Ife Oyedele : A Deserved Conferment With Honorary Doctorate Degree
The Western nations are what they are today because of their avowed commitment to giving deserved rewards and recognitions to excellence, innovations and intellectual powers. These qualities that have helped to transform the western nations and the Asian tigers are equally the same qualities that have helped Engr. IfeOluwa Oyedele to stand head and shoulder taller than his contemporaries.
The same distinguishing qualities of innovative prowess, intellectual depth, commitment to excellence and hard work are the same attributes that have caught the attention of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State and informed its conferment of Honorary Doctorate Degree in Engineering (D.Eng) on Engr. IfeOluwa Oyedele. To this deserved awardee, excellence and hard work have over the decades been the siamese attributes that consistently shaped and defined his existence.
It is nonetheless encouraging that an institution like Achievers University, Owo could painstakingly recognize the excellent qualities of Ife Oyedele and consider him worthy of a Honorary Doctorate degree in the field of Engineering. This is apparently one of the best ways to encourage this awardee to get committed the more to known attributes that have distinguished him and by extension make the Nigerian society a better place.
The distinctive Engr. Oyedele has over the years built a robust career that cuts across engineering, management, manufacturing, construction, venturing, governance and engineering consulting. He has undoubtedly proven his mettle in both the public and private sectors even to the convincing admiration of the nay sayers. He is nonetheless a vastly experienced and inspiringly competent person who is evidently tested and trusted.
The invaluable experience of the 65-year-old Oyedele in the field of Engineering had earlier been acknowledged and rewarded with his appointment as the Executive Director in charge of Engineering & Technical Services of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited. He served with distinctive excellence in this position for 4 years before his reappointment in 2021 as the Executive Director (Networks) in the same Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited. The years of experience of Ife Oyedele in the field of engineering has also earned him another appointment as the pioneer Chairman of Ondo State Power Company Limited. This is also serving as non-Executive Director in other companies.
The Okitipupa born Engineer teamed up with other professionals to set up Matcom Limited (MCL), a private engineering firm in 1992 having garnered considerable experience in the
management of human and material resources. He had before this time worked as Executive Director and the Chief Operating Officer of Rikmor International Limited and Gambill Builders Nigeria Limited. He had earlier worked with Edison Group & Partners from 1988 to 1989, where he got trained as a Consulting Engineer. Oyedele however joined the private sector following his employment as a Sales Engineer by Dynapower Nigeria/Muni Engineering Systems Limited, which was one of Nigeria’s earliest indigenous manufacturers of Low Voltage Distribution and Control Systems.
The propensity for truth and good governance embedded in Ife Oyedele made him played a significant role at his polling unit where he voted in the old Oyo state during the 1983 governorship election.The then Governor of old Oyo State, late Chief Bola Ige was quite impressed with the roles played by Engr. Ife during the election and gratuitously offered him employment in the Oyo State Ministry of Works and Transport.
The seasoned engineer started his professional career with DAFEC Consultants where he had a stint as a pupil engineer during the cause of his mandatory one year NYSC primary assignment.He was properly exposed to the art of gathering engineering data and designing of electrification and building projects. This experience however turned out to be most invaluable in the cause of his career progression.
The 1975 graduate of Government College Ibadan (CCI) was a leading aspirant in the governorsnip race of Ondo before he was prevailed upon to step down for the incumbent Governot Akeredolu to ensure overwhelming victory for the All Progressive Congress at the polls. He had before this time served as a member of the APC Constitution Drafting Sub-committee, the APC Constitution Review Committee, Chairman of the Oyo State Congress Appeals Committee in 2014 amongst other political assignments. He had also served as the Ondo State Coordinator of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation and member of the Presidential Campaign Councils in 2015 and 2019.
Engr. Oyedele was in 2013 appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari and served as a member of the CPC Merger Committee. He did work with the representatives of the four other political parties to birth the All Progressive Congress (APC). One of his outstanding contributions to the mega party was the fact that he designed the logo of the APC while serving as a member of the Merger Committee.
The highly disciplined and complete gentleman got elected and served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) from 2010 to 2014. He had however earlier joined forces with other compatriots during the days of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG). What could be described as his foray into progressive politics was when he was made the
pioneer Assistant Secretary-General of Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE).
