I was only eight years old when he died but I still remember the sound of his laughter and the smell of his agbadas.
A Celebrant of Life - (written by OVATION Magazine)
Chief Anthony Olayinka Rhodes; Bamofin of Lagos, Baagbimo of Ile-Ife (1935-2002)
We celebrate the life of one of these men whose family name stands out in its reflection of the intrinsic greatness of the Fifth Wonder of the Ancient World - Yinka Rhodes – indeed a Colossus. Chief Olayinka Rhodes lived life to the hilt. His favourite phrase was “I am Celebrating life”. He did celebrate it, and was indeed celebrated by his friends and the society in which he lived.
Fresh out of a fratricidal Civil War in 1970, Nigeria was in the dawn of a reconstruction and reunification era fuelled by an Oil boom exploding in Lagos. Industries and edifices sprang up here and there. Anti colonialist feelings and socia-cultural movements ran strong. These events were reflected in the vibrant and dynamic music of the time. This period witnessed the reformation of Afrobeat and Juju-Highlife out of the ashes of the battle with American Soul music a la James Brown.
Men like Yinka Rhodes who had studied abroad spearheaded ideologies on self-reliance and good government. They had rejected the alien passport and returned home to build up the new Nation. Money was being made quickly and Nigerians were taking charge of their own Nation. The baton was handed over from the Herbert Macaulays and the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwes to a new set of nationalistic runners. It was a heady period.
The leading lights of the new intelligentsia mostly young lawyers, relaxed with drinks and brainstormed at a small “watering hole” in Yaba, Lagos. Their decision to chose a special table and inaugurate a “Board of Directors” heralded a social movement that would become a roll call of many of today’s Billionaires and political Juggernauts.
The BoardMembers as they named themselves once numbered 40 but about 25 members are currently active. Pioneer BoardMembers and close friends of this Celebrant of Life include Chief Alex Duduyemi, his in-Law by marriage and Chairman Board of Trustees; Otunba H.O. Afolabi Alu, a Trustee, Chief Babatunde Shitta, a Trustee and his oldest friend (from 1953); Chief Babs Akerele, Chief Razaq Okoya, Chief Molade Okoya Thomas, Chief G.K. Animashaun (late), Chief Sanyaolu (Late). Chief J.I. Akinyele (late) Chief Yemo Adeyera, Chief Sikiru Shitta-Bey, Chief Odu Layinde, Prince Ademola Ademiluyi, Chief Adeyele, and Chief Demola Adebule. Evangelist Ebenezer Obey’s celebration of these men is a modern day Griot's evocation of the Warriors, Conquerors and Heroes of his time.
The Traditional Title holder of Baamofin of Lagos and Baagbimo of Ile-Ife, “Chief” as contemporaries knew him, was a handsome man who lived well. He was so hearty, jovial, warm, impetuous, charming and vibrant, he resonated bonhomie. He was so full of life in fact that no member of his family or his contemporaries can bear to speak of him in the past tense.
Born to the famous wealthy Lagos families of Orobiyi-Rhodes and Branco in 1935, young Yinka had a heritage of Brazilian Aristocratic mercantilism through his mother and English Colonial Capitalism through his father. He lacked for nothing, and was contented with whatever he had throughout his life. He was called to the English Bar, a pioneer in the Holborn Law School, and was a pioneer graduate of the Nigerian Law School both in 1963. The sky was the limit, and the women swarmed all over him. He was never confused as to whom he would marry though.
He met beautiful young Elizabeth Abimbola da Silva in England in 1959, and said to her as soon as he set eyes on her, ”Just name the date”, “For what?” she retorted. “Because I’m going to marry you.” On 1st August the same year they were married! Parental consent was easy, as both mothers were well known to each other! He was 23 and she 20 years old. They returned to Nigeria in 1963 and shortly after, set up a Law practice. After some years, the couple built a magnificent home in Ikeja Government Reservation Area in which he lived until his demise. Their good taste is visible in the gilded Adam Ceiling, broad archways, marble floors, columns and pilasters. The huge, Baroque period furniture pieces with carved curlicues and scrolls sit comfortably in the huge living rooms, punctuated at one end by a sweeping curved staircase. From the comfort and luxury of this home he set forth to conquer with the active support of his wife, whom his friends describe as a “Go-getter”. He practiced Law until he set up the first indigenous Marble factory jointly with his wife in 1973. That pioneer effort has galvanized into the giant Rosabol (Nigeria) Ltd, the leading indigenous Marble and Granite Company in Nigeria.
