– A Biography
By YAYI Teachers Media
Chapter I: BIRTH AND EARLY YEAR
The Birth and Parenthood
The arrival of a new baby on Agust 10, 1969 to the family of Mr. Ayinde Abdulgafar Adeola Ogunleye and Madam Abeni Olasunbo Ogunleye (nee Akinola) at the Lagos
Island Maternity Hospital was greeted with the usual jubilation and celebration that normally heralds the birth of a new child especially in Yoruba customs and tradition.
Little did anyone know that the newborn child will be among the movers and shakers of political activities in our nation today, a child destined to be a solution to people’s problems and aspirations, the game changer who is like an Elephant in the room.
The new born was the fourth child of Mr and Mrs Adeola Ogunleye and was christened
Suleman Olamilekan since his Father Ayinde Abdul-gafar
was a Muslim by birth. Following a conversion to Christianity in adult life, he
changed his name from
Sulaiman to Solomon.
The little boy Suleiman now Solomon is today the Senator Representing the good people of Ogun West Senatorial District of Ogun State,
Nigeria.
Pahayi-Ilaro Descendancy
His Father, Ayinde Abdul-gafar Adeola Ogunleye hailed from Ago Isaga, Pahayi from
the popular Agbo ile Elemo Onibata, Pahayi Ilaro , Yewa South Local Government of Ogun State. He was the grandson of Ogundimu Sangoloni and great grandson of Olege one of the early settlers who migrated from Isaga Orile to settle at Ago Isaga Ilaro from where they later moved to Pahayi town, a suburb of Ilaro.
According to the oral history of the family, the civil strife that engulfed the ancient Isaga town in 1862 forced many inhabitants to flee from the
ancient town to find refuge in many locations notably Ilaro, Ago Isaga Ota, Isaga Onlado
near Atan Otta, Ago Isaga Owode Yewa, Ilobi, Ajilete, Oke Odan, Ado odo, including Iju
Isaga, Ilo Village in Ipaja, Isagatedo in Isolo, Isaga Agbado, Isaga Surulere in the present day Lagos West Senatorial District and in some other locations in the present day Republic of Benin all numbering about 100 towns and villages that today have contact with Isaga Orile.
The story of Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) is therefore a simple history of human migration, tribal settlement and family
relocation from the original homestead to a new
settlement where the family tree was planted and nurtured to its present status.
Oriki Isaga Orile
Isaga Okunmase, Omo ahere owo ko ni gbagede, Omo abere meta Isaga, Ikan se, Ikan
nu, Ikan yoku lafi nran igba aso fun egugun bora, Omo yigbiri, tigbiri, tigbiri, Omo apa
ekute ile o ka awusa, ibi yigbiri yigbiri lo mo.
Omo Akala o mo ori olori ni iju, agada o moju eni yo ran un, Omo ekute ile fi ese gbe yefun.
Ewo bi kekere ile bo se njawo, Omo bonile o sun, ka pe lehin kule eni titi, oorun a ma mu
onile lo.
Kise bi ti ole, omo obinrin ni, won fi nko won laya lo, bi adiye ile yin ba sonu e ma fi lo wa,
awa ki se egbe gbeyegbeye, bi aguntan ile yin ba sonu e ma fi lo wa awa ki ise egbe gberan
gberan, sugbon bi omo obinrin yin rogbodo ba sonu, e ma a bo lehin kule awa, awa la mu u
fi se aya. Awa ni omo a fi Osanyin jagun Oba.
Obaseru a gbe wa o – Amin
MATERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH KEMTA, Abeokuta
Madam Abeni Olasunbo Oluwaseun, Solomon Olamilekan’s mother came
from a family that was active and prominently known among Egbe Alaro Cloth dealer in the
famous Itoku market. Her grandparent and parent Nofiu Odu and Julius Akinola Sodipo
respectively hailed from Itoku, Kemta in the present day Abeokuta South Local Government area of Ogun State. Their family Quarter located at Baye lane,Kemta has the benefit of producing some prominent Egba Politicians like Chief Wahab Aileru and Hon Fola Omidiji. Pa Julius
Akinola Sodipo’s family farmland was located in Asu Village, in Kobape area of the present day Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Young Solomon Olamilekan grew up from early childhood to adulthood in Alimosho
area of Lagos where his parents lived. He began
his education at the State Primary School, Alimosho in Lagos State. On the successful completion of his primary education, he proceeded to Community Grammar School,
Akowonjo, Lagos for his secondary education while his quest for educational advancement in life took him to the prestigious Ondo State Polytechnic, Owo now Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo state earned a Higher
National Diploma (HND) in Accounting. He became a Chartered Accountant at a relatively young age and a member of the Chartered
Institute of Taxation as well as a Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). Today he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Nigeria and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
Adequately equipped with academic and Professional qualifications, Solomon Adeola’s work experience started with the Guardian Newspapers Limited, the flagship of Nigerian newspapers, where he put in almost 12 years of meritorious accounting service and rose to the position of an Accountant. The young and articulate Solomon Olamilekan in search of greener pasture resigned from “The Guardian” and proceeded to Olatunji Omoyeni & Co, a chartered accounting firm, where he led the audit team for several years and was later promoted to the position of a Senior Auditor. Having cut his teeth in the accounting
profession through education and dedicated practice, Solomon Adeola later established his own company, SOOTEM Nigeria Limited, He
became the Managing director and the Chief Executive Officer of the firm that specialized in
tax consultancy until he ventured into politics out of his penchant to always render service to humanity at a much wider plane.
THE POLITICAL SOJOURNS
Following his stint in the private sector working for a media establishment and
a private accountancy firm, Adeola later established his own company, SOOTEM
Nigeria Limited, a firm that specialized in tax consultancy until his foray to serve in the public sector through participation in partisan politics.
The journey into politics and inspiration to serve was formed in the crucible of activism
and struggle against military rule and ultimately the struggle to re-validate the June 12, 1993
Mandate won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. Adeola got a flare from the military regime when The Guardian Newspaper was proscribed by the military regime of General Sani Abacha. A progressive democrat at heart, Adeola and his siblings were foot soldiers in the struggle to enthrone democracy in Nigeria. He frequently joined protests
and demonstrations against military rule and the agitation for the revalidation of June 12
mandate of Chief MKO Abiola. Regrettably, it was in the heat of one such demonstrations
and protests that his blood brother was gunned down by soldiers in Lagos.
Going forward after democracy was eventually restored in 1999, Adeola in his immediate
neighbourhood began his philanthropy and community service in Alimosho and was soon noticed by local grassroots political players as a possible good representative.
Following his decision to join active politics, Senator Adeola pitched his tent with the
progressive arm of Nigerian politics by joining the then Social Democratic Party, SDP. In spite of daunting challenges relating to military
government, Senator Adeola bravely continued with his incursion into politics at the dawn of the 4th Republic. He was nominated and won
the primary of the then ruling Alliance for Democracy, AD and was subsequently elected
as a member to represent Alimosho State Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of
Assembly from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2007 – 2011
YAYI, A RELIGIOUS AND A FAMILY MAN
Senator Adeola, a dedicated Christian, is a believer in religious freedom for both Christians and adherents of Islamic faith. He is on record
to have donated brand new buses to religious organisations of both faiths as well as sponsored several Christians and Muslims to Jerusalem and Mecca on pilgrimage respectively in Alimosho
and the entire Ogun State.
The great philanthropist is happily married to his beautiful heartthrob, Mrs. Temitope Adeola and the union is blessed with wonderful children
Repackaged & broadcast by YAYI Teachers Media