One of the illustrious sons of lkorodu, Chief Michael Aderibigbe Shitta, is dead. He was 81 years old.
Born on March 25, 1940, Chief Shitta died on Friday, January 28, 2022.
He was the B’aloro of Lagos, a founding member of the prestigious Oriwu Club, Ikorodu and two time President of the club.
Fondly referred to as “Chief’ by family, “Deribigbe” by friends, “Uncle” or “Daddy” by relatives, late Shitta was truly a legend, a force of a man with values, principles, huge personality and tremendous energy.
He was different things to different people.
Since his death was made public, a memorial website has been created by his family, to enable his friends, family members, associates and sympathisers to share their memories of him and also send in their condolence messages.
He is survived by his wife, Chief Mrs. Rafiat Abimbola Shitta, children : Ademola, Olayemi, Olufunmilayo and Abisoye, grandchildren: Jordan Obademilade, Justin Obagbeminiyi, Alexander Taiwo, Joshua Kehinde and Olivia Oluwakoyinsola as well as many dear nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Chief Michael Aderibigbe Shitta was born at the Massy Children’s Hospital, Lagos Island, on the 25th of March1940. He attended St. John’s School, Aroloya, Lagos Island, from 1948 to 1955. His Secondary education was at Methodist Boys High School, Lagos, and from1956 to 1960. He spent his 3 years post high school working at the Nigerian General Insurance Company.
Following this, he travelled to the United Kingdom in 1964 to study Insurance at Holborn College, University of London (1965 until 1971) where he earned his ACII (Higher Diploma) qualification.
Chief, as he was fondly referred to, loved his mother dearly. His mother Mrs. Shitta (nee Yusuf-Akenke), though uneducated, was a successful clothes merchant who ran a clothes shop in Jankara, Lagos Island. His father was born in Ojuolobun Lagos in 1903 and was educated at the Methodist School, Ita-Eewa, Ikorodu. He ran a clothes shop, selling mostly military wear and in the later years, physical training (PT) outfits for primary and secondary school children.
His wife (then his fiancée), Chief (Mrs.) Rafiat Abimbola Shitta, later joined him in London, they got married and started a family. During his time in London, he worked at the Salvation Army Assurance Society on Tottenham Court road, National Provident Institution, Friends Provident and Century Insurance Company, Monument and Provident Life, Liverpool Street. He moved his family back to Lagos in January 1972, after receiving a touching letter from his mother. His mum later died in 1977.
On returning to Lagos, Nigeria, he worked for the British American Insurance Company but left after 5 years to focus on his side business sourcing and supplying Groundnut cake from northern Nigeria to Pfizer in the south. A successful business man, he setup Albatross Enterprises Nigeria Limited, a Livestock feed mill in his hometown of Ikorodu, off Ibeshe road. He subsequently went into large scale poultry farming.
The choice of Ikorodu as his businesses’ location was informed by the advice from his father to remain and invest in Ikorodu, as his ancestral home. His father wanted the Shitta name deeply rooted in Ikorodu and Daddy ensured this happened, a decision he was glad he took and one which he never regretted despite the challenges he faced.
He worshipped at the Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos, where he was a prominent member of the Men’s Auxiliary Society. When he turned 72, due to the driving distance between Ikorodu and Lagos Island, he began attending Methodist Church, Ita-Elewa, where he worshiped till his passing and was the first chairman of the Church Community Hymn Singing.
Chief Aderibigbe Shitta was much loved by his in-law, the then Oba of Lagos; late Adeyinka Oyekan II, who treated him like a son. In 1979, Kabiyesi blessed him with a Lagos chieftaincy title, Otun B’aloro of Lagos, when he was just 39 years old. The title had originally belonged to Chief William Hamilton Biney, the Stevedoring pioneer who sadly, had passed on a few months earlier.
Chief Shitta became the Secretary of the Association of Lagos Titled Chiefs, a position he held for over 15 years. In 1998, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan once again blessed him by upgrading his Chieftaincy title from Otun B’aloro of Lagos to B’aloro of Lagos when the holder of the title at the time, Chief Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony, the renowned businessman and philanthropist, passed on.
Politics runs through late Shitta’s veins and had been so since he was a teenager. Politics was to become his lifeblood. He began politics as a member of the Action Group (AG). As time went on and republics came and went, he moved from AG to UPN, then to SDP and later to PDP. He died an elder statesman and the Arrow Head of the PDP Party in Ikorodu. He was loved by his ward E2 members.
He was appointed Chairman, Schools Management Committee (SMC) in Ikorodu, under the Government of Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
Chief Shitta said of his time in the SMC Ikorodu, “My life in the public sector was the same as my private life – to put smiles on people’s faces. I created job opportunities for over one thousand people, especially women. ‘Non Sibi Sed Aliis’”.
His favourite musician till his passing was King Sunny Ade (KSA) who was the de-facto musician at every one of his numerous parties. In 1980, KSA dedicated a track titled, ‘Chief Aderibigbe Shitta’, to him.