In 1968 Yinka Rhodes stood for and won election to the Lagos City Council. That same year he was also made a Director of the Lagos City Transport Service. He was Chairman of Star Communications Nigeria Limited, Chairman of Prime Publications Limited, Publishers of Prime People Magazine, Past Chairman Nigerian Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and many other companies. He also served his nation through various appointments at the State and National levels. In 1980 under the Shagari Government, he was appointed to the Land use Allocation Committee for Abuja, representing Lagos State. Under President Babangida, he was appointed Chairman of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority in 1986. In 1995 he was appointed a member of the Presidential joint Committee of Traditional Rulers and Leaders of Thought, otherwise known as the “50 Wise Men.” In 1996 he was further appointed a member of the Presidential Committee on the future of Education in Nigeria. In 1998, as the Sole Administrator of the Eko Hotel Le Meridien, he reorganized and refocused the Hotel, returning it to its premier position in Lagos. He served as a member of Eko International Bank from 1998 till 2001. In his social life he served on the Executive of Ikoyi Club and was also Chairman of the BoardMembers for Five Years.
One thing stands out from the character testimonies of chief Rhodes family and friends. He was the epitome of all positive values. He eschewed corruption and never enriched himself from all his appointments. He was also a very accommodating person. Mrs. Simisola Salman, his favorite child said, “ My father never held a grudge against anyone. He was always willing to forgive and forget.”
Chief Alex Duduyemi, the Aro of Ile-Ife, friend of 40 odd years and childhood friend Chief Babatunde Shitta, Bameso of Ile-Ife both described him with the same sentence. “Yinka Rhodes was a contented man”. Among their pet names for him was “Ko matter man”, his favorite phrase to brush off a perceived offence. They also fondly called him ‘Layinka or “Omo Oro”. His son, Akitoye capped it all by recounting one lesson on principle he learnt from his father. “My father left us an undying legacy of a good name and goodwill. He always stood up for what he believed in. He resigned from the Lagos State Transport service on principle. He handed over his Law practice to his brother, Babasola Rhodes S.A.N., and regretfully dropped his ambition to become a Judge because of a perceived travesty of Justice in a case he prosecuted.” Of him, his wife whom he called Bola said. “ My husband is God’s special gift to Nigeria, very selfless. He did not believe in crawling. He often told me, the only thing I have is my pride. That is the only thing I cannot give freely.”
He was also a fighter. He resisted when death knocked at his door several times in the last six years of his life. “Chief-Mrs.” as all others called her, had to nurse him through injuries sustained in a near-fatal accident, three brain surgeries after a fall in the bathroom and a twice-operated Prostate Gland problem. When he emerged from this ordeal, he always said “ I’m Celebrating Life”. He celebrated life to the very end. As the arrangements to ferry him abroad by Air Ambulance were under way, he regained consciousness after a first heart seizure and said to his dear wife, “I am dying but I am fighting it.” Upon being brought back to life from a second heart attack, he looked at his wife’s distress and cracked a joke through a Yoruba Proverb, “ Eni t’ara e o ya k’o l’on sick eni t’on toju e ni. “ It is not the person that is sick that is troubled. It is the person that is looking after him”.
A Catholic to the end, his last words to his wife were, “Thank God for what he has done for us.” Chief Yinka Rhodes answered the final call to eternal glory in mid-flight over Luxembourg a few days after his 67th birthday. His wife and family insisted that there should be no mourning at his funeral. Instead he was celebrated in keeping with his philosophy, “I’m Celebrating Life’. The torch has gone out, but the flame remains in our hearts forever. We celebrate your life Chief, Requiescat in Pace.
“...Yinka Rhodes, nle Barrister Lawyer, BoardMembers, BoardMembers, omo Akerele BoardMembers t’awa ni….. Omo Iya oye o, omo Iya oye, Yinka Rhodes nle Omo olola, kuku pa mi ko gbe mi pon l’ekan, omo iya oye” - Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey.
This Award winning Evergreen song entitled BoardMembers by Juju Maestro, now Evangelist Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey exploded unto the Nigerian scene in 1971 when Lagos was Nigeria and Nigeria was Lagos. This captivating song has remained an evergreen tapestry of the socio-cultural revolution of the early 1970s. His adaptation of the Western guitar as a talking instrument, in dialogue with the African Talking Drum evokes the confluence of cultures in the dawn of a modern Nigeria. Against the backdrop of Criss-cross rhythms, the haunting tones of the Hawaiian guitar echo his mellifluous voice as the Bard etches in stone an immortal record of the men who determined the thought, fashion, style, music and politics of their era. He witnessed for all time, of outstanding men who bestrode the societal landscape like Colossi.
