Eminent personalities, including former President of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji Aje Ogunguniso, Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Eng Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan, today honoured former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, at the launch of his autobiography
The unveiling of the book entitled Amazing Grace was held at Tranchard Hall, University of Ibadan. Ibadan
Other dignitaries at the event includes Minister for Youth and Sport Mr Sunday Dare, Senator Teslim Folarin, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, Hon Segun Dokun Odebunmi, Hon Akeem Adeyemi, Hon Ajao Adejumo Hon Shina Abiola Peller, Hon Wumi Oladeji and Hon Simeon Oyeleke.
Others includes, Oloye Bayo Adelabu, Prof Adeolu Adeleke, Chairman,Former Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, NCC, Senator Hosea Agboola Oloye Akinade Fijabi, Senator Femi lanlehin, Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, Alake Adeyemo, Engr Femi Babalola among others.
Alao Akala the former governor of Oyo state and leader of the All Progressives Congress APC in the state in his speech said “In writing the book, I was faced with the challenge of narrating some of the events in innuendoes, window dressing critical occurrences therein or bluntly recounting them as they occured. I chose the latter. This book sets wonky records straight. It properly constructs or even reconstructs some of the tissues of lies spurned about me, especially within the period of my being at the driver’s seat of Oyo state’s administration. It situated occurrences, without malice and with an acute presence off mind , in their proper perspectives, carefully appending names of the dramtis personae of events to this critical junctures of history.
” I am a product of grace. I was the pencil in the hands of the creator who drew the picture of who I am today. God brought me from junctures where many who had great and greater hope of tomorrow fell. He lifted me, without an iota of hope, to my feet and brought me to this juncture.”
” What however gladdens me is that Amazing Grace would be an addition to narratives of the lives of those who mutated from the proverbial grass to the place of grace. I dare say that it will lift up the spirits of anyone who may find themselves in the unfortunate life’s intersection that I found myself in 1952. Amazing grace will tell them that to navigate to the top is a grace away”
The book reviewer Dr Saka Balogun said Alao Akala is a child of God with utmost concern for the welfare of the people of the state but have no justication for moving to four political parties in four years
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Alaafin of Of Oyo, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Dr Saka Balogun, in their separate remarks, commended Alao Akala for the good work and recommend the book for public use
