Tunji Adeoye: The uncompensated Titan, like Adeoye like Mabaje
By MARUFH BELLO
In my article titled Mákindé, Dividends of 2019 Guber Alliance & the Long Wait, published by City Hill News and Oyo Insight on 13 November, 2020, I wrote and quote, “I hope Engr Mákindé will not let Prince Adeoye have the same experience that Dr Abdulrauf Adetoyese Mabaje had in the hands of Senator Ajimobi (now also late) in the name of bias, prejudice…” See the article here:
https://cityhillnews.com.ng/makinde-dividends-of-2019-guber-alliance-the-long-wait/
What was the experience of Dr Mabaje? You may wish to ask. Dr Mabaje was part of the very strong team that pulled down the government of Otunba Christopher Adebayo Àlàó-Akala when the power drunkenness of the regime reached a boiling point. Dr Mabaje and a few others pulled out of PDP and formed what was called Reformed PDP in 2010 which was used to send the government of Otunba Àlàó-Akala parking. Unfortunately, the leadership of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) then, before they merged with CPC and ANPP to become APC, including our late father and former governor of Oyo State, Great Lam (Alhaji Làmídì Onaolapo Adesina), Chief Akin Oke, Dr Busari Adebisi and late Governor Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi betrayed Dr Mabaje —he and his team did not benefit a dime, not a single position from the regime of Senator Ajimobi and in the middle of the disappointment and frustration, Dr Mabaje passed on before the end of the first term of late Senator Ajimobi. I keep the rest of the details till a later date.
The experience of Prince Tunji Adeoye, now late, under the governorship of Engr Seyi Mákindé, was not different from the brief story I narrated above. Prince Adetunji Adeoye teamed up, crisscrossed the five zones of Oyo State despite he had a bad leg (broken ankle), wooed political juggernauts and campaigned for Engr Mákindé to occupy the seat of Oyo governorship. Prince Adeoye, the true son of Iba Oluyole, did not collect a dime despite the popularised acclaimed stupendous wealth of Engr Mákindé, and thank God Prince Adeoye said this before he died and there has never been a refutal of the disclosure by Prince Adeoye till today, even from Governor Mákindé himself.
Subsequent to that public disclosure by Prince Adeoye, Governor Mákindé paid an unscheduled visit to Prince Adeoye’s residence at Apata, Ibadan, in October 2020. The governor’s unscheduled visit was deliberate because Prince Adeoye, out of his transparent disposition, would’ve invited few of his loyal followers, including the writer of this piece. As soon as the governor left, Prince Adeoye put a call across to me and briefed me about what he discussed with the governor. That’s Prince Adeoye who meant a lot to me, a leader like no other!
So, I expressed in the above quoted article that I didn’t trust anything would come from the visit of Engr Seyi Mákindé then and the prophesy has come to pass. Prince Adetunji Adeoye died without any compensation for his selfless service to the state, particularly from our leaders in power, let alone his followers whose names had been submitted several times for patronages and nothing has happened till Baba passed on. What’s the fate of these followers now?
Like Mabaje like Adeoye; Mabaje and Adeoye were true progressive sons of Ibadan whom I can vouch for and defend anytime. They were real. They were political Titans; they were my leaders and fathers, they were both from Foko, Ibadan, including myself, they both sincerely worked for two governors of Oyo State —Senator Ajimobi and Engr Mákindé and they were both denied the benefits of their hard labour in their lifetimes. Can somebody tell me their offences? Can one be convinced that it wasn’t the burden of a disappointed heavy heart that showed them their graves at a time they were mostly needed. Omo orukan ku iroju!
I came close to Prince Adetunji Adeoye, octogenarian, in 2017/2018 during the preparation for the 2019 elections. Those few years have been exceptional and exemplary and I’ve found a leader like no other in Prince Adeoye.
My novel, Kabana Republic (The Land of Hurricane) published and launched on 24 September, 2016 endeared me more to Prince Adeoye. Having read the novel, he fell in love with it and declared it was a kind of book that addresses a lot of ills and rots in the Nigerian state. He faithfully acknowledged that Kabana Republic is a book Nigerians need at this moment. I remember a time in November, 2020, when he called me to commend the book after discussing it and its usefulness on Ray Power FM, Ibadan.
He sincerely desired to promote the book but those holding sway and are in charge of governance in trust for the people would not support such a cause, an intellectual work. In 2020, Prince Adeoye wrote a letter to the Governor Makinde’s political office holders —the SUBEB chairman, Dr Nureni Adeniran, and the Commisioner for Education, Mr Olasunkanmi— appealing to them to adopt the book and order for its free distribution to secondary schools in the state. The letters were received and acknowledged at the offices. But since 24 February, 2020 that the letters have been received, there is no response till date.
Prince Adeoye, soon after swearing-in on 29 May, 2019, compiled the list of those who worked with him to get Governor Mákindé into power and those he (Adeoye) believed could help deliver good governance to the people of Oyo State and forwarded the list to the Governor’s Office via Chief Lukman Bisi Ilaka, the Chief of Staff to Governor Mákindé. As the media secretary of the Prince Adeoye’s political group and personal writing and media aide to Prince Adeoye, I was to write and prepare the official documents of the group and prince’s. In fact, I delivered some of these documents and letters to the Governor’s Office via the CSO’s Office. But very sad that till this moment none of these letters or recommended qualified individuals has been attended to nor considered for any appointment into Governor Mákindé’s administration.
