• Moving tale of man who became disabled two months to wedding
From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Dotun Opeifa, 40, was a promising plumber some years back. He had his workshop in Abeokuta, Ogun State. His wedding was just two months away then something happened.
He told Daily Sun: “I had an accident in 2019 at Sango Ota in Ogun State. It was two weeks to my wedding. There was a case of robbery in my house. I was on my way to the police station to make official report. I was knocked down by a vehicle on my way to the police station.
“I did not know what happened until when I woke up in the hospital after two months. The wedding could not hold and I am still single now. My wife to be went with another man. She tried but my situation did not give her any hope.
“In the accident, my two legs were broken. My skull was also broken to the extent that people could see my brain outside. People did not know I could survive. But God has given me a second chance. I am alive today, though not as a complete human being.”
His family spent what they had on his treatment but they could not meet up: “The doctors attending to me initially requested for N4million. This subsequently increased to N5million. Several letters were written to the Ogun Stae Government for assistance, but no positive response came from the government.”
Luck, however, came when somebody gave him the telephone number of Olufemi Oguntoyinbo, governorship candidate, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ogun State. He put a call to the number and the man picked.
Opeifa introduced himself, and Oguntoyinbo fixed an appointment with him for the following day:
“To my surprise, he met with me the following day. He gave me half of the money that I needed for the surgery. It was N2million that he gave me. He did not know me and I did not know him.
“He is a good man. He is a man of integrity. What the government did not do, he did it for me, despite the fact that he is not a political office holder yet. If he could do this as a private citizen, he will do more when he becomes governor of Ogun State.
“This is why I am soliciting the support of all eligible voters in Ogun State for him. I can say it authoritatively that the NNPP governorship candidate in Ogun State for the 2023 general elections, has spent up to N2.6million on me.
“I was discharged from hospital in 2020. Though the operations were not completed yet, I could still walk with my two legs after I left the hospital.
“The implant in the legs were removed. But a time came when my left leg got broken again. Then, I could not walk again. I have been confined to wheelchairs since then.
“I was sick and I was taken to hospital for treatment. I was diagnosed of having acute shortage of blood. I became pale. I was told at the hospital that only 15 per cent of blood remained in my body. Then, two pants of blood were transfused into my body.
“But my left leg that got broken again has infection. It has to be operated on as soon as possible for me to stay alive. If it is not operated, I was told that it might affect my existence.
“I was a plumber and I was a thoroughbred professional. I had some apprentices before I was involved in the accident. The workshop opened for some months after my accident before I ordered that it should be closed down.
“I gave the order because my apprentices did on several occasions shoddy jobs for some clients. The clients were not happy and it was becoming embarrassing. This was the reason I closed the workshop. I could not take charge again based on the accident that has made me become physically challenged.
“The new lease of life given to me by Chief Oguntoyinbo, is why I came from Abeokuta to Ibadan in solidarity with the next governor of Ogun State, Olufemi Oguntoyinbo. He has done well for me. I pray that God will grant his heart desires.”
Oguntoyinbo recently featured on the guest forum of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ago Tapa, Mokola, Ibadan. He said he has been helping people as a private citizen.
He promised to do more when he becomes the governor of Ogun State: “I will build a new Ogun State when I become governor.”