Tribute To Late Tola Akintunde Who Saved Me From Suicide By Ckn

 

Tribute To My Sister And Dependable Friend Late Tola Akintunde Who Saved Me From Committing Suicide By Ckn

I thought there would be a proper time to really tell the story one day over a cocktail but I never knew your journey would end so soon 

Our path crossed in the 90s when Tolani was an Entertainment writer with Tribune Newspaper 

Her boss was  Olabode Opeseitan who later became a very big boy at Globacom 

Then,  Tolani will visit my office at Adeniyi Jones Ikeja during my days as the Artiste and Promotions Manager of Sony Music 

I had so many friends in the Entertainment writers click then

They include Yinka Oyekan Yinka Agboola , Femi Davies , Segun Banjo , Biodun Olakanmi Kupoluyi , Michael Adande Mike Effiong , Charles Okogene Femi Adepoju Prof Ayandiji Aina Niran Adedokun , Steve Ayorinde Jude Arijaje , Amadi Ogbonna and so many others too many to mention 

It was also a great pleasure to catch up with them every week as they assist me to promote so many of my artistes like Lagbaja , SSP , Funmi Aragbaiye , Adewale Ayuba , Obesere , Lt Shotgun ( Ade Akpata ) and even Majek Fashek 

There were very few female entertainment writers then 

Another one was Bolanle Badmus ( I am not too sure of the first name now )

Tolani was exceptional,  very smart , extremely beautiful ( no wonder she later on became an actress ) 

She followed us to all the night gigs ( she had to send her reports weekly just like every other person on the beats ) 

In 1999 or so , I had to leave Sony Music unceremoniously . Tolani at that period too was thinking of leaving Tribune 

On leaving Sony Music , I was at a cross road,  I didn’t have another job , I didn’t have any other place to go to

But I was consoled with the fact it i had a friend who was also in the industry but was heading the PR department of another record company 

He was older and richer than me 

Even while in the industry,  he had secured an office somewhere in Opebi Ikeja where he was running a thriving PR business 

Since we were seen in the industry as seamless twins , I thought I would be able to leverage on ,toby using his office as a contact point while I try to sort out my self 

Tolani and I decided to approach him to allow us use his office as our contact points

He agreed 

On a daily basis we will show up in his office , seat at his reception area , while away time and go home 

We also gave out the address to friends as our contact point 

Few weeks later , without any disagreement,  my friend called me into his office and asked me to stop coming to his office 

I asked him why , he said most of our friends and colleagues are having the impression that I own the office 

This was an office that has been in existence two years before Tolani and I came 

I told him that was impossible,  firstly we only seat at the reception whenever we came to his office, he has his main office , which none of us ever entered 

So what was that all about, but he insisted I must stop coming to his office again ,neither should I use it as a contact 

Tolani was not around when I got the shocker , I left immediately,  I contemplated commiting suicide ( this is the first time I am revealing this to anyone) 

When Tolani heard of  how i was treated , she came to my house next day and begged me to take it easy , that all will be well 

With that talk , i changed my mind , of ending it all 

Even though our common friend didn’t include her in the ban , she vowed never to go to the office again 

She requested we jointly look for an office , as fate would have it , a lady was moving out of her shop in the same building where our common friend had his office at IREWOLE Street,  Opebi Ikeja , Tolani spoke to her to introduce us to the landlady,  which she did 

We jointly paid for the shop 

While she was into her stuffs , that was where I started my first company IKENGA ENTERTAINMENT,  IKENGA AWARDS and MISS IKENGA PAGEANT which later metamorphosed into Starslinks Communications Ltd and CKNNews Ltd and CKNNews Inc ( USA )

The rest is now history,  Tolani left to join Daar Communications as a Marketing Executive etc before relocating abroad where she died few weeks ago 

It is a very long story but let me stop here because tears is allover my eyes 

Tolani , whatever I am today , you were a part of it. I will never never forget the goods you did to me 

Probably if not for you , I wouldn’t have been alive today 

You saved me from depression and an attempt to commit suixxxde 

May God grant you peace and safe passage 

We part to meet again 

Chris Kehinde Nwandu 

Executive Editor CKNNews