-
Mr. RASAQ SHITTU’s Wife, FOLUKE
Mrs. Foluke Rasak-Shittu, is the pretty daughter of one of the latest octogenarians in town, Mama (Deaconess) Elizabeth Olanrewaju-Ojo. She was full of thanks to her darling and ever supportive husband, Mr. Rasak Shittu, for standing fully behind her, as she held a talk of the town birthday party to celebrate her precious mum in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.
In an interview with City People’s JAMIU ABUBAKAR (08085185886), Mrs. Foluke thanked God for the gift of having a mother in a million. She said she can’t do less than celebrating her. While appreciating her husband for his immense support towards having a successful 80th birthday ceremony for her mother, she talked a bit about how she fell in love with her husband of over 30 years. Below are excerpts of the interview:
How do you feel about celebrating your mom today at 80?
Well, it’s a great thing, you know, for someone to attain 80. It’s a great privilege and I thank God for sparing her life today and I’m very happy.
How would you describe your mom?
She’s tough. She’s a prayer warrior.
For that one, I know she’s a prayer warrior. She prays for everybody in the family and she’s a family person that brings the family together and for and she’s a disciplinarian. You can’t try any rubbish with her. So she’s very strict.
That is it.
How was it like, growing up with her?
It was nice growing up with her but she’s a disciplinarian. She’s tough. She’s tough. She’s tough.
Why are you celebrating her this big?
She was celebrated at 70 and she was celebrated at 75 but in a mild way. But this was done in a big way. The family I come from, I share from my late father. We always mark her birthdays. But this is in a grand way because it’s the landmark and I always believe that let people see, let us celebrate them while they are alive, not when they are dead. I will not be spending money, you know, bringing people together, buying food and whatever. So, let her enjoy herself in the midst of her friends, in the midst of everybody. So, that is my own belief. Celebrate them while they are alive. Give them the good life and after they are gone, I don’t care about what happens after. But this is very important and for her to attain 80 is a blessing of God because I almost lost her around 2012, before she was 70 and I thank God that she’s around till this time. And I pray that she’ll be around till beyond 100.
Amen.
What’s your message for her 80th birthday?
I wish her a happy birthday. I wish her more celebrations. I wish her happiness and I wish her everything that she deserves. She went through a lot bringing us up. She went through a lot growing up and I thank God right now that she’s enjoying the fruit of her labor and what I’ll tell her, I’ll tell her to always be happy. Be happy. That is it.
Can you tell us a bit about your love life with your husband Alhaji Rasak Shittu ?
We met at my place of work. We were bankers then. I was in International Merchant Bank, then in Victoria Island, Lagos. I served there. I was retained as a corp member, then he came in and then we had this group of friends that we served together. We used to play together. We used to go home together. We used to talk together. We call the group The Yoruba Parapo or something. So, we, you know, like play, like play, when we all go out for lunch together, we go. So, that’s it.
But what really drew me to him was that he is very selfless and it’s like he can give you anything. There was a day, I always say, there was a day I asked him I wanted to buy Coca-Cola. I love Coca-Cola a lot. I drink Coca-Cola.
He was like, oh, I was just joking. Give me Coca-Cola. I want to buy Coca-Cola.
Give me money. He opened his purse then. How much was Coca-Cola then? Maybe 20 Naira or something. But that was the last money in his Wallet anyway as at that time because being in a bank, of course, when we were going, we’d go out to the Cashier and collect money. But that was the last and he still gave it to me to go and buy the Coke. And I looked at him and I said, Wow! Someone else would have told you that, oh, this is my last money. No, no, you can’t have it. And that’s what he does till now. He goes out of his way, you know, to make people happy. I thank God for his life.
Left to me, I would have celebrated my mom’s birthday in maybe just my own little way, but he’s the kind of person who will be all out to do everything for you. The way he loves his mom is the way he loves my mother and I appreciate him for that. He’s a very generous man and God-fearing man, a loving father, a loving husband. So that’s just the story and that’s how we started. We started from 20 Naira to Marriage.
How long was that?
That was 1994. We courted till we got married in 2001. So, we got married in January 2001. So, since then, I thank God for our lives.
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
