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, “Diyaâ€
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 Diyaâ€
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, Iâ€
As far as I am concerned, the former staff of Diyaâ€
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