FOREMOST PHILANTHROPIST, JOSIAH DOHERTY'S GENEALOGICAL PLAQUE FOR UNVEILING SATURDAY

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FOREMOST PHILANTHROPIST, JOSIAH DOHERTY’S GENEALOGICAL PLAQUE FOR UNVEILING SATURDAY

…As Plaque Donor, Femi Alufa describes move as efforts to preserve family history and heritage

All is now set for the unveiling of the Genealogical Plaque of Oga Josiah Henryson Doherty, the Great Philanthropist, Legendary Churchman and Prince Merchant of old Lagos as a scion of Ajero of Ijero Kingdom on Saturday, February 8 .

It is a humble gift of the Ekiti Summit News Publisher, Femi Alufa to Doherty Memorial Grammar School on the occasion of its 70th anniversary.

According to Alufa, the move is also to preserve family history and heritage.

The publisher emphasized the need for all stakeholders both home and abroad to play significant roles in protecting and promoting their cultural heritage.

Doherty Memorial Grammar School (DMGS ) Ijero-Ekiti was established on February 7,1955 through the public spirit of the Ijero people and Doherty’s Dynasty contribution to Ijero modern development.

Oga J.H.Doherty’s father, Mr.Henry (Ifabiyi) Doherty alias Baba Oko (Farm man) was born to Laikan ,a prominent and feared warrior from Balogun/Adeika royal ruling house of Ilaro in the present Ogun State of Nigeria.

Mr. Ifabiyi Doherty was captured by slave raiders in Lagos and later returned to Lagos, Nigeria via Sierra Leone.

He married his wife, Princess Helena Ariwoola Fatoregun (a.k.a. Mummy Doherty) at Waterloo, Sierra Leone before returning to Lagos,Nigeria.

In Lagos,the couple had a son named Josiah Henryson Doherty on August 24, 1866.

J.H Doherty”s mother , Mummy Doherty was born to HRM Oba Agbeleja, The Ajero of Ijero (reigned 1821-1866) who was the progenitor of the Arojojoye Royal Ruling house of Ijero-Ekiti and father of HRM Oba Aderuku, Arojojoye I ,The Ajero of Ijero (reigned 1916-1930) and the grandfather of HRM Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, Arojojoye II, The present Owa Ajero of Ijero who started his reign in December 1991.

Mummy Helena Doherty was one of the pioneers of Christianity in Ekiti land in the 1890s with fierce evangelism.

Doherty Memorial Grammar School(DMGS) Ijero-Ekiti was named in honour and memory of Oga Josiah Henryson Doherty (1866-1928) ,the scion of His Royal Majesty Oba Agbeleja of Ijero -Ekiti (reigned 1821-1866).

Oga J.H.Doherty Genealogy was traced to many generations down to Ajero Agbeleja,Ajero Afunbiokin, Ajero Eyebiokin,Ajero Okinbaloye , Ajero Ajero Ajiboye down to Ajero Atakumosa (reigned 1396-1409 A.D),Prince Otutu (a sibling of Ajero Ogbe , reigned 1376-1387 A.D), Ajero ki Osa and Olofin Oduduwa, the progenitor of Yorubas in Ile -Ife.

The exhaustive list of Oga Josiah Henryson Doherty ancestors beginning from his parents down to Olofin Oduduwa was compiled by Femi Alufa, Nigerian genealogist , history buff and publisher/CEO of Ekiti Summit News Media.

BELOW IS THE COMPLETE BIOGRAPHY OF OGA JOSIAH DOHERTY

Oga Josiah Henryson Doherty was a highly talented and successful business man in old Lagos.

He was born on the 24th of August 1866 to Mr.Henry Doherty and Madam Helena Fatoregun Doherty(nee Agbeleja)of the royal family of Ijero-Ekiti,who pioneered Christianity in Ekitiland through fierce evangelism.

Oga Doherty started the business of J.H.Doherty in 1891 and built it into an organization which extended to several major towns in Nigeria including Ibadan,Oshogbo,Lafia,Kano,Kaduna and Lokoja which was remarkable feat in those days of limited and hazardous transportation.

The name “Oga Doherty L’ Alakoro” became a household name in those days.

Oga’s base was Alakoro and his residence was the house which he built at campos square in Central Lagos Island.

This house has been marked by the Lagos State Government as a listed house which structure cannot be altered except with special permission from the Lagos State Government.

Oga Doherty ,the prince merchant of Alakoro was a self-made man who had to struggle in early years as a clerk in one of the local business concerns and began his career as a master trader in 1891.

He started with a humble establishment in the Alakoro district with a small capital of £47.Oga Doherty,with his extremely limited assets,was compelled to scrutinize the possibilities of every transaction with the minutest care and to make sure of the ground on with he would land before leaping.

Oga J.H. Doherty was gifted with enterprise and far sightedness which are so essential in competitive trade.As a result of his good business qualities,a European firm which is no longer in existence recognized him as a man of proven business apptitude and integrity.

The firm then extended to him a credit of £120 a month which they eventually increased to £4,000 a month and by means of such ample facilities,he began to build up a flourishing business in general enough capital to enable him launch out independently and in an existence scale as a direct importer.

