PERSPECTIVE: When Royal Father (Professor) Ambushed Buhari’s Ex-Special Adviser

BY OLALERE FAGBOLA

WHERE military strategy rules an environment, it is often a fulcrum upon which attire an ambush is masterminded for attacks and it’s always the common language spoken by the military who are usually on offensive mission.

Unlike a Hollywood or Nollywood movie where actors die in one episode and resurrect in another one dramatically, ambush is not such a parody crafted as same bedfellow with riddles and jokes.

But the last time I noticed the word: “ambush” stealing publicly into our socio-political vocabulary was in 1998 when the media reported that top notchers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ambushed General Olusegun Obasanjo at his Otta farm to present him presidential ticket to contest on a platter of gold.

Sensing that it would be an uphill task wooing the war general to pick interest in the 1999 presidential race, and particularly as the PDP was not disposed to exposing its joker and winning strategy for the race to political opponents, the PDP chieftains paid unscheduled visit to Obasanjo’s farm and persuaded him to join the party and carry the party’s banner.

Emerging from the meeting with the party stalwarts, Chief Obasanjo described their unscheduled visit and mission to his farm as an ambush, even though it was devoid of attack which is peculiar to such field operation.

This was exactly the nature of what similarly and pleasantly played out last week at Origbo Community High School, Ipetumodu, playground where Femi Adesina was ambushed.

It all happened at the venue of this year’s annual Ipetumodu Day Celebration which witnessed His Royal Majesty, the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba (Professor) Joseph Olugbenga conferring on Femi Adesina, the coveted chieftaincy title of Oluomo of Ipetumodu (The Prima inter Pares) amid pomp and pageantry.

It turned out to be double honour for him as the League of Veteran journalists, Osun State also decorated the former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity with the league’s Merit Award for his commitment to the pursuit of Excellence in Professional Journalism.
That he was conferred with the Oluomo of Ipetumodu chieftaincy title on Ipetumodu Day was strategically driven to lure Adesina to attend the function, as it is obligatory for illustrious sons and daughters of Ipetumodu to attend it, particularly as this year’s annual anniversary was intended to raise N500m appeal fund for building of Apetumodu Ultra-modern palace.

According to the master of ceremony for the Ipetumodu Day, Oba (Professor) Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede heard it on good authority that Femi Adesina was not given to accepting honourary or chieftaincy titles and may not attend the Ipetumodu day, if he had fore knowledge or any inkling of an Oluomo title waiting in the wing for him.

With the royal institution adjudging him fit for the title of the Oluomo of the ancient town, Oba (Professor) Oloyede and key members of the community kept their plan secret, even as it was strategically not listed on the programme of the Ipetumodu Day.

Trust Veteran journalists who are experts in sniffing news and having penchant for scoops, they appeared to have caught wind of the plan to bestow honour on Adesina but could not confirm the nature of award by which Adesina was going to be decorated.
Just at the beginning of the programme, the League was invited to present its award to Adesina and leading the team was the Chairman of the veterans, Prince Adesupo Atobatele who officially admitted the former Spokesman of the Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari into the league as a honourary life member and presented him with a certificate of Merit in recognition of his laudable achievements.

With the stage set for the surprise package, Oba Olugbenga Oloyede recalled, with joy, how Femi Adesina had used his good offices to facilitate the choice of Ipetumodu as the location for citing and building of the multimillion naira and Ultra-modern 80-bed multi-purpose hospital. He added pointedly that he was conferring the title of Oluomo of Ipetumodu on Femi Adesina in recognition of his many contributions to the development of the ancient town.

It was thunderous ovation that rent the air amid booming of dane guns by traditional hunters who fired intermittently to the sky, even as drummers and acrobatic dancers celebrated Adesina, punctuating the royal speech with applause.

According to Apetumodu, the hospital which he described as “second to none” has been fully equipped and furnished with modern health gadgets to serve not only the locality but its environs as well as passersby Ibadan-Ife Express Way and the state entirely.

Oba Oloyede then appealed to the Osun State government to ensure commencement of operation in the hospital.

Among very important dignitaries who witnessed the occasion was the Yeyeluwa of Ede, Dr. (Mrs) Modupe Adeleke-Sanni who was the Mother of the Day.

Barely few weeks to the time, Adesina bowed out of office honourably as the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, he had begun to be vindicated. Judging from comments now referring to the patriotic way in which he handled his immediate constituency (the Press) with fairness, not stifling press freedom in any way, even in spite of all vitriolic attacks on his Principal, it is certain that history has begun to absolve him.

In an open letter written to Bayo Onanuga by Richard Akinnola, he stated that it was remarkable that, Femi Adesina, as Special Adviser, Media and publicity to the President, did not petition against any media throughout his tenure.

Let the golden words of Fidel Castro, in his historic speech,”HISTORY WILL ABSOLVE ME” continue to serve Chief Femi Adesina, the Olu-Omo of Ipetumodu.

“To those who would call me a dreamer, I quote the words of Marti: “A true man does not seek the path where advantage lies, but rather the path where duty lies, and this is the only practical man whose dream of today will be the law of tomorrow, because he who has looked back on the upheaval of history and has seen civilisation going up in flames, crying out in bloody struggle, throughout the centuries, knows the future well-being of man, without exception, lies on the side of duty.”

• The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not represent the opinions or views of OSUN DEFENDER.