Entertainment
Otedola Bridge tanker fire: Dotun Oladipo, Publisher, The Eagle Online, Narrates his escape with wife, child, and car, but lost his mechanic
▪︎Collage of Dotun Oladipo, Publisher, The Eagle Online, (left), and Rotimi Olaleye, the mechanic.
I write this from the point of ‘Pain’ and ‘Gratitude’.
Pain because of the death of a hardworking and honest man, Rotimi Olaleye, who was both a great father, as attested to by his children who he has been taking care of single-handedly since his wife died about five years ago, and an honest and diligent auto mechanic, as confirmed by his clients, including yours truly.
We met less than a week before his death, but he left an unforgettable impression on me, even in death. Gratitude?
I was less than 10 seconds away from where Mr. Olaleye was when the fire that took his life occurred with my wife and first child.
Let me start from the beginning. I met Mr. Olaleye on March 8, 2025, following a need to change my mechanic.
I was introduced to him by the best car air conditioning technician I had ever met, Mr. Akinola Ayeni. We drove the car together on that day.
He spotted some issues, including the fact that the former handler was as careless as not putting the knots that should be holding the connecting ABS wire to the wheel of the driver’s side, by just driving the car.
That was quickly fixed. And he told me, very honestly, that other things had to wait until Monday. That he needed to finish some other jobs. I left happily.
On Monday, I took the car to him. He appeared meticulous. Aside from the fact, that I told him that on completing the work on the Highlander, which my wife uses, I was going to send my car for servicing, he was not in a hurry to declare the vehicle fit. people behind me.
One woman came out of her car and started banging ours: “Move, move.”
She did it a second time and I wound down the back glass, addressing her and my wife who had also become agitated: “We have a man down there. Let’s see if there is still something we can do before we go too far.”
And then his line stopped ringing. My head immediately told me to call Mr. Ayeni. As soon as he picked it up, he asked me: “Have you collected your car? Rotimi has parked by the gate and is waiting for you.”
He did not even hear me saying there was trouble at the workshop until I shouted at the top of my voice.
Mr. Ayeni, who was at Agidingbi, immediately turned back. He, alongside others, discovered the remains of Mr. Olaleye, lying face down. His apprentices who were with him said as the truck crashed, he told them to flee that he needed to “save his customer’s car”.
Meanwhile, his own car was just behind mine. He succeeded in turning the car around to face the workshop. But that was as far as he made it. I cried that night. Something I have not done in several years. I wept bitterly.
In the short period I knew Mr. Olaleye, I learned a lot of lessons.
He left an impact I would never forget. But it was a pity he didn’t pick up my last call, which was to tell him to abandon the car and flee to safety.
His meticulousness on the job was second to none from what I saw in the three days of being with him. He also knew his job. Adieu Mr. Olaleye.
■ SylvaNews
Entertainment
Why I almost quit music after Mo’Hits ended -Don Jazzy
In an interview with ‘Rolling Stone’, Don Jazzy disclosed that the abrupt dissolution of Mo’Hits, triggered by irreconcilable differences between him and D’banj, left him convinced his career was over.
Producer and music executive Michael Collins Ajereh popularly known as Don Jazzy has revealed why he nearly abandoned the music industry and relocated abroad following the 2012 collapse of Mo’Hits Records, the label he co-founded with singer D’banj.
In an interview with ‘Rolling Stone’, Don Jazzy disclosed that the abrupt dissolution of Mo’Hits, triggered by irreconcilable differences between him and D’banj, left him convinced his career was over.
“When Mo’Hits ended, I thought that was it. I almost packed up to move abroad. But friends encouraged me to stay and start again, and Mavin Records was born. Since then, I’ve learned not to let anything break me”, he said.
The split marked the end of one of Afrobeats’ most successful partnerships, which had produced hits like “Tongolo,” “Why Me,” and “Fall in Love.”
Entertainment
Burna Boy: Fela is the only artiste greater than me
In a viral clip from the stream, Burna Boy was seen dancing and singing along to Fela’s 1981 classic protest anthem, “Coffin for Head of State,” before emphatically declaring: “He is the king. He is the only one greater than me.”
Grammy-winning Nigerian superstar, Burna Boy, has declared that the late Afrobeat maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is the only musician he considers greater than himself.
The self-acclaimed “African Giant” made the statement during a live streaming session with popular American content creator PlaqueBoyMax, where he spoke passionately about Fela’s enduring influence on African music and global culture.
In a viral clip from the stream, Burna Boy was seen dancing and singing along to Fela’s 1981 classic protest anthem, “Coffin for Head of State,” before emphatically declaring: “He is the king. He is the only one greater than me.”
Burna Boy’s remark has since generated buzz across social media, with fans and music critics interpreting it as both an homage to Fela and a reaffirmation of his own confidence in his musical legacy.
Entertainment
Why I regrets My relocation to America – Teju Babyface
“America has its own unique challenges that you will go through – tough challenges.
•Comedian and TV host Teju Babyface
Comedian and TV host Teju Babyface, has opened up about his experience of relocation to the United States, revealing that he once regretted moving there.
In a recent video shared on YouTube, the comedian said many people suffer from the “grass is greener” syndrome and the belief that life is better elsewhere until they face the realities of that new environment.
“The issue with life is that we almost suffer from ‘the grass is greener on the other side syndrome’ you understand that, you’ve heard about it before.
When we’re standing in one place, in one position in life and we’re looking at another position at another place from where we’re standing, from our advantage point, that other place looks very green, very rosy, very appealing and we want to be there.
The problem is that we don’t see the challenges of that side from where we are standing.”
Teju explained that his move to America came with unexpected struggles, particularly after the outbreak of COVID-19 shortly after his relocation.
” When we were leaving Nigeria, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was the necessary next step in my career evolution – for us as a family, as a unit.
But when we got here and the challenges started, especially when you consider that COVID-19 started a few months after we arrived, I was convinced I had made the biggest mistake of my life.
“America has its own unique challenges that you will go through – tough challenges.
Then when you add COVID on top of that, ah! For about three years, I was convinced that I had made the biggest mistake of my life. That I had shot myself in the foot.”
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