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
The Association of Voice-Over Artistes AVOA Nigeria has re-elected veteran Nollywood Actor and Voice over guru, Segun Arinze as its President for another tenure.
While thanking members of the Association for the confidence reposed in him, Mr Arinze promised to take AVOA to the new frontiers.
Here is the statement from Mr. Arinze to AVOA Members “Great AVOAITES!! I want to thank every member of our great Association for the confidence reposed in us by re-electing us for another term.
I look forward to an eventful four years ahead. Promising to take AVOA to greater heights and achieving key milestones.
Helping our older members consolidate and opening future doors of opportunities for our young members so they can reach their God given potentials as they learn and gain experience from the older members.
In the coming days we shall be sharing our blue print for AVOA. I appeal that there should be no more sitting on the fence while the world keeps evolving.
The challenges ahead are enormous but surmountable. We need each other to get to our destination. Together we shall succeed. God bless AVOA. Thank you all”
During his first tenure, Mr, Arinze focused on members empowerment and capacity building as he worked hard to create opportunities for new talents, through training, and entrepreneurial development, this led to the introduction of the most successful empowerment program tagged AVOA VOICEFEST.
He was also a strong voice advocating for the rights and interests of its members, including addressing issues like the ban on foreign voice actors.
ELECTORAL PANEL
AS A RESULT OF THE JUST CONCLUDED ELECTIONS, WE HEREBY DECLARE THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES AS ELECTED TO SERVE IN AVOA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR THE NEXT FOUR (4) YEARS
PRESIDENT – SEGUN ARINZE
VICE PRESIDENT – MALAM ABDUL MOHAMED
GENERAL SECRETARY – JOY OGBEKENE
ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY – NGOZI OFILI
FINANCE DIRECTOR – TESSY BROWN
BUSINESS DIRECTOR – BUSARI ESH OLATUNJI
PUBLICITY DIRECTOR – SABUR GARBA
CHIEF WHIP – FUNKE LAODE
CONGRATULATIONS
SWEARING IN CEREMONY WOULD BE COMMUNICATED IN DUE COURSE.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT PRIVILEGE TO SERVE.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
ELECTORAL PANEL
Entertainment
Ugandan Man With 120 Wives,102 Children ,568 Grandchildren, Says He’s Done With Child Bearing
He now fears sneezing near his wives — because that’s how baby number 103 might start.
After turning his house into a full-blown secondary school with 102 children, an Ugandan man has finally retired from “ministry of multiplication.”
Why? Because garri don cost and even the calculator is tired of counting school fees.
The man confessed: I love children, but the electricity bill alone is quite exhausting, I don’t know whether my children are eating or drinking the electricity as it finishes daily
He reportedly held a “final family meeting” where he begged his wives to “rest small” and even considered printing “We’re Full” on their gate.
He now fears sneezing near his wives — because that’s how baby number 103 might start.
Source: Facebook
Entertainment
Davido “Lol, I AM IGBO by blood”
A social media user, @Yakbel, cautioned Davido against maintaining close ties with Igbos, suggesting they would eventually betray him.
Music star Davido has responded to a social media post criticising his association with the Igbo community.
A user, @Yakbel, cautioned Davido against maintaining close ties with Igbos, suggesting they would eventually betray him.
The user wrote: “Davido just dey carry Ibo full body, until when dem betray am before e rest, Yoruba boy dey frolick with Ibos in 2025, they want your head and everything you have to belong to them, you can never satisfy Ibos ooo, IBOs are not people you surround yourself with as a Yoruba man”
Davido swiftly dismissed the tribal sentiment, replying, “Lol, I AM IGBO by blood”.
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