Ekiti State-based Pa Olajide Olabode, 86, who was at various times a driver to the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, Ladoke Akintola and visiting African presidents, shares the story of his life with ABI...
Ekiti State-based Pa Olajide Olabode, 86, who was at various times a driver to the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, Ladoke Akintola and visiting African presidents, shares the story of his life withMy father was James Olabode and my mother was Olorunfemi Olabode. I was born in Ado Ekiti in December 1932.I had seven brothers and a sister. All of them are dead. I was number eight in the family. My sister, who was number nine, died some years ago. I am the only one alive among the nine of us.
We couldn’t afford kerosene in those days to use lantern. We used oil lamp . We were always in school on Saturdays to learn more. In Ibadan, he was appointed the Parliamentary Secretary to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. That was where I had the opportunity to become official driver for all the premiers of the Western Region. I decided not to leave the job because I worked with Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Ladoke Akintola and the emergency administration headed by Chief Moses Majekodunmi.
I told him that my country relied on me and ‘I am fulfilled serving my country’. I was not ready to disappoint my governor in the Western Region. They rated me very high. Who would know my value in Tanzania? I have no regrets at all that I was a driver. I am proud to be a driver. A driving job, according to what Awolowo and Akintola told me, is a noble profession in England.I was unhappy. When Awolowo died, I was not happy at all. When Akintola was killed, I was mad.
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