The Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, in furtherance of her testimony before the Olusegun Ayilara-led coroner, has revealed that the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke hesitated before he ate from the rice he was served at a funeral ceremony of the grandmother of the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun West Senatorial District, Amobi Akintola.

Recall that Adeleke and the Deputy Governor were among the dignitaries, who attended the funeral at Kuta, Osun State, on April 22 before his death.

The Deputy Governor, while revealing why she sat close to the Senator at the funeral yesterday, said she waived her immunity to personally appear before the coroner because of the importance she attached to the probe.

However, Laoye-Tomori further told the coroner that Adeleke was served rice in an uncovered plate and the rice had no fish or meat and he was hesitant to eat.

She said, “A woman brought a plate of rice. There was fried rice, a mixture of ‘jollof’ and white rice. There was no protein in it, that is, there was neither meat nor fish and the food was not covered.

“I was wondering why a man of his status would be served food not covered but I don’t know whether he was already eating the food before I arrived there or not.

“The senator was using his spoon to turn the rice and he was hesitant to eat it. I said jokingly, ‘ Your Excellency, why don’t you ask them to take the food away if you don’t want to eat it? And he said, ‘Se tori wipe kosi eran lori e?’ (Is it because there is no meat on it?).

“He said that a woman brought a bowl of fish but these people you are seeing ate everything and left nothing for me. He then took his fork and stretched his hand to take a piece of fried fish from someone sitting close to him but his fork couldn’t pick it because the fish was fried.

“He took just three spoons and pushed the food aside. He was full of life and was cracking jokes. A gentleman sitting on his right side brought out a drink from his pouch.”