Highlife
It is often said that youth is the season of credulity but in his youth, Bunmi Ariyo reforms naiveté into the wisdom of the ancients. The ex-personal assistant of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode understands that experience is the name foolish people give their mistakes. Hence, he set out to evade such mortal blunders very early in his life.
He understands that true wisdom emanates not from a moment’s eloquence or from any happily chosen word, but from the accumulation of a lifetime’s thoughts stored up in the eyes and given life in well-thought-out actions. Such priceless sagacity and proximity to power during Ambode’s administration became the fulcrum on which he rose to become one of the biggest collectors of properties in Lagos.
In his mid-40s, Bunmi parlayed his political influence into solid wealth and has been acquiring choice property in every available area in Lagos. Whether on Lagos Island or the mainland, Bunmi has parcels of land and sometimes houses where they matter. Months back, he bought a massive property in Opebi, Ikeja; a lot of properties in upscale GRA, Ikeja and recently bought a massive one on a major street in GRA from one of the Ogunlesi brothers (Fola, Lanre, and Kayode).
His property acquisition drive, no doubt, reveals his innate passion to succeed where several of his predecessors and colleagues failed. Don’t blame him, he understands that political office and power are temporary perks in the life of a man hence, his determination to acquire as much property as he can and prepare for life after office.
Until his appointment as Ambode’s man Friday, Bunmi had no socio-economic visibility. But with the appointment came a different level of prosperity as he became the unofficial powerbroker and favour dispenser before whom every contractor who had any business to do with the state had to genuflect or bend double as the case may be in order to enjoy the governor’s good graces. He wouldn’t brook any disrespect or dissent from anyone no matter how highly placed.
Sooner, the new billionaire had men worshipping him while ladies openly and dreamily gawked at him and wherever he went, the ground literally trembled. In spite of the fact that Ambode is out of government, Bunmi is still very liquid and he has not stopped his property acquisition spree.
