Chapter 6: A Labyrinth of Lies
Ayo's private meeting with the board of directors took place in a secluded room on the top floor of Awolowo Enterprises' towering skyscraper. The room, with its panoramic view of the Lagos sprawl, was designed to impress, but Ayo was in no mood to be awed. He sat opposite the goateed man, Mr. Akintola, his gaze unwavering.
"Alright, Mr. Akintola," Ayo began, his voice laced with steely resolve. "Let's hear these rumors about my father's unethical practices."
Mr. Akintola steepled his fingers, his eyes flitting around the room as if searching for an escape route. "It's a delicate matter, Mr. Awolowo," he hedged.
"Just spit it out," Ayo pressed, his patience wearing thin.
Mr. Akintola sighed, a defeated slump to his shoulders. "There have been whispers of involvement... in resource acquisition in certain parts of the country. Not exactly... above board shall we say."
Ayo's brow furrowed. Resource acquisition? What resources, and how were they being obtained unethically? "Can you be more specific?"
Mr. Akintola cleared his throat, his voice barely a whisper. "Coltan mines. Conflict zones. Brutal militias. You understand the picture I'm trying to paint, Mr. Awolowo?"
Ayo's stomach churned. Coltan, a mineral vital for electronics, was often mined in war-torn regions, fueling violence and human rights abuses. The idea that his father could be involved in such a thing filled Ayo with a cold dread.
"Are you saying my father funded these militias?" Ayo's voice was a low growl.
Mr. Akintola shook his head rapidly. "Not funded, Mr. Awolowo. But... looked the other way. Facilitated deals with... unsavory characters. Let's just say a blind eye was turned in the name of profit."
Disbelief and a surge of anger washed over Ayo. His father, the philanthropist lauded for his charitable endeavors, could have a dark secret like this? The carefully constructed image began to crumble.
"Is there any proof of this?" Ayo demanded, his voice tight with controlled fury.
Mr. Akintola hesitated, then reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a worn manila folder. "This report details some of our findings. Discrepancies in invoices, coded messages... enough to raise eyebrows, but not conclusive."
Ayo flipped through the report, his heart pounding with every damning piece of evidence. He needed more, needed to know the full truth. But who could he trust? These board members seemed more concerned with protecting the company's reputation than exposing the truth.
A cold resolve settled over Ayo. He wouldn't rely on them. He would find his own answers, dig deeper into this web of lies. His father deserved better, and Ayo, the son he never knew, wouldn't let his legacy be tarnished by greed and corruption. The opulent world he had inherited now felt like a gilded cage, but Ayo was determined to break free, not just from its confines, but from the burden of his father's secrets.