By Editor
In an emotion ladden speech, the publisher of popular society magazine, Kayegbo, Chief Ogunniyi Morakinyo yesterday revealed the story of his grass to grace journey through his encounter with two important people in his life.
He made the revelation during the 10th anniversary of Afe Babalola Beneficiaries Day Worldwide ( ABBW) held at Ewi’s Palace in Ado Ekiti yesterday.
The publisher, who doubles as the initiating coordinator of ABBW in his address to the large audience, narrated the story of his life which he traced to 1999 when he left Lagos and relocated to Ado Ekiti.
“I started promoting our young state then with the publication of Kayegbo which is today a house name in Ekiti and beyond”
According to him, “On one occasion, when kabiyesi the Ewi Oba Rufus Adejugbe got a copy of the magazine, he summoned me to his palace and there and then, my story changed”, he said
Chief Morakinyo further disclosed that the Ewi in appreciation of his modest contribution to the upliftment of the State through Kayegbo news magazine, made a pledge to introduce the paper and the publisher to Aare Babalola who was staying in Ibadan then. His purpose was to find me a helper”
“True to his words, the following day I received a phone call from Aare Babalola all the way from Ibadan asking to come right away to his residence.
“Low and behold, I took off the second day to Ibadan where Aare Babalola received me with warm welcome and told me how Ewi had spoken so well about me promoting the state through the publication of Kayegbo with a specific instruction to assist me. I was short for words as Aare wrote a checque of N250,000 for me in 1999. He did not stop at that, he gave me a cash of N20,000 for my transport” he concluded.
Ogunniyi, who expressed gratitude for the unusual kind gesture from the founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti added that the cash gift he received in 1999 had turned his life around today having accomplished all his life goals.
