- What I told Obasanjo when he blamed me for Bola Ige’s murder
Elder statesman and former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande was on his way to Osogbo after a trip to the United Kingdom when Muyiwa Ige broke the news of his father’s death.
Chief Bola Ige was killed on December 23, 2001.
Akande, in his book, ‘My Participations’, recalled that he was received at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport by a team of top officials from Osun State, including his Attorney-General, Dr Yemi Adedeji and Sola Akinwumi, the Secretary to the State Government.
He drove in his car with Akinwumi and they headed for Osogbo via the old road from Ibadan, passing Iwo.
They had passed Iwo and were getting close to Osogbo when Akinwumi’s phone rang.
It was Muyiwa Ige that was on the other end.
“Akinwumi was just shouting Ah! Ah! Ah!! Then, the line went off,” Akande recalled.
He continued: “’Uncle Bola has been killed!’ Akinwumi announced flatly when he finally gathered himself.
“I was in shock! I did not know what to do. For the second time in my life, I had suddenly become an orphan again.
“Ige was more than a political mentor to me. He was my uncle, my friend, my confidant.
“His loyalty was total and his love was deep and profound. For me, he was irreplaceable.”
When they arrived at the Government House, Akande gathered his team and broke the tragic news to them.
Members of the team started groaning and moaning and there was general confusion.
“Someone suggested we should pray. We bowed down our heads and prayed.
“By the time the prayer ended, I noticed that the Commissioner of Police was now with us.
“He had walked into the centre gingerly and was now standing close to me.
“Before we greeted, his phone started ringing. He gave me the phone.
“It was President Obasanjo on the other end,” Akande recalled.
Reliving his confrontation with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo when Ige was murdered, Akandesaid he had just returned from the United Kingdom when he was told of the murder.
According to him, the Obasanjo administration was not really interested in finding the killers.
He quoted Obasanjo as saying: “Now, you see the lapses in your security! Look at what happened to Bola Ige!”
He said he was enraged and he screamed at Obasanjo on the phone of the then commissioner of police: “You must be out of your mind Mr President!
“How can you say lapses in my security when Bola Ige was killed in Ibadan? I rule in Osun State! I am not the Governor of Oyo State!
“When his cap was removed at the Ife palace during your wife’s chieftaincy ceremony, what did you do about it?”
He added that Obasanjo cut the line and few minutes later called back on his own line.
“He started sermonising. You know that Bola Ige too was my friend! What happened was very unfortunate!”
He also relived how he heard of the incident: “In the evening of December 23, 2001, I returned from a trip to the United Kingdom.
“I was met at the Murtala International Airport by a team of top officials from Osun State, including my Attorney General, Dr Yemi Adedeji and Sola Akinwumi, the SSG.
“I drove in my car with Akinwumi and we headed for Osogbo. We took the old road from Ibadan, passing Iwo to Osogbo.
“We had passed Iwo and getting close to Osogbo when Akinwumi’s phone rang. Muyiwa Ige was on the other end.
“Akinwumi was just shouting Ah! Ah! Ah!! Then, the line went off. ‘Uncle Bola has been killed!’ Akinwumi announced flatly when he finally gathered himself.
“I was in shock! I did not know what to do. For the second time in my life, I had suddenly become an orphan again.
“Ige was more than a political mentor to me. He was my uncle, my friend, my confidant.
“His loyalty was total and his love was deep and profound. For me, he was irreplaceable.”
He went on: “When we arrived at the Government House, I gathered my entourage together and broke the tragic news to them.
“There was an uproar – groaning and moaning and general confusion. Someone suggested we should pray.
“We bowed down our heads and prayed. By the time the prayer ended, I noticed that the Commissioner of Police was now with us.
“He had walked into the centre gingerly and was now standing close to me. Before we greeted, his phone started ringing. He gave me the phone.
“It was President Obasanjo on the other end.
It occurred to me that what concerned the President more was not to arrest the assassins of his friend, but to prevent social unrest and calm the nerves of the populace.
“I told him we would take all necessary measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
“I sent messages to traditional rulers and other leaders that night…”
Nation
