A woman of beauty, elegance, intelligence, education, and kindness, with a cheerful heart sounds like a fairy tale character that many believe she can only be a figment of the imagination. Many would ague that only in books and mythologies such a woman exists. Guess what? A woman who matched all these ideal qualities just celebrated her sixtieth birthday on May 15, 2023 at the White Stone Event Centre, Oregun, Ikeja. Her loving husband, Alhaji Monzor Ajenifuja, children, extended family members, friends, religious groups, former colleagues and top ranking government officials joined her mark her Diamond Jubilee Birthday, as they surrounded the amiable Alhaja Kafayat Adetokunbo Olanrewaju Ajenifuja.
Her great qualities endeared her to many who have crossed her paths in the past as they trooped into the venue to celebrate Alhaja Kafayat Ajenifuja. It was a show of love as the event was sponsored by her loving family and friends who believe she deserve a special and memorable birthday celebration.
The celebrant is so special to many that despite that the event was held during a weekday, top government officials found time to attend, and the legendary Fuji maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, aka K1 the Ultimate and Faith Band, couldn’t help but had to perform at the birthday bash.
Alhaja Ajenifuja’s working relations with great men like the incumbent Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa; Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Tayo Ayinde; the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, Oba AbdulSemiu Kasali; incumbent Lagos State Accountant General, Dr. Murtala; Vice Chairman of the Lagos APC Women Leader, Hon. (Mrs.) Oladunjoye; Ikorodu NASFAT leaders; old students’ associations and many other great personalities all attended the event and patiently enjoyed the moment with her.
It is a rare occurrence that an ex-permanent secretary would enjoy the company of such great personalities on her special day celebration, yet, Alhaja Kafayat Bolaji Ajenifuja had the rare honour of hosting these great names on her 60th birthday celebration. The event centre is a perfect spot for fine people as it was tastefully decorated with bright white and coloured lights, chandeliers, live-size sound system, air conditioners, life-size digital display systems, and the floor was covered with cushion rugs. The chairs and tables were set in restaurant standard with table clothes, flower bouquets, cutleries, glass cups, sauces and napkins, all labeled with names of expected guests.
The presence of heavy security men was augmented with highly equipped and armed policemen. Young men and women from different catering service firms moved around the banquet hall, ready to attend to the guests and all had distinct uniforms heralding their brands and services they were there to render.
A large stenciled 60-shaped mannequin of about 11 feet high greets guests at the banquet hall’s entrance. While the security men at the second tier of the venue screened guests for their gate pass, the celebrant’s husband, Alhaji Monsuru Ajenifuja, graciously led his Ikorodu family and friends through without any interrogation.
The guests largely observed the approved colour combination of the day as most of the men were dressed in white agbada attires complemented with in purple caps, while the women were dressed in purple outfits with matching headgear. The hall soon got occupied by invited guests while the first live band treated them to light songs. The musical performance was warming and the guests enjoyed the melody of the band. Photographers, paparazzi, and pressmen all making efforts to document some of the important moments as they hurried about with still and video cameras.
When the master of ceremony spoke over the microphone, the musical performance whined down. The MC welcomed people to the event and began introduction of the notable men and women in the hall. Alhaja Kafayat was invited to make her grand entry; she began dancing to the music played for her special day, while friends and admirers formed an arc around her. They danced majestically to the podium set aside for the live band and she relished the moment.
The session soon ended as the celebrant was made to seat in the middle of the hall, on a chair specially provided for her and her husband. Her best friend and husband, Alhaji Monsuru Ajenifuja took the microphone to make his opening speech. Overwhelmed with emotion, Alhaji Monsuru screamed “Allahu Akbar”! He described his wife, Kafayat, as an amiable, good wife, and a great mother. According to Alhaji Monsuru Ajenifuja, his wife is kind to people, and helps the poor with whatever she has, “Alhaja Kafayat Ajenifuja is a wonderful women with a heart of gold, she cares for people irrespective of where they are from. She is the mother of my wonderful children. If I come back in another life, I will still marry you.” This speech attracted a thunderous round of applause from the audience.
