Promoting Traditional Heritage and Professional Excellence.
Henry Wardsworth Longfellow, an American poet says, ‘’the heights by great men reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, kept on toiling through the night.’’
Micheal Jordan, a prominent American Businessman and a former Basketball player once said , ‘’some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, other make it happen’’. The personality I am about to present his citation belonged to the third category of people – others that make it happen. A front-line Public Relations pioneer in Nigeria also lived and died with the belief that, ‘’you don’t just wait for things to happen, you must make them happen.’’
Born September 23, 1944 as the eleventh child of his parents. His Royal Majesty Oba (Dr.) Olufemi Okesooto Iyanda Adewunmi Ogunleye was the only surviving son of his mother. His childhood education, up till secondary school level took place in Akinale in Owu Kingdom.Kabiyesi’s early life was full of struggles that later turned to outstanding achievements. His work career began when he travelled to the Northern part of Nigeria and started his debut as a journalist in training with the New Nigerian Newspaper. He later became a correspondent to the Daily Times. Tagged as the first Nigerian to be deported right inside his own country, Kabiyesi was deported by the Governor of the then North Central State, Mallam Audu Bako for a story perceived to be offensive by the government published in the Daily Times.
His deportation to Lagos headquarters of Daily Times however turned out to be a blessing in disguise as this marked the beginning of a glorious inroad career for him in Journalism and Public Relations. His journalism training in NIJ, University of Lagos and Daily Times Training Schools were testimonies to that effect. As a Chattered Public Relations Practitioner with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), that later secured him a position as a PR Manager with the defunct Nigeria Airways, Kabiyesi revealed himself by building a reputation in journalistic practice, floating some journals on aviation, Africa Air, that later metamorphosed into Flight Africa and a weekly tabloid in aviation called Flight Express.
Oba Olufemi Ogunleye’s interest in the promotion of traditional heritage led him, after his services with the Nigerian Airways back to his Owu Kingdom in Akinale, where he fought and brought the crown to his town. He was later crowned as the first Towulade of Akinale, Owu Kingdom. A crown he carried till his demise. He was a member of both the Egba Traditional Council and Ogun State council of Obas during his lifetime, he was also a regular visitor to England, attending conferences, workshops, seminars etc.
Not done with journalism, PR and traditional ruling after his coronation, this rare monarch enrolled at age 70 as a Law student at Crescent University, Abeokuta where he got his first degree in Law. He later proceeded to Babcock University for a Master’s Degree in Law. As a result of his insatiable thirst for academic knowledge, Oba Ogunleye enrolled, completed and defended his Doctoral Thesis at the same Babcock University, while still eyeing a comeback to Crescent University to continue his Master of Science Degree in Mass Communication that he differed. But as the saying goes: ”man proposes, Almighty Allah disposes’’. The cold hands of death did not permit him to actualize all his proposed ambitions.
Finally let me observe this. This great monarch had an uncommon record of being the first in everything he did or that happened to him.
He was the first Nigerian to be deported right inside his own country.
He was the first Public Relations Manager of the defunct National Carrier – Nigeria Airway.
He was the first crowned king of his town, Akinale, Ewekoro Local Government Area.
He was the first king to bag a Bachelor of Law Degree of Crescent University.
And today, he will be the first recipient of a Posthumous Award of the prestigious Bola Ajibola Community Service.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby present to you a great journalist of repute, an Author, a legal luminary, a cultural custodian, a Public Relations guru, a prolific writer, a philanthropist, and above all, a Conflict Resolution Expert, HRM Oba Olufemi Okesooto Iyanda Adewunmi Ogunleye (Towulade 1, of Akinale Owu Kingdom), for the Posthumous Award of Bola Ajibola Community Services in the category of Promoting Traditional Heritage and Professional Excellence.