A Celebrant of Life - (written by OVATION Magazine)
Chief Anthony Olayinka Rhodes; Bamofin of Lagos, Baagbimo of Ile-Ife (1935-2002)
We celebrate the life of one of these men whose family name stands out in its reflection of the intrinsic greatness of the Fifth Wonder of the Ancient World - Yinka Rhodes – indeed a Colossus. Chief Olayinka Rhodes lived life to the hilt. His favourite phrase was “I am Celebrating life”. He did celebrate it, and was indeed celebrated by his friends and the society in which he lived.
Fresh out of a fratricidal Civil War in 1970, Nigeria was in the dawn of a reconstruction and reunification era fuelled by an Oil boom exploding in Lagos. Industries and edifices sprang up here and there. Anti colonialist feelings and socia-cultural movements ran strong. These events were reflected in the vibrant and dynamic music of the time. This period witnessed the reformation of Afrobeat and Juju-Highlife out of the ashes of the battle with American Soul music a la James Brown. Men like Yinka Rhodes who had studied abroad spearheaded ideologies on self-reliance and good government. They had rejected the alien passport and returned home to build up the new Nation. Money was being made quickly and Nigerians were taking charge of their own Nation. The baton was handed over from the Herbert Macaulays and the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwes to a new set of nationalistic runners. It was a heady period.
The leading lights of the new intelligentsia mostly young lawyers, relaxed with drinks and brainstormed at a small “watering hole” in Yaba, Lagos. Their decision to chose a special table and inaugurate a “Board of Directors” heralded a social movement that would become a roll call of many of today’s Billionaires and political Juggernauts.
The BoardMembers as they named themselves once numbered 40 but about 25 members are currently active. Pioneer BoardMembers and close friends of this Celebrant of Life include Chief Alex Duduyemi, his in-Law by marriage and Chairman Board of Trustees; Otunba H.O. Afolabi Alu, a Trustee, Chief Babatunde Shitta, a Trustee and his oldest friend (from 1953); Chief Babs Akerele, Chief Razaq Okoya, Chief Molade Okoya Thomas, Chief G.K. Animashaun (late), Chief Sanyaolu (Late). Chief J.I. Akinyele (late) Chief Yemo Adeyera, Chief Sikiru Shitta-Bey, Chief Odu Layinde, Prince Ademola Ademiluyi, Chief Adeyele, and Chief Demola Adebule. Evangelist Ebenezer Obey’s celebration of these men is a modern day Griot's evocation of the Warriors, Conquerors and Heroes of his time.
The Traditional Title holder of Baamofin of Lagos and Baagbimo of Ile-Ife, “Chief” as contemporaries knew him, was a handsome man who lived well. He was so hearty, jovial, warm, impetuous, charming and vibrant, he resonated bonhomie. He was so full of life in fact that no member of his family or his contemporaries can bear to speak of him in the past tense.
Born to the famous wealthy Lagos families of Orobiyi-Rhodes and Branco in 1935, young Yinka had a heritage of Brazilian Aristocratic mercantilism through his mother and English Colonial Capitalism through his father. He lacked for nothing, and was contented with whatever he had throughout his life. He was called to the English Bar, a pioneer in the Holborn Law School, and was a pioneer graduate of the Nigerian Law School both in 1963. The sky was the limit, and the women swarmed all over him. He was never confused as to whom he would marry though.
He met beautiful young Elizabeth Abimbola da Silva in England in 1959, and said to her as soon as he set eyes on her, ”Just name the date”, “For what?” she retorted. “Because I’m going to marry you.” On 1st August the same year they were married! Parental consent was easy, as both mothers were well known to each other! He was 23 and she 20 years old. They returned to Nigeria in 1963 and shortly after, set up a Law practice. After some years, the couple built a magnificent home in Ikeja Government Reservation Area in which he lived until his demise. Their good taste is visible in the gilded Adam Ceiling, broad archways, marble floors, columns and pilasters. The huge, Baroque period furniture pieces with carved curlicues and scrolls sit comfortably in the huge living rooms, punctuated at one end by a sweeping curved staircase. From the comfort and luxury of this home he set forth to conquer with the active support of his wife, whom his friends describe as a “Go-getter”. He practiced Law until he set up the first indigenous Marble factory jointly with his wife in 1973. That pioneer effort has galvanized into the giant Rosabol (Nigeria) Ltd, the leading indigenous Marble and Granite Company in Nigeria.In 1968 Yinka Rhodes stood for and won election to the Lagos City Council. That same year he was also made a Director of the Lagos City Transport Service. He was Chairman of Star Communications Nigeria Limited, Chairman of Prime Publications Limited, Publishers of Prime People Magazine, Past Chairman Nigerian Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and many other companies. He also served his nation through various appointments at the State and National levels. In 1980 under the Shagari Government, he was appointed to the Land use Allocation Committee for Abuja, representing Lagos State. Under President Babangida, he was appointed Chairman of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority in 1986. In 1995 he was appointed a member of the Presidential joint Committee of Traditional Rulers and Leaders of Thought, otherwise known as the “50 Wise Men.” In 1996 he was further appointed a member of the Presidential Committee on the future of Education in Nigeria. In 1998, as the Sole Administrator of the Eko Hotel Le Meridien, he reorganized and refocused the Hotel, returning it to its premier position in Lagos. He served as a member of Eko International Bank from 1998 till 2001. In his social life he served on the Executive of Ikoyi Club and was also Chairman of the BoardMembers for Five Years.
