FOR what will Sir Adeyemo Alakija be remembered? Elder man Folarin Coker provides the answer as he concludes his historical treatise on the foremost author of The Nigerian Daily Times, among other inimitable distinctions. The preface was published a fortnight ago and inadvertently headlined wrongly last week instead of this conclusion.
The introductory edition also wrongly read ‘Ademola Alakija’ in place of the right entry above. I tender my unreserved apologies for the unintentional production mix-ups.Twenty years later in 1914 at the commencement of the First World War, Kitoyi Ajasa  launched another newspaper called
The Nigerian Pioneer edited by him which for several years was the leading paper in Lagos.
With the growth of Nigerian nationalism in the first quarter of last century, however, journalism began to flourish. And so, in 1921 a Nigerian mathematician and journalist, Ernest Sessei Ikoli who hailed from Brass in Rivers State, founded yet another newspaper, The African Messenger. Ikoli had previously served for two years with Horatio Jackson as co-editor on The Weekly Record. So he had firmly established himself in Lagos journalism and he remained the proprietor and editor of the African Messenger for five years.Then in 1925 and in order to further the political programme of the newly-founded Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP)—a daily newspaper was founded by Herbert Macaulay called The Lagos Daily News.
Before then, all other news media— the Jackson’s Record, Ajasa’s Standard and also The Pioneer—were all weekly newspapers. Against the background of the growth of Nigerian Press, we must set the arrival of the Daily Times with Earnest Ikoli— already a successful editor—who together with Richard Barrow, an agent of Jureen’s Colombia Products and chairman of Lagos Chamber of Commerce, set the ball rolling. More will be said some day about the 10 founding fathers of Daily Times, but Adeyemo Alakija will be remembered as the active dynamo of the enterprise.
The Daily Times started on June 1, 1926, published by the Nigerian Printing and Publishing Company incorporated the previous year. Ikoli was the first editor who wrote the first editorial. Adeyemo Alakija became the first chairman of the Board of the printing and publishing company.
And for this, he will forever be remembered. Law, politics and journalism apart, Alakija was a man of great learning and high stature in Esoteric Orders Masonic Ontology. As a Freemason, he was the first Nigeria
District Grandmaster of the English constitution. Similarly, he will be remembered as the Master in Nigeria’s Masonic history, who reigned three times in Lodge Scotia—a leader member of the Scottish Constitution.Among his colleagues were Dr. Henry Carr, Dr. Magnus Macaulay, Mr. Justice S. Bankole Rhodes, Chief Adegunle Soetan, The Rt. Revd.Adelakun Howells, former Anglican Bishop of Lagos and Sir Kofoworola Abayomi, first president of the association of Lagos titled chiefs.
Writing on the history of “Lodge Scotia”, Mr. Justice Adewale Thompson described Adeyemo Alakija as “a builder, dogmatist, purist and forerunner of the Science in Nigeria.
These were men who were not merely learned in their profession of law or medicine but they really were ‘mystics on the path’ meaning that they were endowed with a competency of wisdom and a working knowledge of the Mystic Spiral.”
In 1945, Alakija was knighted— an honour shared with his wife Ayodele who became Lady Alakija  and who, for many years after the death of her husband in 1952, served on the Board of Directors of The Daily Times of Nigeria. Furthermore and categorically, Sir Adeyemo will be remembered as an aristocrat a great social elite  first indigenous chairman of the Island Club; Lagos traditionalist, sportsman and philan thropist.
Sir Adeyemo did not serve in the Nigerian judiciary in any capacity either as a magistrate or judge.
He did not take silk, there were no “Nigerian silk” before Chief H. O. Davies and Chief Rotimi Williams. His political career was a failure. Nevertheless, he made history and will be remembered first as one of the pioneers of the legal profession in Nigeria, next as a traditionalist—the Bariyun of Ake and WojeileriI of Ife, then as distinguished Freemason— the first indigenous “Grandmaster” of Nigeria and certainly above all, the moving spirit among the founding fathers of The Daily Times of Nigeria lest we forget, as Pluto said,
“Of man’s legacy to eternity, the greatest is the written word”. The foregoing testimony related to Sir Adeyemo in the secular portion of his life. In the divine sector however Sir Adeyemo will be remembered as the foundation president of the Cathedral Torch Bearers’ Association, Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, which was founded September 1942 and remains the most senior social male organization of the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos.Here perhaps we should draw the curtain on the life and times of the honourable Sir Adeyemo Alakija. And so, here we raise three hearty and thunderous cheers—the first to Sir Adeyemo and the founding fathers of the Cathedral Torch Bearers, wheresoever in God’s great universe they may be today. The second loud cheers go to Ambassador Aduke Alakija, Titi Kofi Annan, Alaba with Judith Alakija. And the third and loudest cheers go to The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, The House of Bishops, The Clergy, The Choir, and The Laity including all the servants of the Lord in their respective capacities.

Folarin Coker on Adeyemo Alakija (2)