In recognition of their great contributions to the development of the ancient kingdom of Idanre, Ondo State, the Idanre Development Assembly has penciled down prominent sons and daughters of the town for a grand reception and award ceremony.
Among those to be honoured at the awards scheduled to be held in the ancient town on Saturday, July 6, are the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Chief Pius Akinyelure; a post humorous award to former Minister of Agriculture and former LISA of Idanre Kingdom, Late Chief Gabriel Akin Deko; a former Executive Director of Wema Bank, late Prince Afolabi Ayinuola; a retired justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Hon.Justice Samuel Akinola Akintan, as well as Chief Mrs Omolara Iwayemi Ogomudia, the wife of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia.
The awards will be presided over by the Owa and Paramount Ruler of Idanre Kingdom, Oba (Dr) Fredrick Adegunle Aroloye, and will have the governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as one of the special guests.
In a statement issued by the President-General, IDA, Dr Anthony A.Omolola, and made available to newsmen in Lagos on Friday, Akinyelure was described 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.
It noted that following a stellar 35-year career, including two as a consultant with Exxon Mobil Oil, 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.
It added that the eminent jurist, Akintan, 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 and later the National Judicial Council for five years.
It, therefore, described Akin Deko, a building contractor and former regional Minister for Agriculture in the Western region of Nigeria from 1957 to 1963 and a personal friend of Obafemi Awolowo, as the brain behind an agriculture settlement scheme that employed and paid an initial amount of capital to new graduates from established agriculture training colleges.
