Oyeyemi and the game of chess

Internationally the game of chess has been popularized by many icons that rose from different part of the world among such is Bobby Fischer, Anatoly Karpov, Gary Kasparov, Maurice Ashley and of course the World Champion- Magnus Carlsen just to mention but few.

A consummate industrialist: the story of John Agboola Odeyemi

The road to success are most times laced with thorns and bumps and for one to successfully weather the storm, such person must be extraordinarily focused, determined and equipped with burning desire to overcome any impediments. Interestingly, the story of John Agboola Odeyemi’s rise to fame is not in any way different.

Omisore, culture and tradition icon

Anyone who appreciates the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba would definitely appreciate a man who uses his all to promote and preserve the heritage of our forbearers. Such a person should be lauded objectively not minding his political leaning. It is in this regard that the Osun State concerned youths appreciate a prominent son of Oduduwa who has been instrumental to the uplift of Yoruba culture, custom and tradition,

Omisore: A silent achiever clocks 56

FOR Senator Christopher Ajani Iyiola Omisore, politics is service to humanity. And this he has done conscientiously since 1999 when he was elected deputy governor of Osun State. His golden moment came in 2003, when he won a seat in the Senate to represent Osun East senatorial district which comprises the Ife/Ilesa axis.
While at the Senate, Omisore served as chairman, Senate Committee on

I was so shy in school I couldn’t even woo a girl – Bisi Omidiora

Mr. Bisi Omidiora is the current Chairman, Body of Past Presidents, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a former executive director, UAC Plc. He shares interesting stories about himself with

ON A CRUSADE FOR VIRILE READING CULTURE

From all indications, he is a professional writer and poet with a good heart. Or how would you describe a man who is so passionate about the growth of reading culture in the country while helping students and writers build a career through quality writing of their dream in the 21st century Nigeria? Well, this is the story of Michael Omisore, a native of Ife, Osun State, who has written several books including his recent: ‘Writing Masterpieces: 9 Steps To Giving Your Readers Skyscraping Value for Their Time and Money’.

A writer lives forever through his works -Dr Ademiluyi

Dr. Femi Ademiluyi

Dr Femi Ademiluyi, the author of the popular book, The New Man, is the Deputy Rector of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree. He is also a prominent member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). At a recent meeting with Adewale Oshodi, he speaks on his academic and writing engagements, how piracy is affecting literature in the country and when Nigerians should be expecting a new novel from him.
IF one is conversant with literature texts used in secondary schools, then Dr Femi Ademiluyi needs no

“Victor Adedapo Kayode- Lest Legend Becomes Myth”- Femi Fani-Kayode

One of the most important foundations of any civilization is history. If we do not know our own history, who we are, who and what our forefathers were and where we came from then we are truly lost. In the film production of J. R. Tolkien’s famous book titled ”Lord Of The Rings” one of the most compelling yet tragic

Meet your artiste: Mero

Background
ADEBUNMI ADENIYI otherwise known as Mero from Ile-Ife, but grew up in Ibadan, raised by Christian parents.

Education
He attended Richmab Primary School in Ibadan and then the Unity School, Ikire, for his junior education and then the Government College, Ibadan for his secondary education. He moved to the United Kingdom to further his education, where he is becoming a qualified accountant. He takes over the conversation.

Omisore: From humble beginning to greatness

Indeed,  it could rightly be said that 13 years after the military handed over the reins of power to civilians, nothing tangible has happened in terms of development in the country; with epileptic power supply still the order of the day; youths groaning under excruciating problem of unemployment, high price of petroleum products, among many others.

But one politician, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, has decided to be different such that in whatever positions that he has found himself, he has made it a point of duty to not only genuinely serve the people but also see himself as their servant. 

My ultimate goal in life is to enrich lives -Akinosun

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HE is very simple, large-hearted and philanthropic, with the milk of kindness flowing in his vein. That is Dr Fola Akinosun.

An educationist from a very humble background, Akinosun was born at Oretu village in Ward 12 of Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State. He was taken out of the village at about three months old to Lagos where he was bred. He did not return to the village until he was about 30 years old.

A graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, his maxim is touching lives and remoulding people, which to him is success. “You are successful when you are able to touch and remould other peoples’ lives,” he said, adding that you are wealthy, not by how much you have but by how many lives “you are able to touch and turn around.”

I left the Air Force with only my salary –Falope

As Air Commodore Kolawole Falope (rtd) walked into the venue of an interview with Saturday Independent, the shouts of Baba re o (this is father) rented the air at various angles. And to each beckoning, he stood and took out time to acknowledge cheers and greetings. 

Though he and his colleagues were prematurely retired from the Air Force for reasons unknown to them, the Parakoyi of Ife is not sitting down to bemoan the treatment. Rather, he goes about his life a happy man, affecting people’s lives with his happiness. 

Falope was born in Ife, Osun State on August 28, 1940. Educated at Government College, Ibadan, Oyo State, he trained to fly aircraft in Ethiopia and Germany. 

