Connect with us

Lifestyle

PHOTOS: The Death of Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu The Peculiar Man of the Masses a.k.a Penkelemesi, 1958

Published

1 year ago

on

Do you know about a man in IBADAN called ADELABU?

One of the places you must endeavour to visit in the historic town is Taj Mahal in Oke Oluokun. That’s the residence and final resting place of Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu, the Lion of the West.
•
Adelabu needs no introduction. He was the afternoon star that scared the elderly.

He was the morning dew that drenched both friends and foes. It’s almost 61 years ago of his death, but he refused to be forgotten. For those who are not familiar with Penkelemesi.
•
Gbadamosi Adegoke Adelabu died at his prime (Age 43).

Lagos was stuned. Nigeria went into a state of shock the whole of Ibadan stood still.
•
His Yoruba was flawless. His English was impeccable. Adelabu was not the one to mix Yoruba with English in the same sentence.

Though small in stature, he was intellectually a giant. With his brilliance, he dazzled and dwarfed his peers.
•
He dressed and appeared like a rustic villager. He never seemed to smile, not to talk of laugh. His Yoruba was devastating in pithiness and sarcasm. He knew how to leave every audience with a phrase that could not be forgotten.”
•
His Lebanese friends, the *Younan family*, saw his appointment as a golden opportunity to market the Penkelemesi brand.

It was decided that textile materials bearing Adelabu’s image and name be produced and sold. It was expected that the cloth would also serve a subtle campaign strategy for Adelabu who was aiming to become the premier of the West.
•
When the first shipment arrived, neither Adelabu nor the Younan family, expected what happened. They had expected sale to be slow and gradual.

See also  MARRIAGE IS IN TROUBLE — BUT WHO OR WHAT IS REALLY TO BLAME?

To their pleasant surprise, the Penkelemesi fabric became an overnight bestseller. It became the social uniform, not only in Ibadan but throughout the Western Region.
•
According to Iya Agba, textile merchants were using the cloth to sell other brands. You must buy another brand before “Aso penkelemesi” could be sold to you.

Tailors were praying daily for Adelabu. There was no tailor in Ibadan that did not get one or two yards to sew from the fabric.
•
The Younan family did not wait for the stock to run out before the second shipment was ordered. It also recorded massive sale.

This time around, Idumota traders and Onitsha merchants joined the bandwagon. The Lion of the West was the toast of the moment. He was not only a successful politician; he had also demonstrated that he was business savvy.
•
With the 1956 elections approaching,

He was confident of becoming the premier,

His business partners were also confident. It was decided that in addition to the penkelemesi cloth already in the market, a special cloth should be ordered for his inauguration as the premier.
•
The cloth was indeed special. It showed Adegoke Adelabu as the Premier holding the keys to the Western House of Assembly! It was going to be a hot cake.

To finance the project, Albert Younan obtained a loan from African Continental Bank (ACB).
Adelabu had however not taken into consideration the political wizardry of Obafemi Awolowo. As fate would have it, it was Awolowo who became the Premier.
•
You want to know what happened to the cloth already ordered?

See also  Queen Amina of Zazzau: The Warrior Queen Who Ruled the Sahel

“You are not the only one. The management of ACB also wanted to know” More importantly, the bankers wanted to know how the Younans were going to repay the facility. Yet the cloth could not be sold as Adelabu did not become the premier. Albert Younan found himself in a financial jeopardy.
•
On March 24, 1958, Younan sent a desperate message to Penkelemesi. It was a plea for help. The bank was on his neck. He had been given a final deadline by the bank. Adelabu decided to assist his friend by following him to the head office of the bank in Lagos to plead for further credit.
•
He bade his family farewell and promised to be back before evening.
•
He was assured that his request would be considered. Younan was happy. Adelabu was happy. He went off to see Okotie-Eboh.

It was on the return journey to Ibadan that the unthinkable happened btw Ode-Remo and Iperu. Albert Younan was the one driving the ash-grey Peugeot saloon car. Adelabu was seated beside him. Two of Adelabu’s aides were also in the car.
•
Without warning, the Peugeot collided head on with a light yellow Austin which was on its way to Lagos. Other three died but Younan survived.
•
The following morning when his death became the headline news “Adelabu Is Dead” announced the Daily Times.
•
It was a day RED LETTER DAY to the whole of western region.

*Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe* presented a coffin to the family on behalf of his political party, the NCNC.
•
This brought about the yoruba abuse “Olori gbo’ro bi posi Adelabu” because the casket looks long and robust (special)

See also  Nigerian man rages over $140 bill for pounded yam, egusi abroad

Adelabu died on Tuesday March 25th 1958 and was buried on Wednesday

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 1,038
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Lifestyle

BEING EDUCATED SHOULD NEVER MAKE YOU LOOK DOWN ON AN UNEDUCATED PERSON.

Published

1 minute ago

on

September 26, 2026

By

Education should give you knowledge, but character determines how you use that knowledge.

Not everyone had the opportunity to attend school or earn academic qualifications. Some people learned through life, work, family, hardship and experience.

Having a degree does not make someone more valuable than the person without one.

Your education should make you more humble, not more arrogant.

Respect the cleaner.
Respect the farmer.
Respect the mechanic.
Respect the trader.
Respect the labourer.
Respect everyone.

