By Sola Ajisafe, Esq.
" Eni ta ara ile re ni opo, ko le ri ra ni owon". ( Whoever sells his family for a cheap price will later not get him back at a higher price) - Yoruba proverb.
The internet got busy yesterday when a statement credited to Hon. Bola Ilori went viral. Specifically it expressed some views and highlighted very salient facts unknown to many people. I guess it's important to bring out the issues.
One, that himself and the leader of the "Red Berets" Dipo Okeyomi ( Carry Go) campaigned and voted for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to become Nigerian President as against the opposing position of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola former Governor and serving Minister under Asiwaju's predecessor who brought him to political limelight and made him what he is today. He informed us that "Aketi and his people", ( including Lucky Ayedatiwa who is now the new Super Tuccano) worked against Asiwaju "during the primaries" in support of Fayemi". I guess Aketi had a change of mind during the main elections but his wife (Betty the Ada Owerri) worked for her Peter Obi from Igbo land. He however failed to tell us who their politically beloved son Babajide worked for to complete the circle.
During the President visit, our dear "Honourable" Bola Ilori, made a historical visit to Owo ( I doubt if he ever stepped a foot on that soil.when Aketi was alive ) where Mr. President was so overwhelmed and " was openly excited" to see him after a long time. This fact I remembered was well celebrated by the "Lukyists" like an Olympic medal because a survivor of the Aketi years ol " terror, intimidation and humiliation" has come to celebrate at his graveside to say " Arakunrin, I survived you. Poor you and what a pity"?
He reminded us of the draconian nature of the Team Aketi and asked the "remnants", who are you defending or what is left of you and your legacy? What I don't know is if Lucky, the Agagu's, the Saka Yusuf of this world, the Lola Fagbemis, etc, are still proud members of the Team Aketi or are included in the identified remnants according to " Honourable" Bola Ilori.
It does not matter if a Deola Laguda is of the view that " a dead Aketi is worth much more than a living " Honourable " Bola Ilori. He tried to paint a picture of an opportunist who has come to town to share in the loot that is the " State's resources" which Aketi denied him. He went further to impress on us that our "Honourable" is a liar, because he excused himself from Ogbeni's infamy during the Presidential election in the State of Osun just as did Peter to our Lord Jesus Christ during his trying period. Deola, held the view that "Honourable" Bola Ilori cannot be trusted nor relied upon. He gave him out as having a use and dump mentality. Now that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has lost out both in Lagos, State of Osun and with Asiwaju ( Bourdilon and the Villa), Bola Ilori has found his own level in Ayedatiwa or that he has finally returned home " as Omowale" like Walter Carrington the former American Ambassador to Nigeria during the Abacha years. The disobedience which Bola Ilori celebrated in his post was what made Deola Laguda to paint him as an ingrate, a betrayer, an opportunist and a snitch. I doubt the above characterisations. I don't know of you.
Our Honourable Bola Ilori has declared as a matter of finality that "it is over for the Aketi Team because a new Sheriff is in town. A saviour has come to Alagbaka. Everyone in the boat or the biblical Noah's Ark is "Lucky" to escape the impending Armageddon. A Lucky is "at he head of the Table". You better come to dinner fast.
For me, those who tend to blame Bola Ilori are technically unfair and has done a disservice to him. Bola did not hide the fact that before and during the "reign" of Aketi in Alagbaka that they were not the best of friends just like he was to Prof. Boroffice, D.I Kekemeke, Ade.Adetimehin, Lola Fagbemis, late Prof. Ademodi and many more. He said this much with the way he lampooned ( I don't know whether he lied) against Aketi and his legacy in his post.
The question is, whose duty is it to set the record straight? I may be wrong but I would think, Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa has a historical responsibility and an ideological standpoint to protect the known legacy of Akeredolu. Even if it is just this once. His Chief Press Secretary and those unsullied irritants masquerading as something around the corridor of power should have woken up to understand the fact that " an attack on the legacy of Aketi is an attack on the legacy of Ayedatiwa". At least, we heard of joint ticket at a pint in time. Now that Lucky is Governor the issue of joint ticket dies as long as it serves their fancy. When it is good, there was a joint ticket, but when it is unfavourable, let Aketi carry his dead. That is the unwritten law now in Alagbaka.
Deola, the writer warned those who care to know when he said " if Bola Ilori can quickly deny or boast of disobeying Aregbesola who made him a Commissioner in Osun State, then those he is hailing today should watch their back". The guy owes me an apologia. I have said this consistently in my writings and on radio. Any man who can betray his benefactor or his blood will not waste too much time in sacrificing you. Here, I see a link between Lucky and his new friend. Did Lucky not betray Aketi by throwing him to the wolves, the hawks and the political vultures? He did.
Let me remind Deola Laguda that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola did everything to make Bola Ilori whatever he is today just like Aketi did for Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa who may not have become anything politically more than his BDC business. "
"Honourable"Bola Ilori with his NAFDAC mark, would have been just any other person on the street of Lagos. But through Aregbesola, he found fame and fortune how much of that he had brought to bear on his people is a contentious issue.
Last line: Tomorrow I will be doing something on Aketi Eternal which signals my last write-up about what I feel about the life and times of Akeredolu and the way he was treated by friends and foes when he needed them most. I hope to drop my pen on him to allow the matter rest until we mark his first year transition. By then, I hope to have put something permanently on paper with other like minds. By then, the political space of Ondo State would have changed more positively from this season of anomie. So long.
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