By Oluwakemi Ishola
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo, on Thursday, said he appealed to Senator Rasheed Ladoja to reconcile with duo of late High Chief Lamidi Adedibu and Chief Yekinni Adeojo but the former governor refused and he suffered the dire consequences.
Obasanjo made this disclosure at the launching of former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala’s book – Amazing Grace, at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan.
Recall that the frosty relationship between Ladoja and his erstwhile godfather led to the impeachment of former governor. He came reinstated after 11 months outside the state.
Chief Obasano while reacting to page 140 of the book, said “You pointed out on page 140 that Ladoja picked up a quarrel with me for reason of a non-existent third term. I didn’t know that Ladoja picked up a quarrel that his becoming governor was due to the grace of God and major contributions of two people- Yekinni Adeojo from whom the party structure was wretched and Chief Adedibu who spearheaded the whole programme.
“I pleaded with him to make accommodation for them both. He told me that they were all Ibadan people and they knew how to deal with themselves. He subsequently proved himself right as they dealt with themselves and he, Ladoja, came out the worse for it.
“Adebayo, I must thank you for weaving my school life with my uncle, Chuef Gabriel Otunla, my Physics and Chemistry teacher at the Baptist Boys’ High School, BBHS, Abeokuta on page 387. Without him, none of us at the school at that time, including MKO you mentioned, would have studied any science subject other than biology. When Chief Otunla returned from Manchester University, he changed our situation drastically and our lived were enriched and we were all better for it. Maybe in thanking God for Mr. Otunla, I should also thank you for Chief Otunla being your uncle or thank Chief Otunla for being your uncle.
“I wonder how you come on page 390 of your book to blame or criticise me for dividing the Ibadan-Ilorin Road to three sections for reconstruction during my second term so that it could be expeditiously completed. You had a full term plus one year from Governor Ladoja’s tenure as Governor and even up till today the roads are not completed and you believe honestly that in your biography, I should be blamed at least thirteen years after l have left office. As and Ogbomosho man, I can understand how important that road is to you. But when I took the steps which I took for the road to be expeditiously handled, it was not for your interest as an Ogbomosho man but for the economic life of Nigeria and it is tragic that the artery road is in the sorry state it is today.
“Bayo, I will not say much on the issue of Muraina and Mukaila for Speaker of House of Representatives as reported on page 391 as you out it, “I sinned against this man once and that has marred our fantastic relationship”. The story as you out it down is not correct. You proposed Muraina for the work and we all accepted him for South-West and we started to work. As a result, the then National Vice-Chairman, Alhahi Tajudeen Oladipo, wrote to the then Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Haliru Muhammed Bello, on 12 May 2011 to put Muraina forward. I got a copy of that chairman as chair of BOT of PDP. It was unbelievable for me to hear you later surreptitiously started prompting Mukaila, a lady from Ogbomosho, and you had started working behind the scene for her without coming back to tell me what had changed and why, nor go back to the South-West caucus. Iwo lo pe ole ko wa jawa, Iwo lope oloko ko wa so oko. That, to me, is duplicity and I don’t play such a game. Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo told me later the game that was played and in the end you and the South West were the losers. But you have apologized and I have forgiven, and, of course, I am here. This book has also passed into history,” he added.
