He walked into the Shaw Theatre venuebof my Play Awo in London and beckoned on me
His wife has to sit in the front, and I said, ‘No problem.’
He rolled her in and I noticed she was with a cane. I didn’t say anything nor ask but assisted and she had a good show
Yemi is one of Nigeria’s biggest real estate people on the international scene
He has made the UK powerlist several times and has as clients some of the most sophisticated global clients.
His office is modelled exactly like the British Prime Minister’s No 10 and he was the first to take me to a British Premier League game to see Chelsea with one of President Tinubu’s sons
Then he invited me to a book launch at the Wheatbaker a few days ago
It was a Book Launch and his wife was on show
I walked into the elegant foyer and there she stood with a cane and all the telltale signs of an encounter with stroke, the debilitating illness that has taken thousands of Nigerians
I have witnessed this. My father had one and it was not a funny experience
She was gracious as I hugged her and started working the room but the visuals that pervade the hall caught my attention
It was Temi in different stages of the stroke and in recovery
Tubes all over her, in the hospital and her in various stages of recovery
I had to rush out and rush back having a meeting with Chief Emeka Anyaoku thereby missing a lot of the conversation during the event
Then Yemi asked for afang and said he was bringing two people and I said no problem
Temi walked into the room with her cane and a little bit of help from Yemi and his colleague my new Akwa Ibom brother
Udeme and Tosh were already in the room quaffing very aggressively at the well laid out Afang
My Afang was rich as it came with Snails, dry fish, goat meat and Fufu to wolf it down
Yemi and Temi’s Afang was quite rich but Yemi caught my attention
His full attention to Temi, his love for her, his overriding protection and his attention to every detail around and about her
Yemi, you know this is your story – I said. He looked up and fixated his eyes on me
Couldn’t read his mind from his face but he was ready for this conversation
I got a call, something had happened on the driveway and we rushed her to the hospital
It was a double whammy stroke and she went into a coma for weeks.
It was pregnancy-induced but she had been having some issues with a condition which made her just fall asleep just like that
She was quite a successful banker but had to let go cos of that initial condition
Temi went into a coma leaving Yemi with three kids one of which being 13 months old and still suckling
How did you cope, i Jumped in and he smiled – I coped na and still went to work on that Monday
I shuttled the hospital three times a day but wasn’t really worried cos she was having the very best in care
After some weeks, she suddenly woke up and the strenuous part of aftercare started
He now went into a very technical conversation of how she was tube fed, and all the therapy she has had to go through, and ended by saying – she is 60% recovered if you take it from pre-stroke but 70% if u take it from post-stroke.
This for me was intriguing. Here was Yemi with a full-on brilliant career, a young man in his 40s with the world at his feet and now life throws him this curve ball
Has it crossed your mind to run? I asked, looking into his eyes intently expecting him to give me the obvious answer of God forbid with his eyes telling me the truth
He stared full on into my eyes and said – If the shoes were on the other leg, would she run? He said smiling and lightly touching her forearm
Edgar, some days are good and others are bad
It’s the psychological part of it that is the hardest. When u offer to assist, she will go – is it cos I am like this and we will back off
As we spoke, we delved into the delicious Afang with Temi pulling in the morsels with the expertise of an Ibibio damsel
Yemi, you know this is your story and Temi agrees and Yemi looks startled
I continue, this is your story cos anybody can fall sick but it takes a man to stand and hearken to the call of Duty
He relaxes and looks away from me and into his Afang and I move on.
I got my story, Temi’s stroke was Yemi’s story.
A beautiful story of valour, a story of undiluted love but very much importantly a brilliant answer to a powerful call to duty
Yemi is a man, I tell you.
God bless Yemi and Temi for their inspiring life.
Temi’s book unmerited grace on her journey as a stroke survivor is out, if you need a copy buzz me
Don’t beat me on this one, too
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: April 18, 2026
