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Sunday 25 May 2014

Crisis Rocks Otedola’s Family 7 Days Burial

As the government of Lagos State and members of the family of the late Sir Michael Agbolade Otedola finalise arrangements for a befitting burial for the former civilian governor of the state next Friday, feelers from the Odorangushin, Epe residence of the Otedolas indicate that all is not well with the family.
P.M.NEWS gathered from a member of the family Friday that Lady Doja Otedola, the widow of the late Otedola, and her children were doing everything possible to prevent the two children of the first wife of the former governor, Beatrice, from having anything to do with the burial.

•The late Otedola
•The late Otedola
The late Beatrice had two daughters for the late Otedola. The elder one, Mosunmola Otedola is living at Odoragushin while the younger one, Folake Otedola, is in the United Kingdom.
Infomation gathered Friday morning that Lady Doja Otedola’s eldest daughter, Ayo, this morning ordered that the belongings of Mosunmola be thrown out of the house.
Prior to this, our source disclosed that Lady Doja and her children, including oil billionaire, Femi Otedola, had sidelined Mosunmola and Folake from contributing to the burial programme.
The source also disclosed that efforts made by Folake Otedola to get the burial programme so that she could process her travel papers to come to Nigeria for the burial was denied her by Lady Doja and her children.
“They don’t want her to come for the burial of her father next week. Everything she requested for to be able to process her travel papers to Nigeria were not sent to her. In fact, they told her to stay back in the United Kingdom because they don’t want any scandal during the burial,” the source speaking on behalf of Folake told P.M.NEWS.
P.M.NEWS also gathered that Ayo had sworn that the children of Beatrice will not participate in the burial of Otedola.
“We don’t know what we have done to them that is making them to be hostile to us. We want the state government and other well wishers of the Otedola family to intervene and rescue us from Lady Doja and her children. We are also Papa Otedola’s children and we are entitled to participate in the burial of our father. Mosunmola is the first child of Otedola. why are they treating her like this. Please, help us o,” the source told P.M.NEWS.
The source disclosed to P.M.NEWS further that Mosunmola was locked up in her room on Wednesday by the children of Lady Doja Otedola and nearly suffocated to death. She was freed when she contacted her sister in the UK through the phone, who, it was learnt, narrated her sister’s ordeal to a close relative in Epe.
It is not clear where Femi Otedola stands in the imbroglio rocking the family but our source said he refused to talk to Mosunmola and Folake Otedola over the burial arrangements.
Efforts to reach Doja and Femi were fruitless at press time. However, our reporter was still at the home of the Otedolas at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile,  former Lagos State Governor, Sir Michael Otedola, who died at the age of 88 will be buried on 30 May, 2014.
A statement from the Lagos State Government and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Aderemi Ibirogba said the late octogenarian would be buried next Friday after a funeral mass at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Ibowon, at 11 a.m., after which guests would be hosted to a reception at St. Patrick’s Grammar School, Eredo.
The statement said as a way of giving a befitting honour and recognition to Otedola, the government and people of the state, would hold a special farewell ceremony, to commemorate the passage of the great leader and astute statesman.
The government has set aside Wednesday, 28 May, 2014 as “Day of Tributes”, for the recognition of the contributions of the Epe-born politician to Lagos State.
The programme, which will hold at Onikan Stadium, Lagos from 10.00 a.m, according to Ibirogba, is expected to attract dignitaries from all walks of life, including former governors of the state and notable eminent personalities across the country.
In the statement, the former governor would lie-in- state at his Epe residence on Thursday, 29 May from 2.40 p.m. while Christian wake-keep would hold at the same venue from 4 p.m. that day.
The statement enjoined Lagosians and indeed Nigerians to support the state government in giving honour to the departed leader.

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