One thing stands out from the character testimonies of chief Rhodes family and friends. He was the epitome of all positive values. He eschewed corruption and never enriched himself from all his appointments. He was also a very accommodating person. Mrs. Simisola Salman, his favorite child said, “ My father never held a grudge against anyone. He was always willing to forgive and forget.”
Chief Alex Duduyemi, the Aro of Ile-Ife, friend of 40 odd years and childhood friend Chief Babatunde Shitta, Bameso of Ile-Ife both described him with the same sentence. “Yinka Rhodes was a contented man”. Among their pet names for him was “Ko matter man”, his favorite phrase to brush off a perceived offence. They also fondly called him ‘Layinka or “Omo Oro”. His son, Akitoye capped it all by recounting one lesson on principle he learnt from his father. “My father left us an undying legacy of a good name and goodwill. He always stood up for what he believed in. He resigned from the Lagos State Transport service on principle. He handed over his Law practice to his brother, Babasola Rhodes S.A.N., and regretfully dropped his ambition to become a Judge because of a perceived travesty of Justice in a case he prosecuted.” Of him, his wife whom he called Bola said. “ My husband is God’s special gift to Nigeria, very selfless. He did not believe in crawling. He often told me, the only thing I have is my pride. That is the only thing I cannot give freely.”
He was also a fighter. He resisted when death knocked at his door several times in the last six years of his life. “Chief-Mrs.” as all others called her, had to nurse him through injuries sustained in a near-fatal accident, three brain surgeries after a fall in the bathroom and a twice-operated Prostate Gland problem. When he emerged from this ordeal, he always said “ I’m Celebrating Life”. He celebrated life to the very end. As the arrangements to ferry him abroad by Air Ambulance were under way, he regained consciousness after a first heart seizure and said to his dear wife, “I am dying but I am fighting it.” Upon being brought back to life from a second heart attack, he looked at his wife’s distress and cracked a joke through a Yoruba Proverb, “ Eni t’ara e o ya k’o l’on sick eni t’on toju e ni. “ It is not the person that is sick that is troubled. It is the person that is looking after him”.
A Catholic to the end, his last words to his wife were, “Thank God for what he has done for us.” Chief Yinka Rhodes answered the final call to eternal glory in mid-flight over Luxembourg a few days after his 67th birthday. His wife and family insisted that there should be no mourning at his funeral. Instead he was celebrated in keeping with his philosophy, “I’m Celebrating Life’. The torch has gone out, but the flame remains in our hearts forever. We celebrate your life Chief, Requiescat in Pace.
“...Yinka Rhodes, nle Barrister Lawyer, BoardMembers, BoardMembers, omo Akerele BoardMembers t’awa ni….. Omo Iya oye o, omo Iya oye, Yinka Rhodes nle Omo olola, kuku pa mi ko gbe mi pon l’ekan, omo iya oye” - Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey.
This Award winning Evergreen song entitled BoardMembers by Juju Maestro, now Evangelist Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey exploded unto the Nigerian scene in 1971 when Lagos was Nigeria and Nigeria was Lagos. This captivating song has remained an evergreen tapestry of the socio-cultural revolution of the early 1970s. His adaptation of the Western guitar as a talking instrument, in dialogue with the African Talking Drum evokes the confluence of cultures in the dawn of a modern Nigeria. Against the backdrop of Criss-cross rhythms, the haunting tones of the Hawaiian guitar echo his mellifluous voice as the Bard etches in stone an immortal record of the men who determined the thought, fashion, style, music and politics of their era. He witnessed for all time, of outstanding men who bestrode the societal landscape like Colossi.
