WE MUST MORN, WE MUST CRY, WE MUST WAIL PASSING OF DR. OJOCommunity Condolences

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During the last six months, I have been mussing over my dear friend Valentine Ojo, popularly known as Dr. Ojo, an African scholar, a Yuroba, from Nigeria who studied in Germany, France and England. He was an able scholar who understood the need to organize as a means of building a society of people. 

 

He lived in Tall Timbers, Maryland, USA. Dr. Ojo, is unlike most of the characters I have encountered in my life. He is frank and will tell you what he thought of a subject.

 

One day, I invited him to visit me at my house in Washington, DC. He came. We chatted and I introduced him to SADA.  I taught he was going to argue with me on the principles of SADA. But to my surprise, he did not. He immediately joined SADA and paid his dues.

 

From that day on I know he was a serious brother. He lived far from DC and  could not attend most of the functions that SADA undertook.

 

When he had his last baby girl, he invited the whole SADA group to Tall Timbers for his child naming ceremony, but few showed up because of the distance. It is over 60 miles from DC.

 

At the naming ceremony, I met an old friend, a pastor by the name of Rev. Ogunfiditimi. We had a ball. Tall Tembers is a white community but the neighbors responded to the African program.

 

One of the most prolific writers. He was to run for the Nigerian Presidency in 2015. I supported him because he was frank and expressed his thoughts on most subjects.

 

Today as I sat in my mechanic office chilling, the idea came to me to goggle his name since I had not read any of his writings. Lo and behold, I found the following.

 

One of the reasons why we need an organized society is simply to get in touch and to keep our efforts of communicating on check for when I went to Ghana from 1977 to 1987, nobody wrote except the active members of SADA.

 

So one day when you die, nobody will know and when I die nobody will know except the members of SADA. I know you do not care for you take this life for granted and that is why we have refused to organize.

 

ONE DAY YOU WILL CARE WHEN YOU MEET OUR ANCESTORS AND THEY CONFRONT YOU WHY YOU DID NOT POUR LIBATION FOR DR. OJO AS ORGANIZED AFRICANS. SHAME UNTO ALL OF US FOR REFUSING TO DO WHAT THE WHOLE WORLD DOES BEST. ORGANIZE: ORGANIZE: ORGANIZE: says Stokely Carmichael.

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Ojo, Valentine Birth: 1948-02-14 in Ondo, Nigeria Residence: Tall Timbers, Maryland Death: Saturday, August 23, 2014 Condolences: 0 Comments

Dr. Valentine "Val" Ojo, of Tall Timbers, MD passed away August 23, 2014 after a protracted illness, surrounded by his loving family. Born on February 14, 1948 in Ondo, Nigeria, Val was the eldest child of the late Chief Jerome Ojo (Baba D2) and Rose Eunice Ojo. He obtained his early childhood education at St. Mathew's (RCM) Primary School and St. Joseph's College (Secondary School), both in Ondo town. Valentine married his beloved wife, Agathachristy Ngozi, in August 1989.  An avid reader and prolific writer, Val was a linguist who was very fluent in several languages. He started his undergraduate studies at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria and continued to the then Soviet Union where he obtained his first and second degrees. He earned another Master's degree and the doctorate at the University of Tubingen, Germany (1978). Before relocating to, and settling in the United States with his family, Dr. Ojo was a professor of German and Italian at the University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria; and traveled extensively throughout Europe. A proud educator, Dr. Ojo taught at St. Mary's College of MD, Lincoln University in PA, and Prince George's County public schools. He served on the Archdiocese of Washington School Board of Education and on the Mediation Committee of St. Mary's County. He was a passionate participant on internet for African and Nigerian political and social-economic issues.  Val also enjoyed music, photography, gardening, biking and camping. He was a connoisseur of good music and good wine. However, his greatest love was for his family whose company he relished; he was particularly committed to the well-being and education of his children. Dr. Ojo leaves behind to cherish his memories: his beloved wife; four children, Mayowa, Omolayo Mayokun and Omotayo; siblings, Vitalis Ojo, Lucrentia Abdullahi and Crescentia Adelabu; many nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother, Venantius Ojo and a sister, Emerentia Akintewe. The Memorial/Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 30, 2014, at St. George's Catholic Church, 19199 St. George's Church Road, Valley Lee, MD 20692. Funeral arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

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