His present large stores in Alakoro wee opened by him in 1899 and their stocks of cotton,silk goods,hardware and other merchandise contributed an important part to local trade.

According to the author,Hopkins,he notes at page 240th of his book, An Economic History of West Africa that during the three years 1899-1901, Doherty’s average net receipt from sales amounted to nearly 50,000 pounds sterling per annum.

Apart from his branch offices,Oga Doherty encouraged traders operating between Lagos and other trading centres, particularly along the creeks of Badagry,Ikorodu,Ejirin,and Epe.

An unforgettable incident occured in 1912 when a disastrous tornado caught the traders canoes over night along the creeks, resulting in great loss of lives and goods.In deep sympathy with his credit customers,Oga Doherty made a tremendous sacrifice by writing off the traders’ debts amounting to thousands of pounds and in addition, rehabilitating the survivors with fresh supply of goods on credit.

A philanthropist in nature, Oga Doherty was introduced to his relatives at Ijero-Ekiti, especially his maternal aunt, Princess Mosunmola, by his mother Madam Princess Helena Ariwoola Fatoregun Doherty.

He then fell so much in love with his aunt Mosunmola whom he showered with gifts and favours.

During Oga J.H Doherty’s visits to Ijero-Ekiti,he made many friends in the town.These friends included late Mr J.F. Dada,Late Mr.Richard Ojo and late Mr.Obasa to mention a few.

Oga also embarked on the settlement of many rifts in Ijero -Ekiti during these visits to the town.

These rifts included the pursuit for kingship of Oba Aderuku Arojojoye I (Oga’s cousin).After the successful installation of Oba Aderuku,Oga J.H Doherty roofed the palace with iron sheets and also bought him a motor car in 1924;thus making Oba Aderuku Arojojoye I to be the first king in the area to own or even ride a car.

A devout church man and legendary philanthropist,Oga J.H. Doherty as a result of the rapid spread if Christianity in Ekitiland especially Ijero-Ekiti,built a church and some houses for his mother in Ijero-Ekiti.The church was built around 1894 but came into full church existence in 1895 and was named Christ Church for Evangelism (C.C.E).

However,in later years the church became known as the “Christ Church Cathedral of the Diocese of Ekiti West.Oga J.H.

Doherty also served in the first building committee of the church in 1920 with the aim of making the church building a cathedral.

He made very generous contributions to the building.These contributions were in cash and materials. Oga’s father ,Baba Henry Ifabiyi Doherty had served as a warden of the church and had been signatory to the foundation stone document in the March 1867.

As a result of Oga’s deep love for his mother Madam Helena Fatoregun Doherty(mama Ijero),he buried her in a grand style when she died.He ensured that mama’s request of her burial at Ijero-Ekiti was granted by burying her in the premises of the C.C.E. church in Ijero-Ekiti.Oga bought a golden coffin from England which was used to bury his mother.

Oga did not attend his mother’s burial as his mother was said to have a spiritual vision in her lifetime,that her son should refrain from being present on that day.

He was however represented by close friends,wives, children, grandchildren, business associates and partners both foreign and local at a funeral service conducted by Reverend Sowunmi.

In his philiantropic mannner,Oga J.H Doherty sent out lots of gifts to the attendees.

Oga J.H. Doherty also owned a horse called “Banuso”,this horse won a lot of cups at the West African Horse Races.

When the horse died he buried it in a piece of land close to Campos Square, years later his son Chief T. A. Doherty donated this piece of land now known as Ajele Cemetery to Lagos State.

After the demise of his mother,Oga J.H. Doherty still continued to visit Ijero-Ekiti and continued to shower the people with lots of gifts.

As a result of his special love for his aunt Mosunmola, Oga J.H. Doherty in his will after his death on the 24th of March 1928, stipulated that his mother’s personal building in Ijero-Ekiti including the farmland,be given to his Aunt Mosun.

This was contained in a letter written to Aunt Mosun by Barrister Albert Akintunde Doherty on the 4th of April 1928;to this effect, leaving the building named Wakasimi Hall and the piece of land around it with the aim that the Doherty family may have a building of their own in Ijero, considering the constant visits by Oga J.H. Doherty’s sons and daughters in persons of Late High Chief Theophilus Adebayo Doherty, Late Dr. Akanni Doherty, Late Dr. Henry Aderounmu Doherty, Late Dr. Jonathan Alade Doherty, Late Mrs. Ajibabi Doherty and in recent years, Late Mrs. Louisa Alayode Ogunkua, Late Chief Mrs. Olutoyin Olakunri and a host of others.

The will of Oga J.H.Doherty, a very encompassing one, is said to be in Somerset House, London, UK.

It is common knowledge that Oga Doherty was a firm believer in formal education.To this end,he financed the formal education of many talented people in the community, besides grooming his own children for the noble task of uplifting their father land.

The social contributions made by this great man can never be quantified except to say that they have gone to the pool of progress in our national life.Oga Josiah Doherty was survived by a total of 44 children and many wives.

He died on the 24th of March 1928 at the age of 61.