On December 12, 1997, (12/12/97) Yinka Ayefele then under the tutelage of Kola Olawuyi, the then Popular presenter of 'Iriri Aye' was on his way to attend a radio programme at OGBC, from Ibadan, when he was involved in a ghastly motor accident on Abeokuta road, in which he sustained a spinal cord injury. I was privileged to be part of the team working with the late Kola Olawuyi then.
The past is a slippery thing for Yinka Ayefele as he relieves the bitter experience 17 years after that major accident that affected his two legs, That slippery dark past defined who he is today. Remembering the circumstances that put him in the passenger seat, each presented with the fuzzy edges of a dream. It’s yesteryear remembered with a combination of nostalgia and repulsion, a queasy combination that defines who he is today. But it’s as much a story about the passage of time, and the way memories cling and claw, as one about any given moment.
But Gospel artist Yinka Ayefele continues to thank God for saving his life. I recall our days including my humble self who joined late Kola Olawuyi's Kolbim Communication, as a Youth corper with the likes of Prince Aderibigbe Adewuyi (now the manager of Ayefele's band), Ayo Sotimehin, Mr Oladosu and Yinka Ayefele.
Yinka Ayefele, as the name sounds, has shown the world, especially Africans and specifically Nigerians that there is life after a medical or physical challenge in life. Listening to his brand of Gospel music or watching him in concert is source of inspiration to many Nigerians who think that whatever happens to them is the end of their life.
This morning he took to his Facebook page to share pictures from the accident, as well as a picture of himself before the accident.
He also shared pictures from a family thanksgiving gathering as well as a message with his fans.
He wrote: REJOICE AND THANK GOD WITH ME. the journey started exactly 17yrs ago, it was on Friday December 12th 1997. On my way to Abeokuta where I had that ghastly motor accident. it was indeed MY TURNING POINT. “ODUNMBAKU” I will for ever be grateful to you my Lord. Thank you all for your love, support and encouragement. When there is life there is hope.
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Yinka Ayefele, the first child of his parents, in his early 40's, hailed from Ipoti-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. He had his primary and secondary education at Our Saviours Anglican Primary School, Ipoti-Ekiti, Nigeria. After his elementary education, he proceeded to Ipoti Community Secondary School and later to Ondo State College of Arts and Science, (OSCAS) Ikare Akoko, Nigeria He dropped out from School for some financial constraints.
For many years that Yinka Ayefele worked as a freelance broadcast journalist at the FRCN, Ibadan, Nigeria, not many Nigerians knew about him and his talents for music. He used to produce jingles and musical works on radio.
He became a household name after he was involved in a ghastly automobile accident in 1997, which damaged his spinal cord, and paralyzed from the waist down. Yinka Ayefele, a Tungba Gospel music artist, with a fusion of local juju, Fuji, and Makosa flavor, turned a mishap into a great opportunity that has left him a household name.
After spending nine months on the hospital bed, his friend, Kola Olootu advised that instead of wasting away in the hospital, he should put some songs together. The plan was for him to launch the album and use some of the proceeds for further medical treatment abroad. Ayefele's dexterity in musical composition ironically came into limelight after releasing his first album; "Bitter Experience".
The success of Bitter Experience marked the turning point in his life, with the release of "Sweet Experience". Ayefele's profile in the gospel music industry has been on the rise since Sweet Experience. There have been successful albums such are "Something Else" and "Divine Intervention".
The albums went to establish his covenant with God as they were all successful too, as a result of inspiration from God. The title "Bitter Experience" has to do with his ordeal, "Sweet Experience" was the sweetness that followed the success of "Bitter Experience". In short, each title comes with its meaning and he prayed before each album is titled.
He is the trend, source of inspiration and rave of the moment among highlife and gospel music lovers. Yinka Ayefele has turned his ordeals into gains and positive changes as he works in the Lord's vineyard. The voice of a journalist turned gospel artist is not only touchy and captivating but very entertaining. Yinka Ayefele is a big act whose music appeals to everyone irrespective of language or religion.
The day he had the accident marked the turning point in his life. He never thought he would end up becoming famous. He thought the end had come when the accident happened, but God spared his life for a purpose. Yinka Ayefele felt like the end had come when he was confined to a wheelchair.
Ayefele is mostly seen on the wheelchair, but he sometimes found pleasure in standing on his two legs, lying flat on a surface or sitting down to perform or welcome his guests. Unknown to him, God has other plans in store for him. As he trudged through life, hopelessness and feeling rejected by the society, a chance recording of a musical album in a back street studio in Ibadan, Nigeria, was all God needed to lift the juju-gospel crooner to the top.
In a brief chat with him over this weekend (August 9, 2008), he remarked;
"I work hard and God has crowned my effort. Being on a wheelchair and singing for people who appreciate me is interesting. It makes me realise I am still alive. I have to be grateful to God for sparing me. Each time I have the opportunity to think, I just look back and give praises to God that I am alive because when you are still alive, a great lot is possible. There is hope until death."
If we go by the medical reports, his condition needs a lot of patience because it is a compression of the nerves. And since he has decided to live with the pains, it will take time for the nerves to heal up to come alive again. It was a shock and compression of the nerves, not a total cut. If it is a total cut on the spine, then it is a different story entirely. There is no medicine for it medically, so we expect it to come back with physiotherapy.
Spinal cord injury takes a long time to heal. But with proper physiotherapy, and lots of exercise, one could walk again. For now he's been able to move around with crutches. He likes seeing people around him so that he won't have time to think about the pains. He has this persistent pain on his spinal cord every minute of the day. So he loves being in the midst of people. The interaction with people occupies his mind, so that he will not have time to think of the pains.
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