BY Mashood Erubami
I must begin my fraternal tributes as a jolly Compatriot to a man that I had related with for years as a young lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Attorney General and First and Second time Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Odunayo Akeredolu fondly called “AKETI”.
Our relationship dated back to his University days at the University of Ife.. He was very close to Wole Adelakun, the junior brother of the then “Eruobodo” Busari Adelakun who was a commissioner under Chief Bola Ige of blessed memory.
Each time, Wole with whom he attended University of Ife ( Now Obafemi Awolowo University) came to visit me, Aketi will come along to visit me at “ATISCO” road at the back of Loyola College, Okebadan area, Ibadan.
Through this acquaintance, we became good friends and later met to glue tighter when I joined him with Sir Folu Olamiti, the then Editor with Nigeria Tribune to establish a Pro Democracy Group known and called the Social Justice Movement ( SJM).
We usually meet at the Samayowa Hotel Onireke road, Dugbe Ibadan.
We were both rabid advocates of the struggle for the liberation of the Poor from the sway of the Oppressed and for Socialist development of Nigeria.
He was then the Publicity Secretary of the Social Justice Movement, while I was the Vice Chairman under the Presidency of Folu Olamiti.
That time, I was a very difficult person to those who do not believe in socialist reconstruction of the society.
I was very precise about the positivity of Marxism’s route to elevating humanity.
This made me to also join forces with the late Comrade Ola Oni where I started learning deeper Leninism and Marxism which also took me into labour Unionism and Civil Society entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
I will need to say here that Wednesday the 27th of year 2023 was to have been a black and sorrowful day in the lives of those who know AKETI and have come across Rotimi, Odunayo Akeredolu but given the live he lived, the achievements he made and left behind after his demise, his death was considered a debt that we all owe which we would all pay eventually.
Right now, the family of APC in Ondo State and throughout Nigeria would have started missing the very intelligent, brave and conscientious Son of Odua who answered the call of the Lord by disembarking from the Bus of life at his own dedicated bus stop.
His death was shocking to me though, as I never expected him to died at this time after our fervent prayers to God to help us spare his life.
For those who knew us as friends, it is very well known that we have been praying for his survival from the ailments that he has been labeled to be suffering from.
I Never thought his death would come at this time, we all love him but God loves him most. Still, I believe he is in a better place now.
HIS lifestyle was a great one. Thank God that we came across and interconnected.
We will surely miss his love. Oluwarotimi Odunayo , he was born great and he established that.
To live in the hearts of those he loved while alive and love him in return is to live forever. If we now accept that he lives on, his death is a joyful exit !
In all of his life endeavors, either as an Attorney General in Ondo State, the National President of the Nigerian Bar Association, or a two terms Governor in Ondo State, he delivered on his roles as a great Nigerian and MOST PROUDLY an Owo Indigenes.
Since his protracted sickness, we were not able to do much especially given the nature of his ailments and Governatorial position.
We nonetheless, organized constant prayers for him and used the Facebook regularly to call on people from all walks of life to join us in prayers for his quick recovery.
Man was however proposing but God is there disposing !
He was a perfect gentleman revolutionarily courageous but soft spoken, a Cerebral, learned and very deep Comrade!
Until the death of Rotimi Odunayo, we were in touch and could easily hear about his fairing in sickness through my dear revolutionary brother, Dr Oladoyin Odebowale, the High Priest!
According to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he reminded us that ” In a challenging moment of our statehood when marauding agents of darkness spread their tentacles across our country, Rotimi was a strong voice in the wilderness calling us to rethink our security architecture so we can have a more secure nation.
His unrelenting advocacy led to the birth of the local police in the South West.”
In the cause of building a new security infrastructures in the Southwest, when it was becoming so dangerous to live in peace in the states of the Southwest, Rotimi along with the Dawn Commission Initiated the idea of the Southwest Security Network and I was working with him on the sideline.
I first discovered when the Security Network was publicly launched but not legally enabled and I quickly wrote to the Governor with suggested structures.
He imbibed my suggestions and quickly called on other Governor’s and that led to the creation of the legal enablement of the Network while every missing link was put back, My Compatriot Wale Fapohunda the Attorney General from Ekiti state led in that order.
Aketi abhors Selfishness and Self centeredness and lived Selflessnessly till he breathed his last!
He lived the life of a Hero in government, stood against oppression, stood by the weak, the less privileged and the poor.
HIS concerns for the People of Ondo State and many of the people he met including his Clients were unequaled. !
I cannot but shed tears hearing of his untimely death !
Rotimi Akeredolu remained a great man till death as he got to the height of every endeavor he laid his hands on, achieving dying after and over livelihood!
He became a Governor and completed his first term and contested for second last term but got down from the Bus of governance at an unexpected age of 67, a year below mine, having paid the debt he owed humanity. what a pity?
He did what his colleagues Governors could not attempt doing for fear of repercussions of reaping what others are afraid of. A courageous collosus with a caring heart for others.
Like every personality that God said must have provided for him, he provided food for the hungry, water for the thirsty and clothing for the naked. He set the route for his Deputy to become Governor after him, having single handedly picked him as his running mate. This is where his being lucky, coming with a good life (Aiyemisan ) and granted life for themselves (Ayiedatiwa) came to bear and become prophetic !
May Almighty God grant him eternal rest; may he forgive his sins and may his good works and exemplary life earn him a place in Paradise.
Goodnight. AKETI….Adieu.
SIGNED: Comrade Mashood Erubami, President Coalition for Democracy in Nigeria CODIN.
