The ancient kingdom of Idanre in Ondo State will on Saturday, July 6, 2024 hold a grand reception during which awards will be conferred on some prominent sons and daughters of the town.
Dr Anthony A.Omolola, President, Idanre Development Association (IDA), disclosed this in a statement obtained by Vital News on Tuesday.
Omolola said the conferment of the awards is in recognition of the recipients’ great contributions to the development of the ancient kingdom of Idanre.
The event is being organised by a socio – cultural organisation, Idanre Development Assembly (IDA) .
Among those selected for awards scheduled to hold in the ancient town of Idanre 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 Akindeko; 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 ceremony 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, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as one of the special guests.
Referencing the profiles of the honorees, the statement 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.
It noted that following a stellar 35-year career, including two as a consultant with Exxon Mobil Oil, Chief Pius 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 (PSC) and later the National Judicial Council (NJC) for five years.
It, also described Chief Gabriel Akindeko, 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. (vitalnewsngr.com)
