THE TINUBU I KNOW

By Adeyemi Ayodele Olusola
About a week ago, I made a post on  my political beloved, where I commended one of his political traits as similar to that of Tinubu.*
*A young man came under that post and dismissed that comparison as unpalatable for someone to be proud of holding to the fact that “Tinubu made his fortune by looting Lagos treasury”.*
*I know many others have this same notion, they arrogantly brandish this erroneous believe even though they know nothing about this man. While I’m not about to argue whether politics has been good to him or not, I make bold to tell you that the notion that his wealthy life began with politics or as the governor of Lagos state is not just unfair but a blatant lie.*
_*Please read on….*
*Sometimes in 1993 I secured an American visa but I didn’t have enough money to buy the ticket, I had only 16k out of the required 40k then. I kept hustling and looking for way out, if I make money, I would spend it again, going from one place to another, meeting different people until I met someone that knows someone that knows someone that just came back from America then.*
*This man took me to a microfinance bank called “worldgate micro finance bank” somewhere in Victoria Island, guess who owned the bank? Jagaban (1993)the manager of that bank then was Mr Oyetola, yes you guess right, it was this same Gboyega  Oyetola, the present osun state governor (his tribal mark were very visible then😜)*
*After much persuasion, he borrowed me 24k to augment my 16k to make 40k for the ticket, on the understanding that I will pay back a certain amount in dollars when I get to America.*
*I got to America in March 1994 and the first place I worked in Washington DC was owned by Tinubu (1994) I won’t mention the name here because I don’t have his permission to do so, that was where I made money to pay back World gate bank, as in “pay Abu with his own money😜”*
*At this time I know at least about 10 of his condos (bungalows) being maintained and managed as real estate business, one of the managers was one Mr Abiodun from Oyo State. Please note that where I was working was different from this real estate o. What they do then was to look for derelict or burnt houses, buy and rebuild it, then sell it at good prices. Another important thing to note is that Washington DC wasn’t where his main businesses were domiciled.(so I heard).*
*Let’s back up a little here, remember he contested and won a senatorial seat in 1993? Every paraphernalia used for the campaign was imported from America, from t-shirts to fez caps, to brouch, to lapel even to customized balloons. I know because I saw some remnants when I got there.*
*An incident occurred sometimes in 1995. Oga directed us to get an admission for one young man, his name was either Tunde or Kunle (not sure) I also don’t know if the boy was his son or nephew. We went to one college in Maryland and met the provost who said that he wanted to see a proof that the boy’s parents could afford his fees.*
*Right there we called jagaban who was in London then, he asked us to ask him(the provost) whether account details from another country will suffice, to which the man said yes, he then faxed to us one of his account numbers. Friends, the balance was seven digits in pound sterling (1995 fa). He still said we should ask him if that was enough or he wanted more.*
*It may surprise you that if I meet with Tinubu today he may probably not recognize me, why? Because I’m just one of the lot, many Nigerians that he didn’t even know were on his payroll then.*
*Most of the NADECO proponents were living off him. Pa Anthony Enahoro of blessed memory was given an apartment in Maryland with monthly stipends and a care giver to cater for him and the apartment. Some others like Hon. Ipesa Balogun who later became chairman oshodi isolo local government, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi who was editor of… I think “the News”, I think he served as media Aide to one of the Senate Presidents? (not sure) were also some of his protégé too.*
*Radio kudirat, that was being managed by Dr Kayode Fayemi was largely financed by jagaban.*
*Everything I wrote here happened between 1993 and 1996-97, please where was Lagos State treasury then?*
_*My name is Adeyemi Ayodele Olusola.*

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