From family’s records kept by my Daddy. It was shown that I was born on Thursday the 3rd of October, 1929. On Thursday, 10th October 1929, I was named IPOOLA FOLORUNSO. Baptized at St. David’s Church, Odeomu on Sunday, November 3rd, 1929, when I was one month old as Number 814, by the Rev. B.A. Oduwusi and given the Names: KRISTIAN FRANCIS, confirmed in 1945, while in Form One at Oduduwa College, Ife by Bishop Leslie Gordon Vining.
Later when I grew older, I asked mama, my granny, with whom I stayed throughout, where she got the names given to me, as at that time I knew of nobody around bearing IPOOLA or KRISTIAN. She answered me that she got the name IPOOLA from Yoruba Hymn book No. 37 verse 4-“Emi o yan Ipo ola”, which she gave me – 7th day of my birth and at my baptism, YHB, 357 first verse- “Kristian, ma ti wa simi”, but that Francis was given by my father, who insisted on adding his own input too. It was when I got to Oduduwa College that the Principal, the Rev. S. A. Adeyefa, M.A; BCL, Dip. Th changed the K to Ch. The Principal was well known to my father. His father was also a Catechist at Odeomu before my father later also ministered there.
He died there and was buried at the Church Cemetery. The Principal’s elder sister was a colleague of my mother at Kudeti CMS Girls’ School, Ibadan. My late father, Gabriel Oladele Olaniyan popularly known in the ’20s as “TISA LANIYAN” was a pioneer in education and the teaching profession, being the first “TOYOBO” (i.e. St. Andrew’s College, Oyo Graduate) to be produced by Odeomu in the ’20s. St. Andrew’s College, Oyo has been upgraded to Ajayi Crowther University (ACU). He attended Various educational institutions at Osogbo, a short period at Abeokuta Grammar School before ending up to be trained as a teacher and Church Catechist at St. Andrew’s College, Oyo I was told that he was nick-named G. L. Olohun Iyo. He was a good preacher. Mother had a smooth educational career, starting at Christ Church School, Ipetumodu in Ife District of Osun State. She went on to attend the famous Kudeti Girls’ Boarding School, Ibadan, where she spent three years under English pioneer C.M.S. Missionaries, some of them, I was told, were Miss Wood and Miss Mars, between January 1923 and Dec. 1925.
The school has now become St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan, the oldest Girls’ School in Nigeria, now 150 years old. She later became a teacher in January 1926 – till December 1928. She got married on Thursday, January 3, 1929, at St. Peter’s CMS. Church, Edunabon, Ife District at age 20. It was the first marriage of the type called ‘AREDE’ then and the Edunabon Church was then the only one licensed to conduct that type of Christian marriage in Origbo area of Ife District. It was then performed by the popular late Rev. Adejumo of St. Philip’s CMS Church, Aiyetoro, Ile-Ife, now and a Cathedral Church. Mother’s mother, my granny, Madam Felicia Oyeyinka, hailed from Edunabon Idimehinto Chieftancy family and got married to grand Pa Daniel Oyeyinka of Ile Oosa, Ipetumodu. Mother was the only surviving child of her mother, who was the Iya Ijo of Christ Church, Ipetumodu for a period of 75 years before she passed on in 1979, while staying with me here, at the age of 113 years; but ironically my mother, her only surviving child, passed on in 1937 at the age of 28 years. She was survived by my junior sister, late Mrs. Odedele, Rosanah Mercy, Temilola, while Daddy passed on in May 1963 at the age of seventy-three (73). And mama’s husband, my maternal grandfather passed on in 1938 at the age of 75 years.
Mama was a very strong personality and also a very strong first generation Christian. She never attended any school but learnt how to read the Yoruba Bible and to sing melodiously from the Yoruba Hymn book and memorized many of the Psalms and was able to quote profusely from the Bible. In those days, at Ipetumodu, in our home, if you were having stomach trouble or headache, she would take you to her “IYEWU” – one small inner room in the house, pray for you and you would instantly get well. Even though there was a dispensary at Ipetu then, we never went there for any treatment. It was when I got to Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife in 1945 that I came in contact with a Hospital and that was the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife. And it was the only hospital in the whole of Ife District. It served Oduduwa College members of staff and students.
Mama (my grandmother) and the only one we knew as mama, (when my mother was alive, we were trained to call her ‘SISTER’), was a very strong personality. She was ‘fairly rich by the then standard. She traded in clothes purchased from Syrian Shop owners at Ibadan and had cocoa farms, which she had bought from some local indigent farmers. She always had enough for our upkeep and used to have what was known then as IWOFA’ male and female – they were adults, not really slaves, but they could only be released to their parents when the money paid on them was fully defrayed. Before our mother’s death, she had taken both of us under her care, paying our school fees regularly and doing other things necessary to make us happy and comfortable. She was a very courageous Christian, having lost her only child, my mother in 1937, followed by her husband’s death the following year in 1938, she was broken-hearted but did not give up. She became a widow at the age of 72, with only two young grandchildren. She lived for another 41 years to see us grow to adults and was always praying for us and thanking God every time till she joined the Saints Triumphant peacefully in our hands.