Though the country had about four civilian pilots before him, he was the first trained Nigerian Air Force pilot. 

He was one of those who risked their lives in fighting to make Nigeria remain one during the course of the civil war. But in 1979, according to him, for whatsoever reason, the government of President Shehu Shagari retired him and others at the peak of their career. 

“Though I feel bad about it, who knows, maybe he was saving our lives, whatsoever, we are a very happy people now. The Air Force was just growing up, so we left with only our salaries. But God never leaves his children, he maintained us up till today. Of all the officers that were retired, I can’t point to any one of them who is rich, but they are very highly respected and educated men. I am forever proud of them.

“Businesswise, we are into our own private lives, some of us have tried our hands in business and I can assure you that many of us have failed because we are not trained in it but at least we avoid hunger and keep our children in school, especially, our growing children. We did manage to train our children and today they are the ones feeding us, so we are very happy,” he said.

Besides being an Air Force officer, he was also a sportsman. According to him: “Outside the Air Force, I helped the government in many ways. I became the chairman of the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) and we won the All Africa Games in 1973; I took over from Commodore Kenchebe (late). I worked in Washington DC as a Defence and Armed Forces Attaché; and because of the education and training that we had, I didn’t find it difficult as the Americans liked me a lot. At the end of my stay, I was awarded an American national honour, the first Blackman to receive that honour, I feel very grateful to God.”

Did he set out to become a military man? He said, “It was just God’s wish, when I passed out of Government College where I was a member of the Boys Cadet Corps, my next step was automatically the university, so about eight of us went to teach in one school in Ekiti and it was like they wanted a Yoruba boy somewhere, so my principal sent for me. That was how it happened, so we were sent to Ethiopia and had a very good tough training there. We woke up at 4am, ran about 10 miles, you know Ethiopia is pretty hilly, and we did it.”

He also spoke on what it felt like being an Air Force pilot. “It was a very tough and interesting life. How many of us can fly? So being able to fly, you are able to shoot down a plane, you are able to bomb, it is not easy. You need the heart because you know that people would die. Honestly, I would always go for that profession, I love it.

“To be a pilot, you must be very intelligent, that is why out of about 100 people who put in for flying only about 10 people made it. You really have to be dedicated, if you are in the air and there is a problem, you have to know what to do. If you have to jump out of the plane, you have to know where, otherwise, you would save yourself and the plane would land on people on the ground and kill them.”

Having experienced and witnessed the educational system then and now, he makes his comparison. “I don’t think we are doing well. In our own time, if you had a School Certificate Grade II in Government College, Ibadan, you were considered almost a failure but now, you have a party. And in our own days teachers were like God, they were highly respected. They had houses and cars, but now, I don’t know if any teacher had any house or car. There was this wide margin between the student and the teacher. But now you see them, probably chasing the same women and doing the same thing. But then, government is not funding education. As a schoolboy all our teachers were housed with cars, but now, I have got some in-laws who don’t even have a bicycle and they are teaching. The government doesn’t have a policy about this type of thing. The government should sit up and encourage this teaching profession, otherwise our country will go into ruins because that is our backbone; without education I wouldn’t have been able to fly. Even if I went there through the back door, I would crash.

“The learning atmosphere is very different. In our own time if the teacher is coming this way and your father is coming the other way, you would run away from the teacher and walk the other way. Around 1951, I remember I was made to bring something to my teacher’s house, which I forgot; the following day I saw hell. He beat the hell out of me. Now the teachers are just traders, but then do you blame them? What they are paid is nothing. You would find that even where they are living, they all go on Okada, whereas in our days, within six months of teaching, you would get a car loan. Now, maybe you may need to teach for about 10 years before being entitled to that. It is the government; it has to establish its code of conduct for these teachers knowing that the future of the children rests with the teachers and that the future of the country rests with the children. We are going to die and leave these children behind. Go to any of the secondary schools, see the classroom and see the teachers’ table. We need to wake up.”

Falope could not have imagined telling his parents he wanted to go professional with his sporting activities.

He said: “In our own days, it would be ridiculous for somebody to say his profession was football. It was not common. In fact, my parents would have said that I was mad. That is not to look down on sportsmen; I admire them being a sportsman myself. Professional sportsmen then were also good. But the university degree thing during our time meant a lot. If I had not continued my education, it would have been a bit ridiculous.”

Ask him if military men really fall in love and he says, “I don’t see why not. The military man is just like any other human being. The only difference anybody can talk about is that the military men are highly disciplined. It is such a noble course. In America, it is compulsory to be in the military for at least two years. It is a good training ground; it brings out the best in you. Today in the U.S. some of their best military personnel are women.

“The wife of a military man is enduring. She is often a loner at home and the husband is transferred around. She goes through all these problems. Every woman would like to see to the success of her family. So it is not easy. I would say that these wives begin to know their husbands after so many years. They are really very good because they endure a lot.”

As a retiree, he admits that “what I have been doing mostly is catching up in the sense that I needed to know my children more and to see to their lives. So, I centre my activities on them. The retirement benefit I got was used to start a good big farm in Ile-Ife. I don’t need to go and meet Mr. A for contract because my children are seeing to my needs. I just want to be strong and alive and have a good time.”

