Nigerian gospel singer Yinka Ayefele narrated in an open interview howhis father Pa Joshua Taiwo Fele, died on October 12.
The sad news broke out weeks after the famous musician and his wife had welcomed their third child.
Speaking recently with City People, Yinka said that his father, a renowned teacher in Ipoti Ekiti who rose to the post of Headmaster before his demise, knew he would die soon, which happened on the day of his 76th birthday.
When asked about how it happened, the singer said:
“I believe Baba (father) had premonition of his death, he knew he was going to die because he called me a week before his demise that he wanted to celebrate his birthday. I was very happy because he had never celebrated his birthday before. Even when he clocked 70, I wanted to celebrate his birthday for him, and I told him I want to put something together for him, and stopped me from doing it, because he was of the belief that anybody who celebrates birthday won’t live long. So I was very surprised when he called me to tell me that he is planning to celebrate his 76th birthday.”
Yinka disclosed that his father also called his siblings to invite them and called him again October 11, a day before the birthday.
The artiste continued narrating in detail everything that happened already on Sunday:
“I got to Ipoti around 12 noon and he was already in the church, so I just went straight to my own house and waited for him to come back from church. I called him few minutes later to tell him that I am around and he was so excited. Usually, my father comes to my house whenever I am in Ipoti, even if I didn’t tell him that I am around, once he sees that the there is light in my house , he will know that I am around and he will just come over . So I asked him that where are we going to meet , because my car cannot get to his house , and he told me to park anywhere that he will come and meet me , and I said I am going to park on the main road close to his house .When I got there I saw him waiting for me already on the main road .When I saw him , he was looking very good and very healthy.”
They exchanged some jokes, which Yinka said they usually did, after which Pa Ayefele squeezed his son’s hand showing Yinka his arm.
“And I said Baba , you are looking smaller , and he said this is how I am going to go back to my creator, and I was like what are you saying ? Before I went to Ekiti , I told my tailor to do him a heavy Agbada, so I took it home and gave it to him and he was so happy . When he received it he prayed for me and said “you are our father now, you are our leader and we are all happy with you”. I gave everybody around money, and I left .About seven minutes after I had left Ipoti, they called me that Baba Ayefele is gone, I was like this can’t be true. They rushed him to Federal Medical Centre, Ido . I asked them to give the phone to the doctor, and the doctor said they are waiting for me because they want to pack him. I said pack who ?, I just left him not quite long. That was how it happened.”
He confessed that the news was a big shock for him; his father was believed to be in good health and had never suffered from serious sicknesses before his passing.
