Obasanjo in his speech, criticize Akala for using some pages of his book to criticize him on the level of Ibadan – Ilorin road News Rain Nigeria reports that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo has on Thursday, 5th November 2020, speaking at the Prestigious Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan as the Chairman of the occasion at the Book Launch of the former Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Christopher Alao Akala, commends efforts of Otunba Christopher Alao Akala for the great efforts put together on his biography titled Amazing Grace.
Obasanjo Attacks Akala For Using His Book To Criticize Him On The Level Of Ibadan-Ilorin Road
He said, Aloa Akala has exhibited extra courage and discipline needed to garner to write meaningfully, which is both courageous and dangerous to do so.
Obasanjo in his speech, criticize Akala for using some pages of his book to criticize him on the level of Ibadan – Ilorin road, he said, “I wonder how you come on page 390 of your book to blame or criticize me for dividing the Ibadan – Ilorin Road to three sections for reconstruction during my second term so that it could be expeditiously completed.
Obasanjo stated further that, Akala as a seating Governor of Oyo State then, who had the privilege to even used one year out of Governor Ladoja’s tenure, noted that up to date the roads are not completed.
He said, Akala in your biography you honestly believe that I should be blamed for such, even after I have left office thirteen years ago, but as an Ogbomoso man I can understand how that road is important to you.
“But when I took the steps for that road to expeditiously handled, it was not for your interest as an Ogbomoso man, but for the importance of that road for the economic life of Nigeria and it’s a tragedy that the artery roads remains in the sorry state till today. Obasanjo stressed.
Aloa Akala who is also the author of the book, Amazing Grace, in his speech said, It is a great delight to have you all gathered here today to witness the launch of my autobiography entitled Amazing Grace.
It is even a greater delight to see the creme-de-la-creme of our great country abandon their very tight schedules, just to be part of today’s history-making event.
He stressed further that, I call this history-making, not strictly for any other reason but for its fulfillment of my long-anticipated desire to codify, so to speak, the remarkable events of my 70 years on earth in a single, accessible copy.
This book sets wonky records straight. It properly constructs or even reconstructs some of the tissues of lies spurned about me, especially within the period of my being at the driver’s seat of Oyo state’s administration. It situated occurrences, without malice and with an acute presence of mind, in their proper perspectives, carefully appending names of the dramatic personae of events to this critical juncture of history.
Akala maintained that the book is born out of passion towards fulfilling his desire to bookmark the landmark narratives of my life, how the tragic death of my father in a road accident in 1952 single-handedly threatened to swamp my dream of getting to the cusp of my life aspirations but how Providence miraculously found for me a path to the top.
My grandmother, Iya Alaro who I knew as my mother growing up, was the divine grace in action, my guiding angel, who manifested as an old woman. She piloted me through those hopeless years after my father’s unfortunate demise. As I said in the book, Mama Alaro single-handedly reconstructed my fractured childhood.
Akala maintained that without prejudice to the erudition of the book reviewer who is saddled with the task of dissecting it into pieces, the title of the book, Amazing Grace, is not a happenstance. It is the audacity of Providence to bring me out of the dungeon of a hopeless tomorrow into the fulfillment of a life that I today celebrate at seventy years on earth. My very meaningful and impactful sojourn in the Nigerian Police Force is also amply documented in the book, to tell the story of how grace pushed me to the top. There were blinding storms that threatened to capsize my boats which I volunteered to the reader.
He further said, In Amazing Grace, the reader would pick historical nuggets of police’s recent history and my personal interface with that history. It perhaps would redraw whatever unpleasant impression Nigerians have of their friends in the police and situate the force in the right perspective.
In Amazing Grace, I did not shy away, in the tradition bequeathed to me by Iya Alaro, from acknowledging and documenting the strides of the angels that Providence used to push me to the heights I occupy today. I amply recounted all these angels from Late Retired IGP, Chief Sunday Adedayo Adewusi, Late Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu to President Olusegun Obasanjo; and many more that space may not permit.
Once again, I want to immensely thank all those who inconvenienced themselves to be here. I am not unmindful of your great sacrifice of presence. I want to thank my Baba, the “Ebora Owu” and the chairman of this occasion, who had to forfeit many prime events and schedules to be here. To the people so numerous to acknowledge your labor of sacrifice, I am highly grateful to you all.
In his speech at the occasion the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi maintained that the Akala speaks many languages and that shows how accommodating he is as a person.
He said, the book should be a must for students of politics in the higher institutions, for the partisan politicians, and also for the media houses so as to serve as a source of factual findings for them.
Dr. Fayemi also said that it’s necessary for politicians to write books so it can serve the incoming generation on how to go about politics and governance.
Also in his short assertion, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, criticizes Otunba Alao Akala for not remembering him and his role played during he became the Deputy Governor and Governor of the State.
The event was well attended by Political, royal institutions, and also the business classes of the society, such as the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan, the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Ooni of Ife, who was able represented by His Royal Highness, Oba Asoya of Isoya, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland Oba Saliu Adetunji, Senator. Teslim Folarin, Senator. Fatai Buhari, Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN. The Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Chief Mrs. Bose Adelabu among others.
