The hope of any retiree either from the public or private sectors of an organization of Nigeria’s economy after a good number of years in the service is to have rest for the remaining part of his sojourn on earth. But the situation becomes pathetic when instead of the expected cosy atmosphere or engaging in another means of livelihood to keep body and soul together (if there are no health challenges), one is immersed in the vortex of frustration, depression and other debilitating circumstances that could induce misinterpretation of every move one makes as hallucinatory.
This is the fate that has befallen a retired staff of the Ikole local government area of Ekiti state, Mr Fabunmi Amos Olukayode who has solicited the assistance of the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Justice Development and Peace Initiatives (JDPI), Human rights and other relevant bodies as well as the security agencies to enable him and his children access and retrieve his property, a four bed-room flat at Otun-Ekiti, in Moba local governments area of the State, which he alleged to have been forcefully and illegally acquired by his ex-wife.
Mr Olukayode, who became a pensioner in 2023 took his ‘Save My Soul” plea to the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, Ado-Ekit, where he addressed some newsmen about his plight. He said he had traversed different places seeking assistance to be out of the trauma but no headway. Hence, the recourse to the gentlemen of the press as the watchdog of the society and the voice of the voiceless.
His psychological trauma as he explained began since 2017 when his former wife poisoned the minds of the children against him which even climaxed in the children deserting him, but through divine intervention he said he has reconciled with the children and that they have come back to live with him.
In his word, “if your office (NUJ Ado-Ekiti) fails to fly my issue to the Nigerians or fail to connect me to the NBA, I will resort to peaceful protest like climbing the MTN mast, hunger strike, sleeping in the NUJ premises till the owner of my life take his spirit away from me because i cannot habitate in the house of the wicked cabals who have tried me with various forms of physical and spiritual mechanisms in order to terminate my life. The palliatives from the cabals are deadly, I don’t need any palliatives from them”.
He bemoaned his sojourn on earth as frustrating describing his condition as suffering from psychological trauma, alleging that his ex-wife, in connivance with a clergyman and a chief (names withheld) might have sold his house he spent his youthful days to build at Otun-Ekiti on the grounds that he is suffering from insanity.
Shedding more light, the pensioner alleged that on 4th May 2024, at the palace of Kabiyesi, Alaaye Oke Ayedun Ekiti, these two “strongmen” Chief Afolabi Oluwole Olokoju and Pastor (Dr) Fabunmi Joseph Ireti as he described them, who he said are from his father’s house told the Kabiyesi, Alaaye Oke Ayedun Ekiti that his former wife had sold his house without tendering any evidence.
The complainant who said his last public service location as an Assistant Chief Executive Account Officer, ACEAO, was at the Ikole Local Government Area, further stated the following accusations were raised against him.
(a) “That I have insanity challenges.That I refused to cater/pay for my children’s school fees for many years, that I scattered my children to unknown places and as such I drove my wife away. Therefore the two “strongmen” directed Chief Jaiyeoba Obaisa to withdraw his signature on every document the chief had signed for me. Sir, the “strongmen’ are struggling to void the concrete evidences provided for me and my children by Chief jayeoba Obaisa and which had guaranteed my victory at any level of constitutional trials”.
(b)”That the Oore-In-Council had barred me and my children in Otun Ekiti”.
(c)That ex-wife had sold off my personal house located in Otun Ekiti, long ago on the ground of insanity challenges. Both Pastor Dr Fabunmi Ireti & Chief Afolabi Oluwole ascertained the allegation in the meeting of 4th May, 2024.
(d)Finally the two “strongmen” instructed kabiyesi Alaaye Oke Ayedun Ekiti to compel me to pack my belongings from Ikole Ekiti and move to family’s house at Ayedun Ekiti and cohabitate with my extended relatives at Ayedun Ekiti with immediate effect.
But in a bid to avert what might at the end of the day be spurious allegations, our correspondents reached out to some of the people indicted who obliged interviews to their own side of the allegations as efforts to reach out to the former wife proved abortive.
Both Chief Olokoju and Pastor Ireti in their separate reactions to telephone interviews on the issue denied the allegations levelled against them, stating that they only intervened to ensure that the disagreement is resolved for the family to live together in peace. But Mr Olukayode misunderstood their truce overtures.
