By Wale Ojo-Lanre
Yes!
Sorry!
He has one
Like any of you.
Yes. Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN!
That is the truth
And I am only out to expose it.
No need to cover it up again.
Let the world know.
Enough of hiding this secret.
I am exposing this, not to ridicule the man of law, but to call the attention of whoever or a God-sent person to cure him. Honestly, this is a serious case.
I am sure many of you know Chief Wole Olanipekun, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN; Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, OFR; and Asiwaju of Ikere-Ekiti.
The great legal icon and a man of humongous legal wizardry, who has employed his expertise in the legal profession to emancipate those who were entangled in the labyrinth of legal cobwebs in Nigeria.
This legal pundit, who cut his legal teeth at Akanbi Oniyangi Chamber in Ilorin, to become one of the best legal gurus in Nigeria.
The man who always make positive vibrations anywhere he is or in anything he lays his heart and hands upon.
The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, who served meritoriously as its 20th President.
The selfless human being, who was the best Pro-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
The man who deployed his team of lawyers to save Atiku, Ladoja, Mimiko, Oshiomole from being shamed by electoral and political manipulations.
The Ikere-Ekiti-born man is blessed with a pleasant personality, affable mein, humongous intelligent quotient, and super passionate sensibility.
The man whose intervention saved the embattled Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, from the intractable and an inevitable precipice.
The founder of Waves FM, Ikere-Ekiti. The man of law and an epitome of integrity, whose name has never been enmeshed or stained in any controversy.
But many of you are not aware or in the oblivion of the fact that Chief Wole Olanipekun, the former student of Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti and father of four lawyers, has been living with an incurable illness since he was born.
The ailment has not only metastasised, but now has developed into a full five-grade cancer!
I took notice of this ailment or illness or sickness or disease in the man in 1980, when I used to accompany Taiwo Falegan, one of his cousins or nephews, to spend days in his flat in Ilorin.
Bra Wole, always pleasant and hospitable, though spent little time at home, as he was always busy either in the court or in the office where late Akanbi Oniyangi held him and protected him like gold.
On one of the occasions, I called the attention of Shola Falegan to the fact that his uncle, who has become our uncle, has a malignant disease and if not checked may lead to a full-blown cancer.
Shola now revealed that Mama, the late Chief Mama Ashabi Falegan, and the other family members have noticed this ailment in him.
And that though the ailment is innate and inborn, that Bra Wole has resisted all attempt at weaning him off this illness.
In fact, in 1980, when I met Mr Ayodele Omotayo, one of my good teachers, who happened to be his uncle, I also intimated him of this serious ailment of Bra Wole Olanipekun, only for him to say ‘oti di baraku ni. It has been his nature. It is innate. We can not help it We cannot cure him of it.’
My problem is how can I get a witch doctor who can exorcise the heart of extreme kindness and deadly strong spirit of building souls for the greatness of humanity from Asiwaju Ikere, Chief Oluwole Olanipekun, SAN, OFR?
How or where can I procure the fetish that I can employ to cast a spell on Chief Wole Olanipekun that will turn him from a philanthropist to a misanthropist?
Where can I get the Babalawo who will cure Bra Wole Olanipekun of the cancer of his irresistible act of emancipation and selfless empowerment of the needy?
Where can I get a dibia who can do the juju which can remove the golden heart of helping indigent students and financially handicapped scholars from the soul of Chief Wole Olanipekun?
And my God, where was the spirit of pride and arrogance, the tendency of contempt, the allure of grudge and disdain, where run forth the aura of sheer verbosity, loudness and show off which are the hallmarks of the very few people who are plagued by this kind of ailment when the body of Chief Wole Olanipekun was being moulded by Eledumare, which conditioned him to rather be hush, quiet and not mounting the rooftop to blow his wonderful deeds?
And finally, who will cure Asiwaju Wole Olanipekun of his agrarian compassion of not waiting out for those who are in need but personally reaching out for those who genuinely deserved to be helped?
Or is it not a cancerous ailment for a man who cannot resist the urge of investing in people?
This is the cancerous element of Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN.
And if you know who can cure him, kindly contact me.
•Ojo- Lanre writes from Ibipeju Oluru Chambers, Upper Ogudu River, Irede Estate, Temidire, Usi Ekiti and can be reached via 08033490986 and waleojolanre@gmail.com
