My first encounter with you was in 2010 when late uncle Segun Adetayo of blessed memory brought me to your Oluyole residence to introduce me to you and to seek your support for my state House of Assembly ambition.
Your words to Late Uncle Segun was that “this is the third aspirant you are bringing to me from your constituency, who among them do you want me to support” and he said to you “this is the best candidate out of all. The two that I brought earlier seek to see you through me but I bring Niyi to you personally for your endorsement”.
You asked what was my qualification and what do I do presently then which i told you. You were elated about a young man like me doing well in his career and your further response was that “he has no problem, he is even a son of our leader at the state level so he has my support”. There are few of your supporters in the house that day, waiting to be part of your entourage to a party member function somewhere in Ibadan and i can not forget all the jokes you cracked with them and how you made all of us laughed, this actually change my perception of your personality base on how people actually described you outside and i guess without knowing you.
My second encounter with you was in 2011 when Bisola your daughter was employed as a GM in a shipping company in Apapa belonging to Dantata and upon her resumption she was changing all the vendors currently being used by the company. At that time I was also a GM of an insurance company and the Insurance company that I worked for was in charge of all their insurance policies. So one day their head of Administration/HR told me that Bisola will likely replace my company too because that is what she’s doing to every other vendors they have, the head of finance accidentally came to the head of Admi/HR office and he corroborated what madam earlier told me but the smart finance guy knowing that i am into politics and I am an aspirant in Oyo state said “are you not from Oyo State, this our new GM must be a daughter of one of your Oyo Guber aspirants named Ajimobi” and I said really, he answered affirmatively. I told them to leave the rest for me.
I called Mr. Olubodun the then Ajimobi’s Personal Assistant to ask if any of oga children bears the name Bisola, he said yes and ask what is the problem, i asked further if he knows where she works, he said she works in a company at Apapa, Lagos but he can’t remember the name of the company. I briefed him the problem I am about to have with her and that I wanted to come and discuss it with oga before it is too late. Egbon Olubodun advised me to act fast and that he would have preferred that i meet and even discuss this with her mother.
I called my Dad reluctantly to narrate my story to him and see if he can help reach out to Senator Ajimobi. I said reluctantly because my father would hardly call anyone for help right from our school days, everything must be on merit, he is not going to see even his friend so that you can get admission into a school or whatever, he is an unrepentant disciplinarian but after a lot of questioning about the services my company has rendered to Bisola’s company and he found out I didn’t do anything wrong, he agreed to talk to Senator Ajimobi. After he spoke to Senator Ajimobi, my dad told me that Ajimobi requested that I come and see him on a particular Sunday so I left Lagos to see him at his Oluyole residence.
There are so many people when I got to his house so on sighting me and after I greeted him respectfully, he held my hand and took me to another inner and more classy living room where some four men were already sitted. He sat down and asked me to tell him what happened again and as I started explaining, he asked me to sit down which I refused and asked respectfully to let me stand. After my explanation, he grab his phone and called Bisola, he said to her what I explained and he said further that I am a son of one of his political leaders and that he would want her to retain my company once the company services has been acceptable in the past and up to date, he asked Bisola when can I come and see her and she gave a date. I prostrated flat with my chest on the floor thanking him for his effort in helping me secure an account i thought i have lost.
On getting out of Ajimobi’s house, i put a call to my MD sharing the good news of retaining the account with him, he responded “fantastic, you did a good job”. Whether my company was retained or not is a story for another day.
My third encounter with you was in 2011 when you called me over the phone to seek my professional advice on your wife’s stolen car as per the amount the insurance company offered you being a comprehensively insured vehicle.
Other several encounters were during the governorship campaigns to Oke Ogun region and i remembered vividly while you are at my local government and you pay homage to my Dad, I was the first person you asked for as you alight the white Toyota Hiace bus, you said Niyi nko meaning where is Niyi.
You became the governor of Oyo state and you change the face of governance for better, you set standards in all tiers of governments, government was effectively ran and was better for it.
I remember when you set the standard for who becomes your Caretaker Chairman that he/she must be a college graduate. You epitomizes quality, standard, discipline and the way you have ran Oyo state government showed your outstanding finesse and creativity.
You respected and listened to my Dad’s words of admonition whenever he talks to you, you liked my Dad and you never hide it to people who wage war against him politically. Your death is very painful to him as it is to us. We still mourn you, it is still like a dream, i still talk about you in present tense as if you are still here.
I love you personally before your death and even in death.
May your soul rest peacefully my koseleri Governor.
Niyi Adekola From New Jersey
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