Ibadan Stands Still As CCII Honours Ajimobi,Akintola, Others

The Central Council for Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), a body made up of more than 187 different clubs with Ibadan indigenes as members honoured Chief Michael Adeniyi Akintola SAN and Governor Abiola Ajimobi with Merit Awards. Others that got similar honours include the Chief Justice of Oyo State, Justice Badejoko Adeniji, Dr. Lekan Aare, Dr. Gbola Adetunji, Major General A.A Olniyi, Alhaji Lamidi Ajadi and Alhaji Rasheed Olawoore among others.

While speaking after receiving his award, Chief Akintola thanked God for Chief Toye Ogunyemi and Late Alhaji Tunji Bello, he said “if not for the two of them, I wouldn’t have been able to go to Law School and I would probably not have been here today.”

Quite unknown to many, Akintola never had the privilege of a conventional secondary education. He however refused to allow that to deter him in his quest for success. He distinguished himself as a scholar and he taught at Mac-Job Grammar School, Abeokuta between 1979 and 1981 to gather enough money to train himself up to university level. In his final year in 1984, his adopted father and mentor, Chief Tope Ogunyemi came to his aid and assisted him in getting a scholarship to attend the Law School, Lagos through an Ibadan Social Club, the Lagelu Sixteen under the leadership of Alhaji Tunji Bello.

Akintola also pointed out that the organisers had planned to honour him with the award on four different occasions and he declined the honour those four times. He said he had to decline because he just didn’t want to associate with some people. Looking behind him, he pointed to the immediate past SUBEB Chairman in Oyo State, Prof Adejumo and said in Yoruba “ikan lara won nii leyin mi” (one of them is right behind me).

The Senior Advocate thereafter promised to continue to contribute his quota to the development of Ibadanland. He announced the donation of a million Naira to the CCII. He is also building a N500 million hospital in the city.

Though the Olubadan, Oba Odulana Odugade was not physically present, he was represented by the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Omowale Kuye. Chiefs like SA Adetunji, the Otun Balogun, Chief Eddy Oyewole, the Ekarun Olubadan, Chief Adebayo Akande, the Agbaakin Olubadan were all in attendance. All the clubs that make up the CCII too came to add colour to the occasion.