Odesola and Oyinlola: Omoluabis keep their words

My routine for everyday life is fixed. Usually I must be up before 6:00AM when Word for Today; a special morning devotion with Joy and Bolaji Akinyemi is scheduled for.

This of course will last the next 30 mins, after which the day finally starts with activities recorded against them. Fridays however are slightly different.

It’s not out of place to hear me say Thank God it’s Friday. An expression of joy in appreciation of another opportunity to hear from a brother thrown several thousand kilometres away from his kits and Kins. “Ise aje so omo nu bi oko”. Survival hustle has thrown sons far from their land of nativity.

Tunde Odesola is too “Yorubaish” to love the American lifestyle. This temperate African hunter is too summer inclined to hunt in the snow like the Eskimos. But what will the Hunter’s son do, than to adjust himself to life, at least, “ibi ori ba daa ni si laa gbe”!

I had the privilege of growing up in the same hood, with Odesola, Handsome Leke Onabajo, my school mate at Lagos Baptist Secondary School Orile Agege was the link between me and Odesola those days when boys used to stray from home.

My Friday devotion is usually followed by reading Tunde Odesola’s column in the Punch.

1st of December may look like an ordinary day to Tunde Odesola and all our African brethren who like stone are lost or disconnected from the reality that life back home has to offer. It was the first day of the last month of the turbulent year of make and mar election; 2023.

Odesola’s choice of title; Oyinlola keeps his promise despite Tinubu’s victory”, was the first creative line that signified a hunter return from expedition with testimony of an answered prayer; “arin pa ode o”! But what is the kill in this Hunter’s bag?

Tunde never left us in doubt of his excitement. Though, I couldn’t from Africa see the swollen hunters bag on his back in America. The attempt to change his style of not starting a writing with a quote gave it all out. But what has the hunter killed?

Odesola went into incantations upon incantation, he must have been gasping for breath in between, like a throat struggling to swallow a big morsel of meal.

Tunde left me and all his readers in further suspense with the line; “I chose the àfòse African traditional method to protect myself and my jackpot because I know some readers won’t heed my warning not to solicit money from me after reading this story. Hypocrites that don’t believe Baba Adeboye, is it me that they would believe”?

Struggling to keep our eyes off his venison, Odesola suddenly turned apostolic when he further said; “Please, come with me on the journey to my newfound wealth”.

Wealth! Was Odesola there when ART decided 2024 as the year of pursuit of wealth for all citizens?

But whether deliberate or mischievous he announced the year of his new found wealth as 2003. And then took us through a lengthy line of tales of his adventures through The Punch needless endurance for minds prying for wealth.

When it seems like Tunde wanted our endurance test ended with a tale of a press conference; he proceeded; “after the news conference, the ADC to the governor, Mr Bola Adeyemi, came back into the hall, looking for me. He said the governor was calling me. I went with him to the governor in his car, outside the venue of the news conference.

When I got to him in his car, Oyinlola said, “You asked when I’m going to reshuffle my cabinet; what do you want?” I told him I just asked him the question because he reshuffled two years into his first term. Then he said ok, and I left.

Then Tunde Odesola signed off on Friday the 1st of December 2023 with; “To be continued”

A week was too long for the wait! Odesola has caressed me and he must ejaculate the semens for wealth potential he promised. I went on a private chat with my new multimillionaire friend;

Baba Tee, I teased him, “what do I want was my question in the comments on your post on FB!

But Ode was not like Oyin! He wouldn’t ask me for what I wanted.

Well, I told him how that morning, my ART Team for 2024 asked me to get them a Chairman who is a former Governor of Lagos State and General Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s name was unanimously agreed upon.

My challenge was how to get to him.

And for his article to come up with the wealth maker we were searching for, then those his “ofo” (incarceration) were to make this happen.

Tunde later spoke with me, making no strong promise.

It has been a stressful week chasing after wealth for all, which is the mandate of Apostolic Round Table 2024. I woke up this morning to the concluding part of Odesola’s article. Beautiful prose and praises loaded of a piece that has made Tunde a toast of many pundits; soccer or politics Odesola is good at it. For which he has won the confidence of many and has earned him their confidant.

In Odesola’s word; “I speak regularly with General Oyinlola. After the 2023 presidential election, I called Oyinlola to get his view. He said Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would win but I said Tinubu would win. He said, “Do you want to bet?” “Yes,” I said. “How much,” he asked?” I said, “Sir, let me stake N500,000.00 to your N5m.” He said, “Which type of betting is that?” Are you betting or not,” he asked with a military finality. I said, “Yes.” “How much?” he asked again. I said, “If I bet N500,000, I’ll win N5m.”

Last Monday, I got an alarm from a microfinance bank. I called Oyin. He said, “I am a soldier. I keep my word.”

Between Ode and Oyin is a common denominator; Omoluabi! Tunde keeps his word and he is not a soldier! For which I wouldn’t allow Oyin to credit the Omoluabi ethos of “my words my bond” to his career as a military officer. It wasn’t the soldier in him that honoured his word, it was the royalty for which Omoluabi ethos is a must. If soldiers keep their words June 12 and all its consequences would not have become our fate and history.

Do I need to remind Tunde that he lately seldom call me Akin, if he doesn’t call me Pastor he will call me Apostle. Whichever he chooses; Pastor or Apostle they both eat tithe, a tithe to the Pastor in me and another to the Apostle, may make me Pastor Apostle, what are friends for an old one for that matter.

But what is Oyin’s antecedent for wealth creation? I happen to live among ordinary Nigerians, with whom I share pains and gains. I have a neighbour, Mr Saheed Kareem, who is a driver and used to render his service to me whenever I am traveling or have long driving hours, a good man whom most people in the area has grown to love and respect. He has disappointed me a few times, with him, it is first come, first served. Once he has given his word, you can take it to the Bank. He brought another driver, a co-tenant in his compound to me who can help him fill in, whenever I desire to go out and he is not available. It was from Lawal Kabir I felt Oyin could be the man for the job of ART conference 2024 Chairman. He works with Oyin’s company and they have been home for over a year for economic reasons but their salaries were paid in full during the period while they go to work every Monday to review the situation and find a way round it. The company is back up and Lawal Kabir is back to work. Oyin could help provide the magic to sustain families whose bread winners are out of job! How did he do it with his company?

Tunde staked 500k in January 2023 and reaped 5,000,000 in November! Oyin o! indeed an honey philosophy we can stake our quest of wealth for all with.

While awaiting Tunde Odesola’s word, let me use this platform to invite all Nigerians to ART 2024; Steward Of Nation, where Stewarding Monetary System for Wealth Creation for all citizens will be the topic for discussion. Tunde for a feel of honey I hunt after thee! May my pen deliver like yours not the million for me but the access to wealth for all!

Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder, President; Voice of His Word Ministries and the Convener of the Ministry’s Project ART; Apostolic Round Table; he is also the BOT Chairman Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA, PVC Naija and CEO Masterbuilder Communications; +2348033041236; bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com.