March 17, 2012
There are claims that highly successful Egba High Chief and Chairman of OGD's controversial Golf Resort Hotels in Abeokuta, Apagun Wole Olumide, who committed suicide last night may have been murdered. We are eagerly waiting for the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Command, to clear the air on what actually happened before this Jolly Good Fellow of a Man ended his race on this side of the divide.
There are claims that highly successful Egba High Chief and Chairman of OGD's controversial Golf Resort Hotels in Abeokuta, Apagun Wole Olumide, who committed suicide last night may have been murdered. We are eagerly waiting for the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Command, to clear the air on what actually happened before this Jolly Good Fellow of a Man ended his race on this side of the divide.
But the Apagun I know was a very good socialite. The last time I saw him should be early 2008 when he was 'lecturing' me on the values of playing golf. He wanted me to join the Golf Club, which I politely turned down. I don't like social clubs, associations and the like. Mine is either professional or political. Anything short of that, I no dey. He gave up trying to convince me. There is no doubt Apagun Olumide was an inner caucus member of OGD's Business Circles. They were the fixers when it comes to funds, contracts and the like. In addition, he was a veritable force in sucking the oxygen of Egba elites' support out of both Aremo Olusegun Osoba's Action Congress (AC) and Senator Ibikunle Amosun's All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). But Osoba, apparently due to his person/background, was still able to wriggle out of this bind by Olumide and other highly placed Egba elites who ensured maximum support for OGD. Despite Olumide's deficient political capital in terms of mobilising the grassroots, along with other business associates of OGD who hail from the Ogun State capital, Apagun was able to ensure that no highly placed person attended rallies organised by Amosun while OGD's Administration lasted. And without considerable elite support, you can hardly claim electoral victory if there is possibility of rigging. It was only Osoba who broke this rule as a number of elites still identified with the former Ogun State Governor. If Abeokuta were to be in Lagos, Babatunde Fashola's innovative revival of autopsy before burial would have been a veritable source of definite information on the cause of Apagun Olumide's death. A Coroner would have done a thorough job in ensuring that rumour mongering do not place another sword of Damocles on the heads of prominent Egba persons. But for a start, the Police may want to look at his cell phone(s). I am very sure he had more than one. Who were his last callers in the last 24 hours before his death? Where was the man coming from at that time of the night? His driver need to be pulled in for interview right now: When was the driver employed? Who employed or introduced him to Apagun? Who among Apagun's business associates is the driver close to? Since the EFCC was already on Apagun, what is the current substance of the case concerning this lovable old man? Could the burden of the EFCC case have pushed a man who loved life so much to end it like that? Could the OGD crowd who have a lot to lose from disclosures by Apagun done a 'perfect finish' through suicide? Was 'planting' done by those in SIA's Government to finally nail OGD? Let SIA and the Police roll. As usual, I'll recommend that the SSS be allowed to do its independent findings and make the result of same available to the public. If I know the guys there as I did in the past, they can roll up this one within one week. This is a death the current Administration in Ogun State should get to the bottom of it (pardon my use of Mushin English, I grew up there).
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