The hilly town of Idanre in Idanre local government area of Ondo State has penciled down prominent indigenes of the town including the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, (NNPC), Chief Pius Akinyelure for an award ceremony in recognition of their contributions to the development of the ancient town.
Aside from Akinyelure others to be honoured included a post-humor award to former Minister of Agriculture and former Lisa of Idanre Kingdom, 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 ancient town under the auspices Idanre Development Assembly (IDA) said the awards would be presided over by the Owa and Paramount Ruler of Idanre Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Adegunle Aroloye.
In a statement by the President-General, IDA, Dr. Anthony A.Omolola, made available to newsmen referenced the profiles of the honorees.
Omola described 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.
The statement noted that 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 at several companies and financial institutions in the past, including NNPCL, Wema Bank Plc, Credit Bank Ltd., Odua 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 (PSC) and later the National Judicial Council (NJC) 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.
