- New Senator To Replace Him To Come From Ede
The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori on Monday appeared before the coroner inquest set up by the Osun state government into the death of the first civilian governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.
There, she revealed that the late Senator ate ‘jollof rice’ that was not covered at the last party he attended before his demise.
Also testifying before the coroner was the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial leader in Osun West Senatorial District, Yinusa Amobi – he was the one that the late senator attended the final burial of his grandmother, Balqiz Atoke Salimonu on April 22, before his death on April 23.
Others were the Chief Medical Director of Biket Hospital, Osogbo, Dr. Adebisi Adenle and the Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Prof. Akeem Olawale Lasisi.
Speaking before the coroner, the deputy governor affirmed that she had last encounter with the late senator at the funeral ceremony of the grandmother of Amobi in Kuta.
She explained that she was welcomed to the party by the late Adeleke and some of his aides and because of the honour he accorded her, she had to sit where the senator sat as a mark of respect for him.
Laoye-Tomori further explained that a woman actually brought a plate of fried rice mixed with jollof rice which had no meat and was uncovered to the deceased and he ate about three spoons.
According to her, “I got to Kuta after 5 p.m and was received by the late Senator Adeleke. Because of that honour, I followed him to the table he sat which had about eight other men.
“A woman later brought a plate of rice and the deceased didn’t want to eat it initially. He was just turning the food around, he later managed to eat three spoons before pushing the food aside. A man also brought a drink but I can’t really remember its name. After giving Hon. Amobi the package I had for him, I left the party and that was all until I heard about the death of the Senator the following day.”
She said she did not offer the late Adeleke any edibles, since she also did not eat anything contrary to rumours making the round that she offered him meat at the party they both attended a day before his demise.
The deputy governor said she received the news of Adeleke’s death the following day with so much disbelief, saying that the claims that she has something to do with his death is not only devastating but also saddening.
“How can that be? It wasn’t my party and I didn’t cook or serve any food. How can people trivialize the death of such an important person? How can they spread such wicked rumours? I was so devastated when I heard the news of his death.” She added.
But Amobi when testifying before the coroner submitted that the late Senator attended the burial ceremony in company of about 30 political allies and did not eat anything because what he wanted was not prepared.
According to him, “late Senator Adeleke arrived at my party around 4:30pm in the company of 20 to 30 political allies and was served food but the senator did not eat because it was poundo yam we made and he preferred semolina. Although he was offered some fish, he did not eat that too.
“He also drank the drink he bought which was Remy Martins. Although his friends mixed the drink with coca cola but late Senator Adeleke drank his undiluted. Later the deputy governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Tomori came and they both sat together before she eventually left the party too.
“Afterwards, I and the late Senator danced before he left around 5:30pm to Eng. Lasun Olaniyi’s daughter’s wedding at Iwo. That is all I know about his movement on that day.”
Asked if he could say anything about his death, Hon. Amobi said he wouldn’t know.
Also testifying, the Chief Medical Director of Biket Hospital, Osogbo, told the coroner that the deceased lawmaker was brought to his hospital dead on April 23.
Adenle said late Adeleke was brought to his hospital around 10:15am, he was lifeless and was later pronounced dead. Adenle added that he also advised the family of the deceased to take his corpse to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital morgue as Biket has no morgue.
However, the Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital explained that when the corpse of the deceased was brought to the hospital, he asked for his medical history and was told one person that was neither a doctor nor a nurse injected him with some medicines when he complained of leg pain the day before he died.
Lasisi said the drugs include 5% of dextrose, intravenous fluid glory set, scalp vein needle, 2 ampoules of analgin, 4 ampoules of 10kg of diazepam, 1 ampoule of pentasozine, 1 ampoule of getamacine and Valium which when given in excess dosage could cause reflex collapse and blockage of respiratory system.
He told the coroner that from the look of things and empty ampoules, the late Senator was given those drugs in excess.
“As a medical doctor of 27 years, I have never given 40grams of diazepam. Analgin is also an outlawed drug, I wonder where the so called person got that from.”
While adjourning the sitting till 17 May, 2017, the coroner, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara summoned pathologist Sholaja of LAUTECH, Engr Lasun Olaniyi, one Mr Lukman and one Engr Oni for further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke.
Meanwhile, politicians from Osun West Senatorial district of Osun state that the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke represented in the upper chamber of the National Assembly have moved that the vacant seat of the Senatorial district be retained in Ede, the home town of late Senator.
It would be recalled that the seat of the Osun West Senatorial District became vacant following the demise of late Isiaka Adeleke on April 23, 2017.
At a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Prince Adegboyega Famodun on Monday, the chairman eulogised the impressive role played by the late senator while alive and his philanthropist tendencies which made him an enigma amongst his contemporaries.
Famodun, who noted that the death of the former governor of the state was a total loss to the state and Nigeria at large, called for calm among party members in the district.
He pointed out that there was need for replacement in line with the dictates of the constitution, which is 90 days, then called for suggestions among stakeholders as a panacea to the debacle.
Responding, an APC chieftain, Mr M.B. Iroko from Ejigbo who was the first to speak recalled that there was precedence in the state from Osun East senatorial district and Irepodun Local Government, saying Ede also should be compensated by retaining the seat, the view which was widely applauded by other stakeholders present.
While supporting Iroko, a party stalwart from Ayedire local government said the people of Ede deserved to be considered in the scheme of things and compensated accordingly.
Those who also spoke in that direction were an aide to Hon. Mojeed Alabi, Mr Mudashiru Ayanfe, a former scribe of Iwo Local government, Alhaji Omobola, and Mr Dayo Adebiyi, a former scribe of Olaoluwa Local Governments, who all supported the retention of the senatorial seat in Ede.
Famodun thereafter disclosed that although, the majority supported the retention of the slot in Ede, the process must be made more transparent and democratic, he therefore canvassed for a committee that comprises all the ten local governments in the senatorial district, saying the ruling party must put its house in order for it not to be outsmarted by the opposition party.
A 12-man committee, headed by the senatorial leader, Alhaji Yinusa Amobi, and the state secretary of the party, Alhaji Rasak Salinsile as the secretary was thereafter constituted for further consultations.
Packaged by Bunmi Oladejo