Because the person you look down on today may have life lessons you will never learn in a classroom.

Education is powerful—but humility is priceless.

💬 Do you agree? Can someone be highly educated but still lack wisdom?

#NewsBreak365 #Education #Wisdom #Humility #Respect #LifeLessons #Character #Knowledge #Nigeria #AfricanValues

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 22
See also  Queen Amina of Zazzau: The Warrior Queen Who Ruled the Sahel
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

When Love of Money Turns Children Into Family Expectations

Published

19 hours ago

on

September 25, 2026

By

Too much love of money can sometimes create unrealistic expectations within families—and some children end up feeling valued only for what they can provide financially.

In many African families, parents make enormous sacrifices to give their children a better life. They work hard, pay school fees, provide food and shelter, and sometimes go through serious financial difficulties to ensure their children have opportunities they never had.

There is nothing wrong with parents hoping their children will become successful.

However, problems can arise when financial success becomes the main measure of a child’s worth.

Some children grow up hearing constant comparisons:

“Look at your mates.”

“Your friend has already bought a car.”

“When will you build your own house?”

“After everything we spent on your education, what have you achieved?”

For some young adults, these expectations can become a heavy emotional burden.

When expectations become pressure

Parents naturally want their children to succeed, but every child has a different journey.

One person may become financially successful at 25. Another may struggle until 35 or 40 before finding stability. Someone else may choose a modest career that provides a peaceful and responsible life rather than great wealth.

Success should not always be measured by cars, houses, expensive clothes or the amount of money someone sends home.

Parents can encourage ambition while still reminding their children that their value is not determined by their bank balance.

Children also have responsibilities

At the same time, children should not use this discussion as an excuse to avoid responsibility.

See also  Olokun Festival in Brazil: Honouring the Spirit of the Deep (PHOTOS)

When parents have sacrificed for their children, appreciation matters. Adult children should make reasonable efforts to support their parents when they are able to do so.

The challenge is finding a healthy balance between gratitude and pressure.

Parents should not expect their children to solve every family problem, while children should not completely forget the people who sacrificed for them.

Love should come before money

A family becomes stronger when financial discussions are balanced with understanding, communication and genuine affection.

Parents can tell their children:

“Work hard. Build your future. Be responsible. We want you to succeed—but we will still love and support you when life becomes difficult.”

That message can make a huge difference.

Money is important. Financial stability is important. Supporting one’s family is important.

But a child’s worth should not be reduced to how much money they can make or how much they can give to their parents.

What do you think?

Should parents expect their adult children to become financially successful because of the sacrifices they made raising them?

Or should parents simply encourage their children to build their own lives while offering support without attaching financial expectations to their love?

👇 Share your opinion in the comments. Let’s have a respectful conversation.

Newsbreak365 — Your Voice, Your Story, Your News.

#Newsbreak365 #Parenting #AfricanParents #NigerianParents #Family #Children #Money #FamilyValues #ParentingMatters

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 19
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Indecent Dressing Among Married Women: What Lessons Are We Teaching Our Children?

Published

20 hours ago

on

September 25, 2026

By

By Newsbreak365

The way parents dress has increasingly become a topic of debate, especially when it comes to the example children observe at home.

For some people, clothing is simply a matter of personal style and individual freedom. For others, parents—particularly mothers and fathers—have a responsibility to consider the values their children may learn from their appearance and behaviour.

This raises an important question: Should marriage and parenthood influence the way a woman dresses?

Children Learn More Than We Tell Them

Parents are often the first role models children encounter. Beyond teaching children through words, parents demonstrate values through their everyday actions, including how they communicate, behave and present themselves.

A mother may tell her daughter to carry herself with confidence and dignity, while also allowing her daughter to develop her own understanding of appropriate clothing and personal expression.

The challenge is finding a balance between parental example, cultural expectations and individual freedom.

Does Marriage Change Anything?

Some traditional-minded Nigerians believe that marriage and motherhood should come with a greater sense of responsibility in appearance.

They argue that a married woman is not only representing herself but may also be regarded as a role model within her family and community.

Others disagree.

They believe that getting married or having children does not mean a woman loses the right to make her own choices about fashion. According to this perspective, clothing should not be used to measure a person’s character, morality or parenting ability.

What About the Children?

Perhaps the bigger question is not simply what a mother wears, but what values parents are teaching their children about clothing, confidence, respect and personal boundaries.

See also  Nigerian man rages over $140 bill for pounded yam, egusi abroad

Children will eventually make their own choices. Parents can guide them, explain family values and teach them to respect themselves and others—but they also need to understand that children grow into independent adults.

A Conversation Worth Having

Rather than turning the issue into an argument between men and women, it may be more useful to ask what kind of values families want to pass from one generation to another.

Should married women change the way they dress because they have children?

Or should every adult—married or single—have complete freedom to choose their clothing as long as it is lawful and appropriate for the setting?

There may be different answers depending on culture, religion, family values and personal beliefs.

💬 WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Does a parent’s dressing style influence the values children learn, or should clothing remain a completely personal choice?

Share your opinion in the comments—and remember, disagree with the idea, not the person.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 23
Continue Reading

Trending