Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was on ground in the home of his bosom friend and popular Ibadan-born business mogul, Chief Adebayo Adetunji ‘Onisiga’ when he died on Saturday, May 23, 2020.
An insider in the Basorun, Ibadan home of the businessman informed PMParrot that the former President drove into the compound in the morning only to meet his friend, who had been seriously ill for weeks gasping.
“Baba Obasanjo could not bear the shock”, said our source.
“He could not believe his eyes that his close friend was dying and actually died. He asked the nurse and the maid and others in the house if it was true that his friend had died. He looked at everyone and hurriedly entered his vehicle and was driven away. It was as if he did not want us to see him weep over the loss of his friend.”
Chief Adetunji, who was aged 88 was buried on the same day with the likes of Chief Kola Daisi, Dr Yemi Farounbi and others in attendance.
The deceased was a philanthropist with his generosity felt far and wide.
Another family source informed that a befitting burial ceremony would be held in his honour on the “40th day of his death”.
Chief Adetunji hailed from the Olugbode family while his mother was from the renowned Ibikunle family both in Ibadan.
He was born a Muslim and raised by the Catholic and he attended Ibadan Boys High School.
He began his career at the Government Secretariat in the capital city of Oyo State as a clerk with the treasury and it was from there that he grew and left to work in other places like Costain West African, the University College Hospital as a junior clerk.
From UCH, he joined the Nigerian Tobacco Company around 1952 and he started there as a bicycle sales boy after which he was promoted to the post of a sales canvasser.
This took him to the level of the middle class in the company. He was, thus, given the opportunity to work with the white men who were the managers and most of them loved him because I was dedicated and never took no for an answer. This was how he grew to become popular and successful and was nicknamed ‘Adetunji Onisiga’.
Packaged by Omotoyosi Jesuleye
