagos Island to Ibeju-Lekki and the Lagos mainland.

Historical records, he said, prove acquisitions via purchase and conquest, including her 1853 colonial banishment to Ibobi (now Igbobi), a then-forested area.

“Visit Tinubu Village and Tinubu Close on the mainland, these aren’t myths but colonial-era legal facts,” he asserted.

Chief Adamakin lambasted government “albatrosses” flouting court orders, warning illegal occupants that, “The hungry man has no principle,” adding that in Nigeria’s harsh economy, reclaiming assets is vital for beneficiaries.

Tying history to today’s crises, Chief Adamakin blamed terrorism and banditry on ideological poverty from educational neglect and Naira’s collapse since the 1980s.

“Structural poverty breeds desperation. A man breaks the physical rather than starve alone,” he said.

Prioritising education, he argued, is key to eradicating insecurity.

The gala pulsed with cultural vibrancy, graced by Nollywood icons like Segun Arinze, Saheed Balogun, Adewale Adeoye (Eleso), Owolabi Ajasa, Anthony Ogundimu, Doyin Amodu, and Abolaji Amusan (Mr Latin). (TRIBUNE)

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