Read When We Made Men Page 14

CHAPTER 11

  The rest of nation builders

  Let’s have a round of applause for our guest today on the show as he exits, Alhaji (Dr.) Oyebode Kosoko, prince of Lagos, honourable elder statesman and presidential aspirant of Yorubaland. Alhaji Kosoko leaves the studio with a wild round of applause following him and his aide brings his phone. It was his secretary; she had called to congratulate him on the obvious success of the announcement of his presidential ambitions. She read off the other programs on his agenda in the next seven hours. He was having a meeting with the National Secretary and National President of the PA in forty-five minutes at Lagos Mainland Hotel. He was meeting the Olubadan of Ibadan in two hours to receive his blessing. It was a critical aspect which will show possible detractors and opponents that he had strong traditional support, especially Gbolabo who had tried to destroy his relationship with the Ibadan royalty by impersonating the Olubadan’s representative with an informant who didn’t even know that the Olubadan always signed his name in blood letters. After this public show of support, he had another interview with Alaroye and BCOS reporters.

  I also have a document I retrieved from Chief Gbolabo’s house, you may like to see it. It has details of Gbolabo’s claims of some medical breakthrough.

  That’s alright. Please bring it to my suite at Lagos Mainland Hotel.

  As she ended the conversation, the secretary turned to the driver who had been sneaking looks at her all evening. Mr Ekpeyong, please we are going to Lagos Mainland Hotel, it’s not far, twenty minutes.

  Yes madam. He still wondered why she couldn’t speak with him in Efik if they were from the same village. Lagos na wa O, he muttered under his breath still peeping through the rear view to watch her reaction. There was none. He wheeled the vehicle into the light traffic on Awolowo way. Time on the dashboard’s digital clock dazzled a green 10:30pm.

  Avery still had thirty minutes before the scheduled meeting with the party chieftains started, if they didn’t work with the ‘African time’ menace.