The fact is unassailable that Olori Justinah Malomo Akindele was a woman of substance whose feats the legendry and unprecedented.
Born on 21st august 1939 in Ilado quarters of ode- Idepe into the family of Alfa mamodu Omope Bagudu and Mrs Botibe Seliatu Bagudu. Olori Justinah Malomo Akindele rose to an eviable height by dirt of hard work, having wrestled painstakingly through the turbulence and upheavals of life. Malomo’s father was a muslim, it was rear in those days for an Ikale to be a muslim, however, Omope came in contact with Islam while sojourning in Ilorin as a young man with his father’s friend. Malomo’s mother Botibe had to be converted to Islam after marriage and took the Muslim name Seliatu.
Chief Omope Bagudu hailed from the Ilado quarters while Mrs. Seliatu Bagudu descended from the Kulika lineage of the Akinjokun ruling house, okeraye, Idepe – Okitipupa. Justinah Malomo Akindele was the last of her mother’s thirteen children and unfortunately, her mother lost ten of her thirteen children at infancy.
Justinah did not start schooling early enough as the last child of her mother, she was a special pet. She remembered her ordeal of having to stop being breastfed, she didn’t stop breast feeding till the age of 10 about the time she started schooling. Her first appearance in school was at Methodist Primary School, Idepe in 1950. Maami as fondly called by the children has expressed her gratitude to Late Chief Timothy Fagbiye who was instrumental to taking her to school when her father refused her. Her father, though was not financially doing badly saw no reasonable need to train a female child. Mama eventually attended Methodist Primary School, Ode – Idepe and she proceeded to the Anglican Modern School, Idepe in 1958. However, hardly has she completed the first year at the Modern School when she was pulled out and bethrotted to Late Oba Reuben Akinlose akindele, the then jagun of Idepe – okitipupa.
Olori J.M. Akindele joined the Methodist Church in 1955 while schooling at the Methodist Primary school, Ode – Idepe. Her membership became permanent when she was eventually married to the late Oba R.A Akindele who was also a Methodist.
Late Olori Malomo Akindele who today can be described as a shrewd and astute business mongol rose to an enviable feet from a very humble beginning. She started cooking in front of her husband’s house, when dissatisfied with the low level of patronage she switched to the sales of food stuffs at Ayetoro and bought fish for sale in Okitipupa on return trips. She later included the sales of Jewelrey, new clothes and plates. As her business acumen and frontiers expanded she sought the permission of her husband to begin the sales of beer in 1972. To her utmost surprise the then Kabiyesi, her husband gave his blessing and this set the foundation for the establishment of the eventual Malodex Maryland International Hotel. Before establishing the present hotel, she rented a house along hospital road which served as a ‘beer parlour’. Mr Ayo Ogunbufunmi aka Ojiko christianed it MaryLand Hotel. Late Olori Justinah once said that she derives a lot of inspiration from the name and decided that if things improves, she would build an hotel.
The beer parlous witnessed tremendous boom and she had to relocate to a more spacious apartment along Akinnubi street, she occasionally invited a live band to play, mostly on weekends and this attracted a lot of customers. As the years rolled by, Maloma gathered enough resources to establish the present Maryland International hotel, the hotel which construction began in 1975, and completed for commissioning on January 7, 1978 is the first limited liability hotel in the whole Ikaleland.
Mama remained a veritable force in the Methodist Church. She was among the few members who initiated the need for a new church building at the Ode – Idepe Methodist Church. She personally brought the plan for this new church from Ilu – titun. She became the Asiwaju Obirin Ijo of the same Church in 1989 as one of the first set of Chiefs to be appointed in the Church. She equally played a great roll in the founding of the Methodist Church, Bagudu Local Church, in 1996. For the first five auditorium. She single headedly masterminded the procurement of the church land, using her influence as a prominent indigene of Idepe – Okitipupa. It should be pointed out that Mama’s immense contribution to the growth and expansion of Methodist Church in this land cannot be measured. She was one of the major sustaining and motivational forces in the Bagudu Methodist Church, until her departure. Towards the end of her life, she released an auditorium for the Redeemed Christian Church of God as a place of worship in her compound. Though she was a staunch Methodist.
Olori Maloma Akindele was a foremost socialite despite her educational background and a member of the elite in Ikaleland. Her incurable flair for education made her establish the Maryland International Nursery and Primary School. Lately, she went a step ahead to found the Maryland International College.
Mama was a matron to the following organisationa: Ikale Unity Club, Okitipupa, Mercy Club, Golden Club Okitipupa, Esther Kawe Group of Schools, Executive Club Okitipupa, Idepe Youth Forum, Nigeria Boys’s Brigade, Nigeria Football Association okitipupa Chapter (NFA), Performing Music Association of Local Government. Mama was also appointed as a member of the Ondo State Tourist Board in 1983 by ex-Governor Adekunle Ajasiin. She was a foremost distributor of Nigerian Breweries and Guinness for many years, she was also appointed vice president, Ondo State Hoteliers’ Association. She embarked on a holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 2099.
The demise of Olori Malomo Akindele is truly exit of a giant. Her exemplary life was a special gift to us all. Mama will be missed by all and sundry. ‘Mama Maryland’ as was fondly called walked tall amongst her contemporaries. She was an epitome of beauty, an embodiment of humility and highly elegant.
Mama, your exit is really painful but we are constantly reassured that you are at the right hand side of God. Goodnight! Mama rere. O digba o.
