Madam Aishetu Ojeifo and siblings: Longevity in their gene, By Sufuyan Ojeifo

Consequent upon the death of my mother on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the age of 92, I have been engaged in some contemplation of the noticeable pattern or streak of longevity in the lineage. This endeavour was nested in the context of how my grandmother died at 93, many years ago. A quick google search produced some resources that implicated genetics, environment, and lifestyle, which all play a role in longevity. While the exact genes that contribute to longevity are not well understood, the online report said some genes that were associated with long life include: APOE, FOXO3, and CETP. [Readers are urged to search out an understanding of these jargon, lol].

Other factors that may affect longevity include: Blood fat levels Inflammation, Cardiovascular and immune systems, Epigenetic modifications, Calorie restriction, and VO2max. Studies have reportedly shown that longevity can be inherited as a genetic trait. However, the heritability of longevity is not well defined, and estimates vary from 12% to 30%. A healthy lifestyle can also extend lifespan, especially for people with a higher genetic risk. For example, a study of Chinese older adults found that a healthy lifestyle was associated with a lower risk of mortality and a longer life expectancy.

According to the estimates of United Nations, there were more than 63 million people above 90 years of age in 2020. Longevity of human life is heritable from 20% to 40% in the modern human populations. Survival into extremely long ages is a characteristic clustered in families. My hunch is that Madam Aishetu Ojeifo fell into the identifiable clustered characteristics. But it was not exactly so on my father’s side. That could explain some negative developments that disrupted family ties in the midstream of life.

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Meanwhile, Madam Aishetu was born circa December 12, 1932, into the royal family of Agbede in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State (as the local government and state are now known). Her royal lineage would appear to have signposted a bright future, but that indication was upended by the sudden death of her father, whose name she told me during a few occasions I interviewed her, was Isa. She was the first child of the union with her mother (now late), and there was a younger brother, named Yaminu. She was just three years old when her father died and her younger brother was a year old.

Her mother would later remarry in a village called Ujagbe, not far away from Agbede. From that remarriage, her mother gave birth to five more children-two males and three females. Her mother died in her full old age (circa 93). There would appear to be a longevity gene that runs through her maternal side, which has remained dominant in the physiological composition of the children. Validation: Madam Aishetu died about 92 years; her younger brother who died early this year was about 86. The youngest of the siblings -Mustapha, aka Dandy, who died in 2022 – passed at 72. Dandy’s death was believed to be a product of carelessness. He reportedly had an injury in his leg and did not take the precaution of going for anti-tetanus injection. The injury was infected by tetanus and the consequence was fatal. Three females are still alive in their late 70s and early 80s.

Aishetu married Pa Isa Ojeifo circa 1949/1950 and had their first child-a male- in December 1950-Lawal, Tajudeen in 1953, Rafat in 1956, Wahab in 1959, Abdulraham in 1964, Abu-Sufuyan in 1966, Muibat in 1970 and Kabir in 1973. Only three children-Tajudeen, Sufuyan and Kabir survived their parents -Pa Isa Isu Ojeifo who died on January 12, 1992 and Madam Aishetu who passed on October 12, 2024.

While married to Pa Isa Ojeifo, Madam Aishetu provided critical support to her husband in fending for the family. She got involved in a series of business ventures. She was into making of “momoi”, “akara” and puff-puff, which the locals consistently patronized because of their good qualities. She was adept in the production of these “snacks” and she was economically or financially empowered therefrom.

From the profits she made, she reached out to everyone that came her way. She ensured that her children were educated and that others were well mentored. She had attained the “retirement age” of 60 when her husband died over 32 years ago (January 12, 1992), after handing her over to their fifth child-Sufuyan Ojeifo- whom he requested while on his sick bed to please take care of his wife (my mother) in his absence.

I kept fidelity to my father’s request and ensured that for the 32 years that she lived as a widow, she was well taken care of. Her preoccupation all through the years of her widowhood was the well-being of her children whom she prayed for on a daily basis. She was a devout Christian of the Pentecostal hue.

Madam Aishetu died in a brief illness in Pa Isa Ojeifo’s family home at No 4 Clerk Quarters Road, Ijebu-Owo, on October 12, two months to December 12, 2024 when she would have turned 92.

Her remains would be interred in her residence at No 2 Catholic Church Road, Agbede in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo on Friday, November 22, 2024 while the Celebration of Life (social outing/reception) has been slated to hold in the ancient town of Owo where she lived all of her married life on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

At 4.30 pm today, Thursday, November 21, 2024, there will be a wake for her at her residence at No 4, Clerks Quarters Road, Behind the Police Station/Barrack, in Ijebu Quarters in Owo, Ondo State.

May the Almighty God rest her beautiful soul in His Bosom and grant the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, sisters, and others she left behind the fortitude to bear her irreplaceable loss.