Encomium
The burial of late Professor Olu Akeusola, the former Provost of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Noforija, Epe, Lagos, who died on Friday, April, 21, 2017, and was buried according to Muslim rites on Saturday, April 22, 2017, is causing ripples within the Muslim community in Epe.
Some members of the Muslim community are not happy that some clerics did not only attend his burial but also officiated during at the funeral rites despite knowing fully well that he was practising paganism until his last day.
These aggrieved members of the Epe Muslim community posted their grievance on Facebook wall of Epe Division Forum under the headline, “The Life And Death Of Akeusola “.
Among other things, they wrote, “He (Akeusola) was mostly renowned for his devotion to the worship of devil and idols that earned him no fewer than 24 different chieftaincy titles among which was the first ever Otunba Obagun of Ijebuland, Aremo Alara of Epe Division. He openly denounced his Islamic faith and belief in any form of heavenly religioun and books.
“As the provost of MOCPED for six years or thereabout, he never for once attended or showed his ceremonial presence at any religious activity, not even for ceremonial purpose.
“His nickname is OSAA, meaning deity. You dare not challenge his authority or talk about God in his presence.
“… When he was alive, his house was like a museum. Everyday was like Christmas. Feast after feast, worship of various deities by killing of cows, rams, pigs, ducks, hens, pigeons etc.
“One would have expected that if such a personality of this pedigree in paganism dies, there would be emissaries from Alara Ajero, Oragun ile ila and so on.
“His remains was left for Alfas to bury just like that of the ordinary people.
“In the pictures of his burial, we could see few Alatenuje (hungry) Muslim clerics who preferred to dare the warning of their Lord and damn the consequences of their actions than to lose the penury (sic) they will be given.”
The Muslim clerics who officiated during the 8th fidau took the opportunity to respond to their critics.
They hinged their defense on the fact that the Almighty Allah is the only judge of any human being’s deeds and misdeeds on earth. That it is not for them to stand in judgement over him. That theirs is to do what God has sent them to do .
According to them, it is now left between him and his God. Theirs is to pray to God to forgive him and grant him aljuana.
They (clerics) said OSAA are the first letters of his names Otunba Olurotimi Sakirudeen Akeusola (OOSA) and not OSAA or deity as his critics want people to believe.
They lampooned some of the people calling him idols worshipper as hypocrites who went to him when he was alive to seek one favour or the other.
– Tolani Abatti for encomium.ng