The 1982 Engineering graduate of the famous the University of Lagos (UNILAG) had earlier had brief a stint
at the Polytechnic and the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife). IfeOluwa passed out of GCI with flying colours in 1975 and proceeded to The Polytechnic Ibadan for his Advanced Studies. It is worthy of note that he was described in his testimonial issued by the Principal of GCI at the time as “highly dependable”.
Engr. Oyedele was quite active in the students’ politics of all the institutions he attended. While in UNILAG, he was at various times the Governor of Overbridge Extension Hall, ex-Officio Officer in El-Kanemi Hall, and President of the University of Lagos Engineering Society (ULES). He equally served as a member and Speaker Pro tempore of the Students Representative Council (SRC).
The highly eloquent Ife Oyedele is known to be an unrepentant defender of the truth and a stickler for orderliness and excellence. He also strives for perfection in all he does and this obviously accounts for his well known finesse and strength of character. He is reputed for his strong aversion for lies, unstable character and inability to speak the truth, irrespective of whose ox is gored. He is a very reliable individual and an untiring fighter for justice, equity and accountability.
Ife Oyedele is given to integrity, service to God and humanity. These and his Christ like character and exemplary principles must have informed the decision of the Methodist Church of Nigeria to bestow on him the highly exalted Knighthood of John Wesley (KJW). He is also well respected for his detribalized nature, as well as his aversion for religious and other clannish tendencies. Little wonder that quite a number of people across religions and tribes can readily vouch for the dependability, honesty and reliability of Engr. Oyedele.
The scholarly Oyedele is also respected for his papers and keynote presentations. As a much sought-after speaker, he has thus far delivered several papers on diverse issues that cover banking, engineering, youth development, mentorship and parenting. He is for this reason made the current worldwide President of the University of Lagos Alumni Association. He had also previously served in other capacities of the Association.
Engr. Ife Oyedele is also a member of the University of Lagos Governing Council from where he was elected to represent the Congregation on the Council. He is equally on the Court of Governors of the College of Medicine, (CMUL) of the University of Lagos.
The consumate professional has been honored with several awards within and outside the shores of Nigeria. He deservedly won the Ondo State Man of the Year award in 2018. He was also honored by the Netherlands-based Voice Africa Magazine with the award of African Man of the Year 2022 after a rigorous contest. Oyedele was honored alongside the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Fatima Bio, who was named the Africa Woman of the Year 2022. He was so honored for his exemplary services to Nigeria and Africa.
The highly cerebral Engr. Oyedele has also won several other awards that include African Achiever Award, Platinum Leadership Award of Integrity and Service to Humanity and the Oodua Man of the Year. He recently got installed as the Atayese of Idepe-Okitipupa and this is in addition to other chieftaincy titles earlier conferred on him.
Ife Oyedele has attended several management and leadership trainings both in Nigeria and abroad. He is an outstanding Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and also a Registered Chartered Engineer. He is equally a Fellow of the Risk Management Society of Nigeria (FRMN). He has also bagged the Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (FNIEEE) as well as the Nigerian Institute of Power Engineers (FNIPE).
Oyedele is currently serving in a number of important committees of Nigerian Society of Engineers and he is also the sole sponsor of the NSE Annual Football Competition. He is widely respected by colleagues for his professional integrity and deeper understanding of the engineering, business.
He is the founder and Executive President of IfeOluwa Oyedele Foundation. The foundation has provided needed infrastructure for the needy in some areas of Ondo State and it has also been offering scholarships and health assistance to many under priviledged citizens across the country. He has adopted a number of children across ethnic divide and religion.
Engr. Ife is clearly a workaholic, but still finds time to unwind by listening to music, reading and engaging in motivational discourse. He also loves to play golf. He is a member of Ikoyi Club 1938, Smoking Hills Golf Club, Ilaramlkin in Ondo State; IBB International Golf Club, Abuja; International Lions Club, and a number of other social and humanitarian associations.
The patently humble and generous IfeOluwa Oyedele is an unrepentant lover of humanity and also an ardent respecter of family values. He is married to Omobola Oyedele and the their union has been blessed with very responsible and disciplined children. The humble and morally outstanding children of Engr. Oyedele are all doing excellently my well in their chosen professions and they are also impacting humanity, albeit without fanfare and media attention.
By
Femi Salako
Triangle Magazine publisher