As soon as Governor Mákindé was sworn-in, Prince Adeoye, out of his innocent belief and trust that Governor Mákindé would be Omoluabi in power, he (Adeoye) engaged me to write and prepare documents/proposals to help the government take off, deliver and end well. I wrote a number of papers and few of them were passed through Mr Dare Adeleke, the present chairman of Pacesetter Transportation Service (PTS), whom Prince Adeoye trusted so much that he would get the attention of the governor through him (Adeleke) in case the governor was “too busy” to get his attention. Too trusting and forgiving an elder statesman, Prince Adeoye was abandoned. And I could remember how close was Mr Adeleke to Prince Adeoye, that was before the 2019 election anyway. Situation changed after the swearing-in of our governor —both the governor, Mr Adeleke and others who were close to Prince Adeoye pre-election and are now in government turned their back to the extremely selfless and forward looking Adeoye.
Prince Adeoye was so transparent that he discussed with me vitually every matter and issue of Oyo State and national interest. My leader and father would reveal his innermost feelings to me whenever I was with him or on phone. Sometimes, daddy, as I fondly called him, would call me and speak for about 30 minutes on phone. I remember last year when Governor Seyi Mákindé (GSM) sent three bags of rice and turkey (3) to Baba for Christmas and New Year, 2020/2021. I was not with him when that consignment was delivered but daddy called me at night that same day to inform me about it. That was the first time I could remember GSM sent such gifts to Prince Adeoye after the 2019 governorship election. To my surprise when I got to daddy about three weeks after the 2021 new year celebration, he offered me three congos of rice (3 kgs) from the new year gifts from our governor.
Anytime I was with him, he would be making one effort or the other to make sure his followers and supporters got something from the government or elsewhere. He was just concerned about the welfare of his people, not necessarily for his children, siblings or himself. Daddy would always reveal his mind to me.
That was the burden he carried in his heart till he breathed his last and was committed to the mother earth on Friday, 19 February, 2021.
When we launched our online newspaper, City Hill News, in late 2020, he was happy; he embraced it and encouraged us to move on because he knew I stand for what’s right anytime any day. I remember some members of our group raised an eye browl when I published the article Mákindé, Dividends of 2019 Guber Alliance & the Long Wait and I put a call across to daddy calling his attention to the write-up. He simply told me, “Is what you wrote false?” He told me he read it and it was nothing but the truth. There was also an episode when some members of our political group lied against me. Daddy didn’t hide his feelings; he attacked me straight on but he later realised the information he got about me wasn’t true, and that unfounded allegation marked the beginning of the very strong trusted father-son relationship I had with daddy till he passed on.
That was Prince Adeoye, the leader like no one I lost on the 19th of February, 2021 and his 8th day Fidau held on the 26 instant.
On the 26th of February, 2021, I expected our governor, His Excellency, Governor Mákindé, to pay his last respect to our loving great leader but my expectation was foul —GSM didn’t attend the Fidau personally, although I saw three to four people from his cabinet and PDP, namely Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, the Commissioner for Information, Culture & Tourism, Dr Nureni Adeniran, the SUBEB chairman, Engr Akeem Olatunji (PDP’s state publicity Secretary), Asiwaju Adekola Adeoye (PDP’s state Youth Leader and the deceased’s son), Chief Bisi Ilaka, Chief of Staff to Governor Mákindé and Dr Saka Balogun who came very early before the programme started at all. Other dignitaries such as Chief Nureni Akanbi, the Arole of Ile Iba and younger brother to the deseaced, Chief Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, Chief Lowo Obisesan (though came very late around 2pm) and Chief Tajudeen Adeniyi (ATU), the caretaker chairman of Ibadan West LCDA were also at the Fidau.
Very early in the morning on the day of the 8th day Fidau, a jingle was played on Lagelu FM by the state office of PDP to echo the transition prayer. Also, a son of our late revered leader confided in me that GSM sent in some cash for the burial of Prince Adeoye. However, Yoruba would say bi a se peju sinku ti a ba peju be toju alare, o le ma ku meaning as we were present at the funeral rites of a deceased if we were present like that when he was ill, he might not have died. From the present Oyo State Government under Engr Seyi Mákindé, Prince Adeoye deserved more than he had got and ought to be honoured as a great hero. It’s a pity that these days those who had engaged in shady and unclean deals to amass wealth are now regarded as heroes. We’ve lost our value system of yore!
As far as I know and as one of the closest aides to daddy, he lived with a heavy heart during his last moment, thinking and feeling terribly bad that he was unable to fulfil his dream of letting his people reap the fruits of their labour. Prince Abdulrahamon OreOluwakitan Aremu Adetunji Adeoye, a fearless veteran journalist, a former reporter with the Nigerian Tribune, younger brother to late Chief Làmídì Ariyibi Adedibu and elder brother to Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja passed away with such a great burden and boredom in his heart. However, he can still be honoured in death.
Didun ni iranti olododo, yoo si ma be titi ayeraye! Prince Adeoye lives on; he continues to live on and in some of us who sincerely and strongly believe in his philosophy, ideals and principles.
*Marufh Bello is a journalist, book editor, publisher, public affairs analyst & rights advocate.*
