GIVING testimony is an important aspect in the life of Pentecostal worshippers who fervently believe in God. What I am going to write today is a grand testimony of how God, our Creator, saved my life through the hands of the medical team of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. I give glory to God that I am alive today to give this testimony. It will not be a lengthy testimony.
It all started on May 15, 2017. Before May 16, 2017, I had been surrounded with tragic stories of the departures from this world of some friends and relations quite close to me. First was the news of the sudden death of my friend and compatriot, Dr. Funso Akingbade of the University of Lagos who was buried in his hometown Ijero last week. Then came the news of the death of Professor Babalola Aborisade, a former federal minister from Usi-Ekiti, in Ekiti State who was equally buried some days ago. The news of the death of Commissioner of Police, Mr. Oyeleye, came to me much later on. What was however important was the fact that my body had taken in all these shock stories without my ever being conscious of the repercussions they all had on my health. On May 15, 2017, all this came down heavily on me to turn me into a material that had to be hurriedly taken to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, for urgent medical treatment.
I woke up in the morning of 15th May like any other normal human being and never ever considered the thought of my being made a material for admission into the O.A.U Teaching Hospital. By 2p.m that day, my body suddenly gave way and consequently I was unable to carry my body anymore. Before 2p.m that day, I had visited the toilet several times without ever feeling that something was wrong with my body. At 2p.m, I just suddenly discovered that I could no longer get up from my bed. That was where my consciousness could remember. At about 4p.m that 15, May, my Personal Assistant Mr. Kanmi Aluko entered my bedroom. He tried to assist me into the toilet. It was impossible, no matter how much I tried. Kanmi just could not get me to respond actively to all his efforts. That was all I knew.
I later discovered that Kanmi immediately got in touch with Niyi Oyeleye who was my Personal Assistant when I was the Federal Minister of Transport and Aviation under the General Sani Abacha regime. Kanmi had requested Niyi Oyeleye to join him in moving me from my bedroom into the hospital. Eventually, Kanmi Aluko succeeded in getting Niyi Oyeleye, my driver and Mrs. M. Babatope (the wife of my cousin) to physically carry me to my car and started the journey to get me to the Wesley Guild Hospital. I was later told that I was communicating with all of them inside my car without ever being conscious of what I was talking about.
I was equally later told that the Wesley Guild Hospital Ilesa (an arm of the O.A.U Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife) could not admit me because of the pressing nature of accident victims that had been brought to the hospital. They (Wesley Guild authorities) later advised that I should be taken to the O.A.U Teaching Hospital at Ile-Ife (a distance of about thirty kilometres away).
I was immediately taken to Ile-Ife by Niyi Oyeleye, Kanmi Aluko and Mrs. M. Babatope junior. I was later told that the Ife authorities at the Emergency Centre of the university immediately admitted me for treatment. I did not know a thing about all that was going on around me. I regained full consciousness (of my having been admitted to the hospital) after three days of my being taken there to for treatment.
It was after regaining consciousness that I knew that immediately I had been admitted for treatment at Ife, I had been handed over to the Diabetes Department of the university headed by Professor Kolawole for treatment. I today thank Professor Kolawole, Dr. (Mrs.) Ogundele, Dr. Akinfaderin and others (all of the Diabetic Department) for all God had used them in restoring me back to the world and normalising my blood glucose level. They all performed a miracle that I will for ever remember until I depart from this world. I cannot also but commend the efforts of the members of the O.A.U Ile-Ife Cardiovascular Department that ensured that my blood pressure was normal throughout my treatment at Ile-Ife.
Canon Ogunleye, the Manager of the Special Ward I had been put for the duration of my treatment for all his sympathetic support of my treatment. I say it before God that I had the best of any treatment that one with my ailment could pass through. My ailment was diabetes and my treatment required all the understanding I would have needed to successfully pass through the difficult.
The nurses who directly attended to me – Nurse Adedire, nurse Mrs. Alao and Nurse Adewuyi— were all women with the milk of human kindness who were there at all times I spent, ensuring that I never lacked anything my body needed to care for me. Mrs. Aofolaju, the dietician who took over the supervision of all my meals, did an unbelievable job to ensure that I ate all I needed to eat in order not to aggravate my medical condition.
Before the professional taking over of my diet, my niece, Miss Yetunde Adeniji, had been in control of what I took in as meals. The young lady had done her best to take care of me. Mrs. Anofolaju was able to stop the practice of food being brought for me from Ilesa, a distance of near thirty kilometres away.
Professor Kolawole and his able medical team refused to discharge me until after the team had ascertained an acceptable glucose level of all my blood readings. May God bless them all. I was not discharged home from the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife until 26, May, 2017. I was immediately placed under direct supervision by the Ife medical authorities. My handlers at home were instructed to keep a daily record of my blood readings. I was also told that I had to be under the Insulin regime.
When I had an earlier mild attack of diabetes some years ago, my ‘aburo’, Dr. (Mrs.) Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, had counseled me that medicine had advanced in the treatment of the ailment. She said diabetes was no longer a dreadful disease. After my last encounter with the ailment, I have come to agree that diabetes may no longer be a death sentence. It however still remains a life sentence.
I thank God for his supreme care over me. I wish to also command and appreciate the O.A.U Ile-Ife Medical Team that became willing agents of our Creator in ensuring my safety. May God bless Professor Kolawole and his team. I appreciate you all!
Akintunde Rotimi returns home
The powerful federal parliamentarian of the Second Republic, Honourable Akintunde Rotimi, is dead. Akintunde Rotimi was a member of the second republic Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) then founded and led by the Avatar of our time, Papa Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory.
Honourable Akintunde Rotimi died in Lagos over a month ago. He will be buried this weekend at his hometown Odo-Aiyedun in Ekiti State. Akintunde was a jolly good fellow. He was such a powerful and colourful parliamentarian of the second republic Federal House of Representatives that he will continue to live in all politically conscious Nigerians.
We bid him farewell and goodbye! All of us must die!! It is a necessity in human life!!! Akintunde, well done; You have tried your best on earth and Nigeria’s political public will remember you. Okun O. Odigbose.
NEXT WEEK
WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE SERIALISATION OF THE BRILLIANT AND WELL EDITED PROFESSOR WALE ADEBANWI BOOK ON THE LATE MAMA H.I.D AWOLOWO
(BOOK YOUR COPY IN ADVANCE)
and then