By Joke Kujenya
EVEN in death, the life of the late Mrs. Olayinka Fatukasi Oladeru, 46, who died in a Ugandan hospital, remains a bundle of mystery. She passed away in Kampala, Uganda, on Friday, December 7, 2018, of yet-to-be ascertained ailment.
Diving beyond our headlines, we inquired into her background. Verdict: her families knew little of her.
In a telephone chat on Tuesday morning, a certain Mr. Idowu Oladeru, an indigene of Erinmo-Ijesa, near Ilesa, who claimed to be a distant family member of the larger Oladeru, said the news had thrown the entire community into a cloud of confusion. The question on the lips of both the paternalists and their offsprings are: who exactly was this mysterious Olayinka?
Mr. Idowu Oladeru told The Crest that the late Olayinka was actually Miss Fatukasi who only got married to one of the Oladeru sons. Even the husband’s whereabouts is yet to be ascertained, the informant hinted.
He further informed that “The Oladeru is a very large family in Erin-Ijesa, Osun State; and not Ire-Ekiti, as we reported on Monday, January 14, 2019. Erin-Ijesa is the hometown of Pastor Folorunsho Kumuyi (the General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church). However, it is noteworthy that all the members of the Oladeru family in Erin-Ijesa are Muslims.
“There is another Oladeru Family in Erinmo-Ijesa, a town between Ijesa and Ijebu-Jesa. And we all are Christians. And since the late Olayinka was a Christian and from Erin-Ijesa, it can only be assumed that she got converted to Christianity, probably after she got married.
“For these reasons, while the families are truly concerned and looking for ways to go and bring home her remains; they are still wondering which of the Oladeru sons in particular, she got married to. I believe it is important for them to ask these questions so they would know where to bring her back to.”
Asked why exactly she travelled to Uganda, Idowu Oladeru said: “For now, it is hard to say precisely. However, last Friday, I called one of the Oladerus in Erin-Ijesa. He told me that they have all been calling one another to determine whose wife she was. But till I speak with you, they are yet to know whose wife she was. You know these days, most family members like to stay alone and you don’t get to know much about them. This could probably be her case. I can’t say precisely yet.
“It is also possible she was an Oladeru in the diaspora who probably never got in touch with anyone back home. We also have several Oladerus in Lagos that have never mingled with their families back home. In fact, I spoke with an Oladeru, a lecturer at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH); who immediately dispatched an emissary to the village in order to make necessary preparations, peradventure they may fetch her back home to Nigeria. There is even a particular Oladeru who could have helped because he is conversant with everyone in the family. But he is currently in Scotland and his contact has not been going through.”
While the Oladerus are still unsure which of the exact Oladerus she belonged to; sharing of her predicament on the social media continues.
Social Media Search
A further web-combing into the personality called Mrs. Olayinka Fatukasi Oladeru, revealed there were six other Olayinka Oladerus as well as five Olayinka Fatukasis. Some with photographs and others with no images.
And all of them were stingy with details about their personal information. On checking through their profiles, nothing could be gleaned or linked with the late Olayinka.
Response from the Immigration
A source in Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, told The Crest that getting the deceased’s personal data cannot be achieved with a snap of the finger. Reason? In the words of the official, “Every applicant’s information is coded in the system. So, it is not something that can easily be assessed by just any officer unless you are specifically assigned to it. In this case, for instance, you will have to write our headquarters in Abuja, with a written letter. Even so, your chance is 50:50.”
Contacting the Hospital
The Crest sent an email to the management of St. Francis Hospital, Nsambya, near Kampala, the Uganda capital, died, requesting for particulars of her admission and death.
But we did not get any response as at the time of filing this report.
St. Francis Nsambya Hospital, according to information gleaned on its website, “is a referral hospital with a bed capacity of 361. It is involved in patients care, research and teaching.
“It offers specialist services in surgery, internal medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology. In addition, there are specialized services in urology, eye care, orthopaedics, endocrinology, endoscopy, laparoscopy, mammography, HIV/AIDS, accidents and emergency. It has both general and private patient facilities. Founded way back in 1903, Nsambya is a Catholic Mission Hospital owned by the Archdiocese of Kampala and managed by the Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.
The hospital has undergone major expansion since its inception and has recently built and expanded the pharmacy and OPD departments. St. Francis Nsambya Hospital has an average of 19,000 admissions every year and receives an average 300 out-patients everyday with 5500 deliveries annually.”
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