An elderly woman from the Ajenifuja family, Mrs. Opeoluwa Lawal, also followed suit in showering prayers and kind words on the celebrant. “Alhaja Kafayat, we are blessed to have you in our family. If we can get two of your type as wives in the Ajenifuja Family, we will be much better.” A close family friend, Yetunde Onilere, read a short piece of poem composed for her benefactor, Mrs. Kafayat Ajenifuja.
The encomiums kept pouring in, and it climaxed when one of her sons, Mr. Bolaji Ajenifuja, gave a passionate speech about her mother in foreign accent. Mr. Bolaji said that his mother has many other children aside her biological children. “My mother is so kind to people that many come and live our house as they pleased, while others live with us. It was so confusing at a stage because people could barely differentiate her biological children from other people living with us. No pun intended, people could barely tell the difference between her biological children from other children. She is a wonderful mother, and like the verse of the Holy Qur’an which says children must respect their parents.
I am here to celebrate my mother, a great women to us all.” He prayed that God grant his mother many more years in good and sound health. “May you celebrate many more decades in good health. We love you mommy.”
Many key family members made efforts to give speech about the celebrant, while she quietly sat on the throne-like chair as the praises and prayers flowed through the microphone. Three huge cakes were lined on the podium opposite the live band, with life-size pictures of the celebrant emblazoned on the wall. Another son of the celebrant, Dr. Maleek Ajenifuja, read her citation the cutting of the cake.
The special one invited to officiate the cutting of the cake was Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly. The Lagos number one lawmaker, dressed in fine attires, walked on to the podium and led the audience in spelling A-L-L-A-H before the celebrant thrust down the knife in the middle of the largest cake. A music blast and fireworks followed this with silver tapes raining from the rooftop.
Meanwhile, Rt. Honourable Obasa said beautiful things about the celebrant, “It is a major achievement to attain the age of 60. You will celebrate till hundred. From there, you will decide how many more years you wish to live,” the foremost Lagos lawmaker said amidst applause by the audience. The cutting of the cake went beautifully well that many smiled on for a longer time.
Our correspondent approached the Speaker for a word for the press; he graciously and politely gave some kind words for Alhaja Kafayat Ajenifuja. “You can see the caliber of guests and the enormous number of people gathered here to celebrate her. This is the result of her good nature. People would respect and honour you when you are a good fellow. She is a very loving woman, a kind person, who is good to many people. Being a retired officer from the ministry, look at the support she received from her former colleagues.
My prayer for her is that she would live to see many more years in good health,” Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, said.
Speaking on the personality of the celebrant, His Royal Majesty, Oba AbdulSemiu Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, described Alhaja Kafayat Ajenifuja as an embodiment of ‘Bibire’, a Yoruba term for a special breed. “Bi a bini, ‘atunra bi.” This translates to when someone is born, she rebirths herself in in good ways. She is a wonderful woman of great virtues. I wish her many more years in good health,” the reserved monarch of Igbogbo Kingdom, said.
Mr. Abiola Adebayo Oladipupa, member of the Council of Elders, NASFAT, Ikrodu branch, who also spoke to our reporter, Alhaja. Kafayat as a woman of virtue. “She is loving, kind, very quiet, highly educated, highly intelligent. She possesses all these qualities and still remains humble. When some people have these traits, they usually become arrogant and haughty, but mama is an exceptional woman. In her case, she becomes more humble by the day. Whenever people approached her with problems, she would kindly resolves the issues. Where there is no immediate solution, she will advise you to hold on as effort would be put in place to resolve the issue. I have no choice but to be here, I have to be here against all odds because she is very important and significant to us in NASFAT. She is one of the building blocks that NASFAT Ikorodu is endowed with Almighty Allah has enabled her to complete another 360 days, we pray that Allah should continue to bless her with good health and wealth. On behalf of NASFAT Ikorodu, I wish mama good health, wealth and long life.”
The colourful event climaxed as guests were highly served with sumptuous meals accompanied with assorted drinks, described live band, comprising about 22 men, smartly dressed in a uniformed purple attires mounted the bandstand while their leader, the legendary K1 the Ultimate, walked up to the stage few minutes later. The Fuji maestro began playing melodious tunes in praises of the celebrant and the dignitaries in the hall. This was after various groups; family members, friends and colleagues had took turn to pose with the celebrant for the camera.
