Arrangements have been concluded to publicly present the private residence of the late Adegoke Adelabu, popularly called Penkelemesi, as a tourist destination.
The residence, built in 1948 by the late popular politician, was the only property ever owned and lived in before the politician was snatched in his prime by the cold hands of death.
The Chairman, Adegoke Adelabu Foundation, Oloye Lekan Alabi, while giving report of the activities of the Foundation less than a year after it was established, said the public presentation of the building as a tourist attraction was deliberately fixed for September 3, to mark the 101 posthumous birthday anniversary of the first federal minister of social service and natural resources.
Fielding questions from journalists, Alabi said that apart from the building named ‘The Taj Mahal’, located at Oke-Odo, Oke Oluokun area of Ibadan, many souvenirs and memoirs of the late leader of opposition in the Old Western region House of Assembly (1956-1958), will also be on display.
He called on members of the public to take advantage of the occasion to learn from the vision and passion of Adelabu.
Alabi, who called on the government and leaders to align their leadership styles with the thoughts and vision as documented in books by many founding fathers of the country, said the Foundation has got a new strength to move on, based on the vision and dreams of late Adelabu as written in his book, ‘African in Ebullition.’
Speaking in the same vein, the Secretary, AAF, Mr. Yinka Adelabu, said that the book, which was published in 1952, would be the new vehicle of the movement of the Foundation as it detailed the vision and passion of the legendary politician in all spheres of life, including education, politics, governance, leadership for Nigeria and indeed West Africa.
He said ‘Taj Mahal,’ which means a place of crown or crown place in Indian language, was originally conceived and built by the late Adelabu before he ventured into politics.
The grandson of the deceased expressed the hope that the tourist centre will be a hub for Ibadan history and culture, a Yoruba pride, the Nigerian house, African Intelligence Centre and the AAF headquarters
