13th December, 2010
On Wednesday November 3, 2010, in the course of scanning through the pages of DAILY SUN, my eyes caught a disturbing caption, “Diya’s human parts storm:…â€Quoting, the first paragraph of the report: “Initially, it started as a rumour. And with time it spread like wild fire. The story about the involvement of former Chief of Army Staff, General Oladipo Diya (rtd), in human parts sales published recently in a weekly newspaper came as a rude shock to many peopleâ€.
However, before delving into this issue, I wish to aver that my honest submission should not be misconstrued as a disclaimer on behalf of the affable and scandalized retired General. Rather, I want it to be seen as a candid testimonial on a man I had interacted with on many occasions: a man I had slept in his two homes in Ikeja (Lagos), and Odogbolu country home in Ogun State; a man of strong conviction; a man who places a high premium on a good name and his reputation; a man who is not ashamed to talk about his vices and virtues – a man whose God-fearing nature has endeared him to my heart, a man I have on my volition adopted as my “Baami†(an eptthet in Ijebu language for Daddy or Father).
Now back to the question : Could General Oladipo Diya condescend so low to partake, or initiate such a barbaric act? My response: Based on my deep relationship with Diya, is No. Could Diya have ventured into the mortuary services business for fetish or material motives? My answer is, No. At this juncture, one may be tempted to ask  what must have made me stick out my neck for this embattled but unperturbed and patriotic General? The answer can be found in this brief explanation which I hope any discerning mind will find logical and convincing.
Owing to the fact that my outfit, African Museum & Centre for African American History is doing a self-commissioned biography on him, I think I have the authorial authority and moral license to comment on any aspect of General Diya’s life without prodding from any quarters. Conversely, I do not need his permission nor prompting to admit to the things I know to be TRUE OR FALSE ABOUT HIS PERSON. Now, to the vital question: What could have prompted the retired General to venture into this unusual business of caring for the dead? I threw the above question at him during one of my numerous breakfast sessions with him (in the presence of his two wives namely Mrs. Josephine Diya and Mrs. Folasade Diya and his childhood friend, Chief Kayode Olusoga. Also present was Diya’s daughter, Kemi. At this time, General Diya had got tired of my penchant for asking him questions at such events owing to the need to observe table manners . But for me and the ‘Africaness’ in me, I thought that was the best time to gist and ask an elder questions. After a moment’s pause, he stared at me menacingly with his intimidating, war-weary eyeballs. Responding rather warmly, hear him: “Mr. Journalist’, (referring to me in his usual humorous style), When I lost my father, I was not happy, neither was I pleased with the way his corpse was handled by the mortuary staff of the government-owned hospital we took him. That prompted me to make a vow to float a private mortuary. And my desire is to make LOTAD (the name of our outfit), the best in Africa. Without any prompting, he adds: “We have done our best from inception by maintaining high professional standards because the remains of one’s parents or relations desire proper care in death!â€
Just like I said earlier, I do not wish to hold brief for the General: Rather, from my very close interaction with him on a daily basis spanning years, I had not for once stumbled on any fetish object depicting him as fetish or ritualistic. I had shared rides with him; … shared meals with him;… slept in his houses;… worn pairs of clothes hitherto worn by him; I had sat (in) and scanned his two offices; I had entered places ordinary visitors dared not trespass – and during the last days of his late Mum on earth, I had entered her room too. Yet, not once did I come across anything so absurd and disconcerting to depict Oladipo Diya and his family as fetish. In the same vein, I had engaged scores of visitors, friends and family members in conversations in order to get the good, the bad and the ugly side(s) of Diya; yet, not once did anyone whisper to me, nor insinuated anything fetish or ritualistic on Diya. Rather, every morning, I’ve had to rush down to his residence to join scores of fellow worshipers in giving praises to God in Diya’s chapel.
As far as I am concerned, the former staff of Diya’s mortuary outfit that made the shameful and slanderous allegation, Mr. Oluwatosin Onatade should be invited for questioning to give more facts, backed up with dates, time and names of clients whose corpses had be mutilated for whatever intention or purpose. Similarly, the accuser should be made to go through a psychiatrist test. Other actions to be taken to seek redress should be explored by General Diya whose name has been dragged in the mud.
Above all, knowing General Diya for who he is, and the values he holds dear, at the end of the day, should his ex-staff show remorse and apologise, Diya would forgive him and counsel him not to seek to pull innocent people down for no reason. Diya is too forgiving ,compassionate and God-fearing to hurt a living soul – let alone  committing acts capable of desecrating the dead.
Just like every homo sapiens dwelling on earth, Diya has his weaknesses too. But that is another story for another day.
Suffice to say here that Oladipo Diya is not a perfect human being. But to call this gentleman officer a ritualist, is a hot rude slap. That is the ‘unkindest cut of allâ€, borrowing the expression of William Shakespeare in JULIUS CAESER.
—Ade Osijo writes from Lagos