The Giant of the Red Earth: An Eulogy for Isaac Oguntona Akanbi and a Salute to True Fatherhood

Fatherhood is not merely a biological title; it is an architectural assignment. It is the silent, unyielding scaffolding that holds the family structure together long before the world notices the building. On this special day, as the world pauses to celebrate the profound impact of fathers, I look beyond the generic words of celebration to anchor my thoughts on a towering archetype of strength, patience, and integrity—my father, ‘Isaac Oguntona Akanbi’, who remains my hero even in death.

To use my father as a point of contact for all fathers is to celebrate the quiet laborers, the men who cultivate the earth with sweat so their children can walk on gold, and the patriarchs who pass down the inheritance of an uncompromised name.

He was a master of fields, a layer of bricks, and an unyielding bastion of communal truth. His story is one of relentless patience, waiting through years of silent harvest before his cradle was blessed. Below is a poetic monument to his memory—a testament to the iron he placed in my veins, and a clarion call to all fathers standing as mountains for their generations.

THE GIANT OF THE RED EARTH
(In Memory of Isaac Oguntona Akanbi: The Scribe’s Root)
The Tallest Tree in the Forest
You walked among men like a mountain in motion,
With the fierce heart of a lion and a father’s fierce devotion.
Isaac Oguntona—a name carved deeply into generational stone,
The bravest of leaders our ancient villages have ever known.
A giant in physical stature, a titan in the quiet of his soul,
Whose hands kept the broken pieces of our communal history whole.
You did not bow to shadows; you did not negotiate with fear,
A steady compass for everyone who drew near.

The Harvest of Radiant Patience
For years your fields were fertile, heavy with corn and yam,
Yet the cradle remained still beneath the silent firmament.
But you did not curse the night, nor did your faith grow cold,
You bowed your head to the Heavenly Will, supreme and bold.
A masterful farmer of crops, a meticulous layer of brick,
A merchant of timeless wisdom when the shadows of life were thick.
In due season, success became your garment, and truth your open shield,
A warrior on the fields of life who would never retreat, and never yield.

The Inheritance of Iron
Behold, I am the living seed of your long-awaited spring,
The son of the giant, the child of an uncrowned King.
From your stride, I learned that a man must permanently stand tall,
Though the foundations of the world tremble and the heavy heavens fall.
I inherited your bravery, your unwavering, prophetic tongue,
The ancient, sacred songs of the truthful that you always sung.
The world cannot break what your hands fashioned in me,
A branch of honor from a deeply rooted, ancestral tree.

The Unflinching Voice
Like you, my father, I speak truth though the powerful bitterly frown,
I care absolutely nothing for cheap horses, for transient status, or a hollow crown.
Akanbi, your royal blood is the active fire burning in my veins,
The grit of the laborer, the heavy hammer of the breaker of chains.
You waited for me patiently through the quiet, unyielding years,
Conquering the silent doubts, wiping away the unsaid tears.
And now, through the ink of my pen and the stride of my life,
Your timeless greatness appears, conquering the night.

Sleep on, Great Giant of the Red Earth, until the morning breaks.

David Alani Ige (The Scribe) is a Public Affairs Commentator, and Strategic Media Consultant. Phunshor01@gmail.com | Igboho, Oyo State, Nigeria.