Iyetade Soyinka buried in Ibadan

Iyetade

It is hard to control one’s tears when a special person dies in a society. As the remains of the second daughter of Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, Iyetade Soyinka, was laid to rest on Friday, January 10, 2014, it is a sad day not only in Ibadan, Oyo State where she will be buried but also in many parts of the world due to the number of lives she touched positively.

Born on June 6, 1965 to Professor Wole Soyinka and Chief Mrs. Olayide Soyinka, in Ibadan, Oyo State, the late Ms. Soyinka died at the age of 48 on December 28, 2013 at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, after a brief illness.
According to a statement by Soyinka family, she was a fervent Christian who "cared deeply and generously for those shunned by society," "scorned the vain," "discarded hypocrisies, rejected the limelight and sought to live a life of depth and truth.”  

The statement described her as one who "fought fiercely for those she loved and she touched our lives with her heart, her incredibly creative mind, her dreams and her wit."Iyetade's death had brought "great sadness and an overwhelming sense of loss" to the family.  Ms. Soyinka is survived by two children, a daughter, Oreofe, and son, Adeoto.
Her burial holds after a funeral service at the Chapel of Resurrection, University of Ibadan at 11a.m today. A short service of songs held in her honour took place at 5 p.m. yesterday, Thursday, January 9 at PentonRise, Atinuke Hall (former Palm Chemist), Oshuntokun Avenue, opposite Housing Corporation, Old Bodija, Ibadan.

Her death was disclosed in a statement signed by Jahman Anikulapo, an aide to Mr. Soyinka.

Mr. Anikulapo’s statement described the deceased as “affable, intelligent and sometimes capricious,” adding that she “struggled with her health in recent years.” Despite her health woes, the late Iyetade “greeted every day with a smile and doted on her two children.”

A recent statement signed by Olaokun Soyinka for The Soyinka Family stated that the late Iyetade  was a student at the Staff School and Queens School, Ibadan.  She began her degree studies at the University of Ibadan, but moved to England where she chose to leave the sciences altogether and explore the world of theatre arts, culture and writing. “When she returned to Nigeria, she spent the last decade in Ibadan, raising her two children.

 She was a poet and performing artiste who embraced the interior shores of life with an unusual depth of perception, courage and understanding.”

 Daily Newswatch gathered that the deceased's volume of poetry, Stars, Fill My Skies, was scheduled for release at the end of 2013.

Olaokun’s statement further said that: “Through her encounter with her Lord Jesus Christ while in school, she opened the gates for others in the family and friends to encounter the grace of God.

“Iyetade cared deeply and generously for those shunned by society; she scorned the vain, discarded hypocrisies, rejected the limelight and sought to live a life of depth and truth. She fought fiercely for those she loved and she touched our lives with her heart, her incredibly creative mind, her dreams and her wit. Now, she has been ushered first into the presence of God.

“We love her beyond expression, miss her beyond imagination, and we are forever thankful that she shared these 48 years of her life's sojourn with us. Rest now our own beloved Iyetade.

“She is survived by her daughter Oreofe, and son, Adeoto; her mother, Chief Mrs. Olayide Soyinka, (Iyalode of Omu-Ijebu and former University Librarian of the Ogun State University); her father, Professor Wole Soyinka; her sisters and brothers: Olaokun, Morenike, Moremi, Peyibomi, Ilemakin, Amani, Tunlewa, Bojode and Eniara; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws.”