Hon. Wale Ajanaku, an importer and exporter, marked his 50th birthday by launching a foundation dedicated to supporting widows and vulnerable people in his community.
Ajanaku’s Golden Jubilee celebration on Saturday combined the milestone with a community-focused initiative aimed at providing care, empowerment and opportunities for people in need.
Speaking at the event, Ajanaku expressed gratitude to God for his life and achievements, saying he considered the past five decades a journey marked by both challenges and blessings.
He said, ‘It’s been a wonderful year so far. I thank God for all the work that I’ve done in my life.
‘Of all the challenges in life, I wouldn’t say life is difficult, but I thank God that life has been fair to us. I’m able to mingle among my peers, and I’m not the type of person that they can just rub off on.
‘But I really appreciate God for His faithfulness in my life over the years. It hasn’t been easy, but I must say, life has been fair so far.’
Reflecting on his family, Ajanaku said he and his wife waited about 15 to 16 years after their marriage before welcoming their child.
‘We waited for so long, like 15 to 16 years after marriage, before we finally had our baby. But we thank God; He has been faithful so far, ever since then,’ he said.
Ajanaku said the launch of the foundation was part of his commitment to extending his philanthropic activities and supporting widows and other vulnerable members of the community.
He pledged to sustain the initiative and continue contributing to the welfare and empowerment of people in need.
‘So, I’ve not stopped what people have known me for: giving to the poor and the less privileged. I’ve always tried to ensure things work properly, even with my foundation.
‘If anything is going wrong, I try to intervene. I make sure everything is back to normal, because that has been my life so far.
And this next life of mine, I want to continue in that trajectory of ensuring that I continue to give, and I know I will not be tired of giving,’ he said.
Ajanaku added that the foundation would constantly intervene to restore normalcy for vulnerable people in society, as widows and the sickly would be catered for.
‘So, I try to see how we can intervene in restoring normalcy to the vulnerable people, i.e., society, as widows, the sickly and the school children would be catered for, because it’s something I’ve been doing in the past.
Whenever I see people going through some challenges in life, I try to intervene. Financially, I try to raise funds for such people to ensure things go all right.
‘So, the foundation is now officially open, at least to seek support from society and to see how we can intervene in assisting people more than ever before,’ he noted.
Mr Felix Ajanaku, the Younger Brother to the celebrant, in his remarks, said he was happy seeing his elder brother marking his remarkable 50th birthday.
‘So, I’m happy he’s clocking 50. Let me use a word; they call it a Golden Jubilee, which everyone needs to celebrate in life. So, I will thank God on his behalf because only a few of his childhood friends can also witness this.
‘And I would also like to make a remark that, as the first son of our family, he played a critical role in most of our lives in terms of who we grew up to know, who we try to emulate.
‘So, if he has been wayward or been a terrible person, maybe most of us would have dropped where we are today. So, I will also say thank you to him for being a good character and a role model as young as he was then,’ his younger brother said.
Ajanaku added that he would advise his brother to focus more on himself and, at the same time, be more conscious of his health as he clocked 50.
‘I would advise him to focus more on himself, make himself happy at all times, and make sure he plans for his future, because that is the most critical part of everyone’s life.
He should start planning for his old age; that’s forming a pillar to fall back on when the time comes.
‘He should focus now on saving more, preparing for old age, because it will surely come; old age is coming, but it is always good to prepare for it,’ Ajanaku said.
Phar. Olajumoke Agunloye, a Cousin to the celebrant, urged Ajanaku in her remarks to continue holding the family together in unity.
‘He is a wonderful person, and I want him to continue to be himself and prioritise his happiness and desist from anything that doesn’t give him joy.
‘He has done a lot for the family, and I believe God will help him,’ Olagunsoye said.
Mr Olalekan Lijofi, a Childhood Friend, urged Ajanaku to keep an open mind and accommodate people regardless of their character and shortcomings.
‘One thing I would advise him is to have a large heart to accommodate people regardless of excesses and their disposition towards life.
‘Because either we like it or not, as we grow old, we will begin to see life differently, so he should have a heart that accommodates people and take them the way they are,’ Lijofi said.
Lijofi, while reading the Foundation Goals and Objectives, said that it focuses on widows and vulnerable individuals and aims to provide financial, emotional, and social support for people in need.
According to him, the foundation is designed to uplift marginalised groups and strengthen community bonds.
‘It encourages collective responsibility and sets an example of using personal milestones to drive social change,’ he said
Mr Adeyinka Adedapo, an auditor, congratulated Ajanaku in his remarks on attaining the milestone age.
Adedapo said Ajanaku is a very good friend, having known him for more than three decades, and he is a jolly good fellow.
Mrs Dupe Ajanaku, the celebrant’s mother, thanked God Almighty in her speech for giving her the opportunity to witness her son’s 50th birthday.
According to her, he is a good son and a good role model to his siblings.
‘At this point I will advise him to be more tolerant and continue be a father figure to his younger ones,’ she said,’ she said.