For his leisure, “I love sports a lot and I spend most of my time in sports. I play tennis a lot and I love people. I visit friends and they visit me. We crack jokes, talk about those beautiful days and wish that those days would come back so that people like you would enjoy. We didn’t have money, but we had good life.”

What would he feel like undoing if he has the chance? 

“Who am I to query God. He has been very nice to me. I can’t say this thing you did for me I wish you hadn’t done them. I was about 13 when so many of us took the entrance exam into Government College and I ended up being the only one taken, shouldn’t I be grateful. Then after my HSC (Higher School Certificate), the Air Force was just about to start and I was a pioneer. Even though we had two or four civilian pilots, but in my own set, we were the first in the Air Force to fly. Shouldn’t I be grateful? My children are doing well. Being the chairman of NFA during whose tenure Nigeria won the All Africa Games for the first time is something very special in my life.”

source:
http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=37292

PROFILE: CHIEF DR R.A ADEDOYIN (MAYE OF IFE)

A distinguished educationist and notable business mogul, Chief, (Dr.) Ramon Adegoke Adedoyin could best be described as a role model worthy of being emulated by many Nigerians.

Chief (Dr.) R.A Adedoyin could also be described as one of the foremost educationists in Nigeria whose singular effort has contributed immensely in providing Nigerians especially the youths with solid education which is indispensable for social and economic empowerment.

As an educationalist, he is a great moulder and builder of worthy characters thereby contributing tremendously to the transformation of the society. He radiates the ideals of morality, decency, decorum, God-fearingness, probity, accountability, hardworking and inspiration to management.

He is also a man of creative ingenuity, great vision, managerial acumen, indefatigable spirit, irrepressible courage whose astute business initiatives have made him a success in every sphere of his life.

He learnt the virtues of humility and respect for humanity in his early life at Maha-Had Islamic foundation, Isale Alfa, Ibadan in 1960.

His formal education however started in Ansar-Islam Primary School in Ile-Ife (1961-1969). He attended Oduduwa College Ile-Ife (1970-1974), and Muslim Grammar School, Odinjo, Ibadan (1975-1976). Also he gained admission to the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife (GREAT IFE) and he graduated in 1983 with an honours degree in Mathematics Education.

Dr. Adedoyin also has Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Mathematics and Education from All Saint University of America, New York, United States of America.

His great love for education prompted him to establish the Universal Tutorial College, Ile-Ife as soon as he left the University in the 1980's when all his mates were running after white collars jobs in the corridors of powers.

The Polytechnic, Ile-Ife (formerly Universal College of Technology) is today described as one of the fastest growing Tertiary Institutions in the country (Nigeria) offering courses in Accountancy, Business Administration, Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mass Communication, Statistics and Catering and Hotel Management both at the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels.

A lover of fun and tourism, Dr Adedoyin ventured into the hospitality business when he established the 5-star Hilton hotels, Ile-Ife which today is regarded as one of the best hotels in Osun State (Nigeria).The hotel which is located in the Parakin lay out of Ile- Ife has played host to many great Nigerians who have had course to visit the cradle of the Yorubas.

In the field of community development, Chief Adedoyin has made monumental contributions to the development of Ile- Ife community in particular and the society in general. He is a great philanthropist who has been giving scholarship and awards to outstanding students especially those from indigent background.

He has made appreciable donations to charity services; he has contributed a lot to the upliftment of the dignity of life and moral values. He is a great defender of humanity, a vanguard of peace, order, justice and equity.

It was in recognition of his gallantly that he was conferred with the chieftaincy titles of Balogun of Parakin Eleyele Community, Ile-Ife and Maye of Ife by His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuade, the Ooni of Ife.

In recognition of his outstanding and tremendous contributions to community development and the Nigerian project, he was also honoured by the Ife Central Local Government through the naming of the popular NITEL road to be known as Dr. Ramon Adedoyin way. The Ife Development Board also bestowed on him ‘The Best Ife Son’ Award during a recent Ife Day celebrations.

To his collosal tracks are chains of businesses and investments in Ile-Ife, Lagos, Abuja and the United States of America. Some of these include:

Our Saviours Institute of America Inc. New York, Our Saviours Tours and Visitors Company of America Inc., The Polytechnic, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Hilton Hotels, Ile-Ife, Ray Power Guards (Security Outfit) Lagos and Abuja and of course the singular brain behind the establishment of Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu Ife NLG, Osun State, Nigeria.

Chief (Dr.) R.A Adedoyin is a complete detribalised Nigeria, a paragon of Pan- Nigerians which is evident in his recruitment of workers in his various establishments.

In his home life, Dr Adedoyin is no less a success. He is happily married to a devoted wife; Chief (Mrs.) Iyabo Adedoyin and they are both blessed with wonderful children.

At his leisure, he plays Table-Tennis, discusses Politics and loves dancing.

from http://www.oduduwauniversity.com/

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