…. Ready to host Ministers, Governors, Political and Social bigwigs.
The people of Idanre under the Idanre Development Assembly (IDA) will on Saturday 6 July 2024 roll out the drums to celebrate five worthy and distinguished sons and daughter of the kingdom.
Of the five recipients two will be honoured posthumously. The honorees are : the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Chief Pius Akinyelure; a post humorous awards to former Minister of Agriculture and former LISA of Idanre Kingdom, Late Chief Gabriel Akin Deko; and a former Executive Director of Wema Bank, late Prince Afolabi Ayinuola
Others are a retired justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Hon.Justice Sunday Akinola Akintan, as well as Chief Mrs Omolara Iwayemi Ogomudia, the wife of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia.
The event first of its kind in Idanreland will attract ministers, governors , political juggernauts, social elites, legal luminaries and captains of industry.
Chief Akinyelure noted for his philanthropy lifestyle and whose friends cut across every corner of Nigeria and abroad will give a fillip to the event. Leading his pack of his friends is the eminent legal colossus Wole Olanipekun SAN.
The President General of IDA, Dr Anthony A.Omolola said the awards will be presided over by the Owa and Paramount Ruler of Idanre Kingdom, Oba (Dr) Fredrick Adegunle Aroloye, JP CFR and will have the governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as one of special guests.
Referencing the profiles of the honorees, the statement described Chef Pius Akinyelure as a distinguished technocrat with a proven track record in the Oil and Gas sector, a seasoned administrator, businessman, foremost industrialist, philanthropist and astute politician.
Following a stellar 35-year career, including two as a consultant with Exxon Mobil Oil, Chief Akinyelure retired from Exxon Mobil on June 1, 1997, having held board level positions of several companies and financial institutions in the past, including NNPCL, Wema Bank Plc., Credite Bank Ltd., Odu’a Investment Limited, Oluwa Glass PLC., Okitipupa Oil Palm PLC., Odu’a Telecommunications Limited, Cocoa Industries Nig. Ltd, Hallmark Bank and West African Portland Cement Plc, among others.
Eminent jurist, Jurist Akintan, Ph.D was an alumnus of the Holborn College of Law and Lincoln’s Inn London, began his career in the Federal Ministry of Justice on July 20, 1964 as a pupil counsel and rose through the ranks to serve on the Bench of the Supreme Court between 2004 and December 2008, when he retired, following which he served as a member of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and later the National Judicial Council (NJC) for five years.
The Late Chief Gabriel Akin Deko, was an astute administrator and a clever politician. He started his career as a building contractor and later became regional Minister for Agriculture in the then Western region of Nigeria from 1957 to 1963. He was a personal friend of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He and Awo were brains behind agricultural settlement scheme in the old Western Region that employed and paid an initial amount of capital to new graduates from established agriculture training colleges. He was a good sportsman and an eminent member of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.