Akala |
Ex-Deji Of Akure & Wife |
What could
possibly make a first class paramount ruler and the custodian of the tradition
and customs of the enlightened people of Akure, the capital of Ondo State throw
decorum and gentlemanliness, even at the height of provocation, to the wind and
engage his wife in a 'roforofo,' fight, which led to his dethronement.
First Weekly can
authoritatively reveal the missing link in this jigsaw puzzle, which has been
carefully kept away from the public since the unfortunate incident.
The ex-Deji of
Akure, Prince Oluwadare Adepoju Adesina, who was then riding really high
against the will of some powerful indigenes of Akure, including the Lisa, Chief
Davies and who had been recommended for deposition, finally nailed his own
coffin on May 30, 2011, when he personally drove himself from his palace to the
popular Hospital Road residence of his estranged wife, Olori Bolanle and
dragged her out of the house and gave her the beating of her life.
That was the last
straw that broke the camel's back, the state government decided to act fast to
avoid a total breakdown of law and order in the town as a result of the outcry
that greeted this act, so on Thursday, June 10, 2010, the almost 5-year reign
of the Deji of Akure was brought to an inglorious end as he was deposed and banished
from the town.
“The story that
had not been told is the reason behind this strange action of the cosmopolitan
man, who was then the king, having lived and worked most of his life in London,
why did he end up this way, why couldn't he keep his temper in check,” those
who claimed to know revealed to us last week.
“Without trying to
justify some of the actions of Prince Oluwadamilare Adepoju, while on the
throne, like his penchant for picking quarrels with the high and low in public,
what really irked the man was the discovery that his wife, who is now late and
should not be spoken ill of, was having an affair with a governor, who was
supposed to be his chief, his friend and benefactor.
“The romance
between Otunba Christopher Alao Akala, who was then the governor of Oyo State
and Olori Bolanle Adesina, nee Fadeyi, was something he couldn't stomach any
longer, the woman was merely supposed to be the go-between the governor and the
monarch in their business dealings, nothing more than that. It was this discovery
that drove the king to the extent he went, you can imagine, a whole king
suffering the degradation,” said an informant.
The whole thing
initially started as a rumour, but when it was finally confirmed by the person,
who was always with the olori during her visits to the governor on behalf of
the king, the king decided to challenge the olori, who had also initially
expressed her displeasure with the purported romance between Kabiyesi and one
of the wives of the late Bashorun Moshood Abiola.
She vacated the
palace on the grounds that Prince Adesina was becoming more of a stranger to
her since he started dating another woman, forgetting the fact that the man was
even married before he came back home from London to contest for the throne and
only met Bolanle during the contest and the Owo-born lady stuck with him till
he was made king and she also performed all the rites as the olori.
Our source disclosed that the path of ex-governor, Akala and the kabiyesi crossed, when a mutual friend of the king, while in London, introduced the king to Akala. The mutual friend was a close aide of the governor.
It was during the
tenure of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, and the monarch, who was not too comfortable with
the policy of the Agagu government on the Buy, Operate and Transfer policy of
the model market built in his community by the government, felt he had been
shut out of the deal as he was only guaranteed peanuts, was not happy and he
told those close to him, including the aide to former governor Akala, who
promised to facilitate a meeting between the governor and the monarch.
“When they finally
met, Akala gave the monarch a contract in Oyo State to supply bullet proof safe
and if I can recollect, the first pick was about N70 Million, this was to buy
bullet proof safes; the kabiyesi started enjoying the working arrangement and
was very visible in Ibadan, the seat of power,” a source divulged.
With time, Akala
advised the monarch to put someone close to him forward as a front as it was
not good for a whole monarch to be seen waiting for payments.
They both agreed
on the choice of Olori Bolanle and another close aide called Collins.
The monarch was to
later bestow a chieftaincy title on Alao Akala for his role in his life; he
made him the Basorun Atunluto of Akure at an elaborate ceremony in Akure Town.
Not long after
this, the visits of Olori Bolanle and Collins to Ibadan became regular to
pick-up for kabiyesi and on one of such visits, former governor Akala told his
aides to always check the olori into the presidential suites of the hotel and
put Collins in a standard room.
Our source told us
that one thing led to another and the governor started paying very late night
visits to the Olori in her hotel room, and they were reportedly all over one
another.
On one or two
occasions, Collins was heard complaining that 'ori ade will not like this kind
of arrangement,' but all fell on the deaf ears. Our source revealed that it was
Collins, who spilled the beans to his boss, kabiyesi, on the matter and since
this development, the relationship nose-dived and both men started avoiding
each other, but none could summon the courage to confront the other, either for
the king to accuse Akala of sleeping with his olori or for the governor to
accuse the kabiyesi and Collins of trying to tarnish his image.
The matter was
like this until Olori Bolanle reportedly had a strong alibi in the kabiyesi
romance with the late M.K.O Abiola's wife and hurriedly moved out of the
palace.
While the king was
grumbling about his plight, the olori was said to be unconcerned and continued
the business on her own, she was living well and even bought herself a jeep, it
was this that sparked the demon in the king to put an end to the whole matter
in his own way, which unfortunately cost him his throne.
“I can confirm to
you that the last contract she got was executed by this so-called aide of
former governor Akala and one Femi Babalola, Jogor, a politician, who is said
to be interested in the seat of power in the state,” said an insider.
Jogor was the consultant,
Olori Bolanle was to have made a cool N10 Million from the deal, but on her
dying bed, she was told the money accruable to her was N6M, the Olori was not
happy, but she could do very little from her sick bed, but we understand she
told her family to make sure they collect the difference of N4M in case of any
eventuality.
“You cannot cheat
the dead, so if these Akala men have conscience, they will come and do what is
right before it is late,” a source maintained.
(c) FirstWeekly Magazine
(c) FirstWeekly Magazine