By Francesca Hangeior.
Folasade Adu, a former aide to Ondo State’s immediate past First Lady, Mrs Betty Akeredolu, has come forward with allegations of abandonment after serving the late Governor Rotimi Akerdolu’s wife for seven years without any form of reward.
Adu alleged that while working with the ex-first lady, she was paid N50,000 as salary, out of which N5,100 was deducted monthly for seven years.
An emotional Adu disclosed this in an interview with Ondo-based journalist, Prince Olujimi Adekale, on Monday, April 22, 2024.
Adu claimed that when she sought assistance after leaving her job, Mrs Akeredolu refused, citing her lack of power as an excuse.
Tearfully recounting her ordeal, Adu said, “I worked for Her Excellency (Mrs Betty Akeredolu) for more than seven years. When I was going, she did not give me anything. I worked with her for srven years as her makeup artist. I used to make her hair (when she was still making her hair) and do her pedicure.
“I was paid N50,000 then, but I usually gave back N5,000 to BRECAN. They would have deducted the N5,000 before the salary was paid. They called it ‘give back to BRECAN’. Another N100 was also usually deducted as charges. So, it was N44,900 that usually gets to me as salary at the end of the month.”
Asked why the sum of N5,100 was usually deducted from her salary monthly, she disclosed that the deduction was Mrs Akeredolu’s directive.
She said, “That was how it was from the beginning. She (Betty Akeredolu) said we would give back 10% of our salary to BRECAN.”
BRECAN is an acronym for the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria, founded by Mrs Akeredolu.
It is an organisation that is galvanising action against breast cancer in Nigeria through public education, patient support, advocacy, and research.
BRECAN was founded in 1997 after Mrs Akeredolu’s experience with breast cancer.
Adu further alleged that the late Akeredolu’s wife refused to offer any form of reward when she disengaged her services after the death and burial of her late husband and former governor
She added that when she sought assistance, the former first lady claimed she could not render any form of assistance because she was no longer in power.
Adu stated, “She said she’s out of office, so there is no help that she can render.
“I left working with her after the final burial of her husband (Rotimi Akeredolu). When I was to leave, her daughter asked me what I was going to be doing, and I sent her a business proposal of about N4m to reopen my studio.
“Till now, they did not get back to me. I sent a text message to Betty Akeredolu that I needed help and that she was my last hope, that she should render help to me, but she said there was no help that she could render because she is now out of office.
“I usually reach out to her to help me. She once told me that since I have a passport, she would take me out of the country, but till now, nothing.”
She noted that she used to have a studio of her own but lost all her customers while in the service of the ex-first lady.
“I used to have a shop, but I’ve lost all my customers. So right now, I’m just at home doing nothing,” she said,
Speaking further, Adu, who broke down in tears, revealed that coupled with her job as the ex-firstlady’s makeup artist and hair stylist, she sometimes worked as her assistant.
“There’s nowhere she goes to in Nigeria that I don’t follow her. At times, I even worked as her personal assistant.”
Now struggling without income, Adu appealed for support to reopen her shop, as her husband is also unemployed.
She added, “My husband is not doing anything for now. He was working before. The vehicle he was using for a taxi, we used for Akeredolu’s second term campaign, hoping that after the campaign, we would get something. Unfortunately, the vehicle got bad, and we had to sell it at the rate of N100,000.
“I want the people of Ondo State to help me because, as of now, there is nothing. I have been thinking and crying every day. I need help to reopen my shop.”