Current Trustees of the Isale Eko Descendants Union

 

1    Alhaji Lateef Olufemi Okunnu, S.A.N, C.O.N.  – President

2    Alhaji Babajide Eko

3    Mrs. Karimat Carew

4    Alhaja Ramlat Fehintola Okunola

5   Mr. Akin Kekere-Ekun, O.F.R.

Isale Eko Descendants Union was originally known as Isale-Eko Descendants Scholarship Fund Committee. It was established after the appointment of Prof. T.O Elias (of blessed memory), a scholar and great African, as the Chief Justice of Nigeria in 1972. The Union originates from the association of notable Isale-Eko elders who had the tradition of coming together at the Oba’s Palace to deliberate on issues of concern to the people (indigenes) of Isale-Eko.

The main objective of the committee was to award academic scholarships to sons and daughters of Isale-Eko origin who sought an education. This award helped to secure a better future for them and guaranteed a befitting status for them socially, intellectually and politically.

 

The founding members of the scholarship committee are:

1. Late Prof. T. O. Elias (QC LLD CFR GCON)
2. Late Mr. A. K. Disu
3. Justice I. Ishola Oluwa
4. H. A. B. Fasinro
5. Olufemi Lateef Okunnu
6. I. B. Ajomagberin
7. Late Mrs. Abisogun Alo
8. Jide Eko

By March 28, 1979, the union had 11 boys and girls in various secondary schools under its scholarship scheme. Towards the last quarter of that year, the Lagos State Government embarked on “Free Education Scheme” in secondary schools. Between 1979 and 1989, the Union was unable to do much due to the unavoidable absence of its Chairman, Late Prof. Teslim Olawale Elias, who was then a judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague. The last regular meeting with appreciable number of the founding members in attendance took place on the December 19, 1979. The committee was able, nonetheless, to sustain four indigent students at Ibadan and Lagos Universities.

 

The Scholarship Fund

In 1989, Justice Elias infused a new and inspiring leadership into the system. The membership was expanded and the committee decided to launch a special scholarship fund. The Isale Eko Descendants Union Scholarship Fund was setup as an unincorporated charity founded primarily to advance the education of the children of Isale Eko indigenes. A committee ran the affairs of the Fund, with the Judge Elias as the original prime mover of the Fund.

In a letter dated July 19, 1990 to the members, late Justice Elias wrote as follows:

“I am writing to request you to be good enough to accept this invitation of mine for members of the Isale-Eko Desendants Union to make a certain personal effort to contribute an annual levy of #10,000 each per male and #5,000 per female, payable at any time by you between now and 1st October 1990 to the Secretary, Alhaji ‘Femi Okunnu, who is under a duty to report to me as each payment is made. I desire to invest the total of this special contribution into a scholarship account with a bank for the purpose of the Union, which we shall all agree to specify, apart from our individual financial responsibilities which we will carry normally.”

The committee later modified the Chairman’s proposal such that male members were required to make a minimum donation of #10,000 and female members a minimum of #5,000. That remained the committee’s target. The fund was formally launched at a special dinner financed by Justice Elias at is residence, on Thursday January 17, 1991. The aspirations of these members were that sons and daughters of Isale-Eko, the heart of Lagos and therefore Nigeria, could do much better than these gestures. In 1990, the Union awarded 10 scholarships to indigenes of Isale-Eko in secondary schools, 3 scholarships were awarded to indigenes in Nigerian Universities and 1 to an indigene on a secretarial course, making a total of 14 awards. In 1992, the Scholarship committee met and made 17 awards including 6 in different tertiary institutions. The committee saved their funds in the safest merchant Banks on the recommendations of Judge Elias. They required that members pay their donations in cash and through cheques regularly. The committee decided to set up a public intentional law prize in honour of the late Justice Elias. In furtherance of this, the committee, on March 18, 1998, vested in the Lagos State University the sum of N100,000. The money was handed over to the university’s Vice-Chancellor subject to terms and conditions regarding its disbursement.

 

Isale Eko Descendants’ Union Scholarship Fund Committee Members (89)

In The Early 2000s

In 2003, Alhaji Lateef Femi Okunnu, in a letter to the chairman of the Isale Eko Descendants Union Scholarship Fund Committee, Hon. Justice. I. Oluwa, intimated him of the need to make some fundamental changes to the structure and objectives of the committee. These changes were deemed necessary so that the body could regroup and advance. He pointed out the need for the objectives of the Union to be broadened from just the award of scholarships and bursaries to also improving the welfare of all Isale Eko descendants.

The Isale Eko Descendants Union revolves around the people and royalty of the area. In the words of Alhaji Okunnu, “… the only institution which still brings us together as sons and daughters of Isale Eko is the Oba of Lagos and his traditional chiefs, the four classes of chiefs: Idejo, Akarigbe, Ogalade and Abagon. We must preserve the institution and seek to reform it.”

 

Present Day

The Isale Eko Descendants Union remains committed to improving the unity, education, and prosperity of Isale Eko descendants. This it will aim to do by continuing to offer scholarships and bursaries to deserving students, improving the quality of healthcare by funding and management of health centres in the community and active involvement in the policy formulation and administration of schools in Isale Eko. The Union also plans to acquire property in the name of the Union to develop an Isale Eko House, a place where Isale Eko residents and descendants can gather and deliberate on the affairs of the Union and Isale Eko in general.