If you have not got a copy of the autobiography of Prince Bayo Osiyemi titled: THE CHARMING PRINCE IN JOURNALISM & POLITICS, you are really missing out in some of the stories that shook the nation to its brim.
But let me help you out by bringing some of the stories to your door step, starting with above story which is the 19th Chapter of the book.
Happy Reading:
Generosity, I’m told, is a shield against evil; how true?!
Mike Adenuga of Worldspan Holdings but more popular now as ‘Mr. Globacom’, is one larger than life man whose acts of generosity are legendary. When I was his Public Relations Consultant, I enjoyed his company and made good money from the business errands I ran for him. Beyond that, he didn’t like people around him to wear frowns on their faces, and seeing that, he knew instantly that one was low on cash and he would make the contoured face dissolve into smiles. I enjoyed such largesse from him, especially on Fridays.
I had come to love him and he too became fond of me that at times, after concluding our business transactions, he would still want me to hang around him to exchange banters. The relationship was such on high drive when I woke up at about on a day in April (22), 1990 to the sound of martial music on Radio Nigeria. I knew a coup had occurred; and my mind went straight to Mike that if Babangida was toppled, he too would be in danger of his life, given the fabled closeness of the two of them.
Mike Adenuga ran and still runs his personal office 24 hours, even on public holidays. I immediately put a phone call through and asked to speak with him, but the staff that was on duty said his boss was still in bed.
I demanded that he should be woken up immediately because a coup by some officers had been announced to have taken place. When he picked the call, he was agitated and I asked him to get ready for me to come and ferry him to the boarder and escape to safety…
To be continued.