EDUCATION
I started Primary School at Christ Church School, Ipetumodu my mother’s school, in January 1936, from infant 1- standard 2 in 1940. Then to Origbo Central School, Moro, 1941 – 1944. Took the Standard Six School Leaving Certificates Dec. 1944 combined with Ife Central School Standard Six pupils at Ile-Ife as the centre. Took the overall First Position and subsequently awarded a scholarship by Christ Church, Ipetumodu to Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife, to read for the six-year course of Senior Cambridge School Leaving Certificate from 1945 – 1950. But I took the Senior Cambridge School Certificate Examination in December 1949 because of a double promotion I had in 1948 from Form Four to Form Six in 1949. I passed the Exam in Grade One. Three of us were in Grade One in the Class of 1949, at Oduduwa College – Namely: (i) Shafrriyu Sanni from Iwo, Later Permanent Secretary, old Oyo State.
(ii) Richard Akinjide of Ibadan, Later Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, 1979 – 1983 and (iii) my humble self.
Earlier, we have been interviewed by a Labour Officer from Ibadan Secretariat for appointment in our Final Class by one Ms. Adeniyi Jones and so I was posted to the Public Works Department, Ibara, Abeokuta in April 1950, after working briefly at my uncle’s Sunlight School, Oje, Ibadan for three months (January – March). I was a 3rd Class Clerk between April 1950 – September 1951 when I resigned to go to Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone to pursue a degree course of Durham University. Which I had in 1956 (Maths, Econs and Latin). I later on proceeded to Trinity College, the University of Dublin in Ireland to do a Higher Diploma course in Education between 1956 and 1957.
I arrived Nigeria July 1957 and took up the appointment as a Vice-Principal (a) Gbongan – Odeomu Anglican Grammar School, (1957 -1959), (b) Founding principal, Christ Apostolic Grammar School, Aperin, Ibadan (1960-1964). (c) Founding Principal, Hope (Now Adelagun Memorial Grammar School, Ibadan, 1965.
(d) 5th Principal, Oriwu College Ikorodu, (January 1966 – March 1972).
Later established Victory High School, Ikeja 1969, Victory Home School, Ikeja, 1975, Victory Institute of Catering & Hotel Management 1984, Victory Home School, Odeomu, 1987, Victory Home School, Ojota, 1988; Victory Grammar School, Ikeja, 1990 and Victory College, Odeomu, 2002.
To diversify, Hotel Grandeur Int. Ikeja was established in 1977 – 1991, Viclanco Nig. Ltd. 1980 Odeomu, Victory Motel, 1982 and Olaniyan Petroleum Nig. Ltd – A Filling Station, (1986).
I Was given some public offices, namely:- (a) Board member Westem Nigeria Marketing Board (1963-1964) (b) Board Member, Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation Western Zone (1964-65) (c) Member Lagos State Sports Council (1971 – 1972) (d) Director, Nigerian Bank for Commerce and Industry (1980 – 1983) (e) Chairman, Board of Governors Odeomu High School-1989 – 1995 (f) Hon. Commissioner for Establishment and Training, old Oyo State Government, (Oct-Dec. 1983).
SOCIAL POSITIONS HELD
(a) President, Great Inner Circle Club of Nigeria, Ikorodu (1967-1984) (b) Chairman, Ikeja Division Welfare Association, (1975 -1979) (c) Sports Secretary, Ikeja Club, (1975) (d) General Secretary, Ikeja Club, (1976-1979) (e) Governor, Lawn Tennis Section, Ikeja Club, (1987 -1990) (f) Trustee Ikeja Club, (1977-till now) (g) President, Ikeja Club, (1990-1991) (h) President, Council of Titled Chiefs Ikeja- land (1992 – now) (i) President, Boys Scout Movement, Ikeja October 2003 – now (j) Life Patron – Nigerian Scout & Guide Fellowship, – 16th July, 2019.
Also, Patron to many Social Clubs and societies including some in the Universities and Church organisations.
CHIEFTANCY TITLES
(1) Installed the ATUNLUSE of Odeomu, 3rd October 1982 (2) Installed the BOBATIRO of Ikejaland, Nov. 9, 1985 (3) Installed the BAAGBIMO of Onigbagbo/Opebi, Ikejaland, July 1988.
Appointed a Justice of the Peace (JP) by Osun State Government on 8th September 1995. On October 1, 2005, in recognition of my contributions to Education and Youth Development, I was given a Merit Award by Osun State Government.
Installed Baba Ijo of St. David’s Anglican Church, Odeomu, 26th Dec. 1994 and 6th June 1998 Installed BABA SALE (PATRON) of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Odeomu branch and in September 2002 Installed BABA SALE (PATRON) for Ayedaade L. G. Area. Also installed PATRON of Oke Osun Diocese Anglican Communion. In 1992, I was awarded a degree of Doctor of Education (Honoris Causa) of Brunswick University, U.S.A.
On 22nd May 2010, I was conferred, with the title of the ORDER of KNIGHTHOOD OF GOOD SAMARITAN by Gospel Baptist Conference of Nigeria and Overseas.
APPOINTED member, Board Of Trustees, Kings University, Odeomu, Osun State, 2015. Attended the World
Scout Winter Jamboree in Quebec, Canada in December, 1999/2000. Also attended the 21st World Scout Jamboree to commemorate the Centenary (100 years) of Scout Movement held at Hylands Park Chelmsford near London, UK, 27th July, – 8th August 2007. Went on Holy Pilgrimage to Jerusalem in Israel in 2008.
I have been given over sixty (60) Honorary Awards by different organisations, Social, Civil and religious between 1978 and now (2019).
HOBBIES and GAMES:- I belong to a few Social Clubs I used to play, very actively, LAWN TENNIS and Table Tennis and DART. I used to sponsor Lawn Tennis Tournaments. I still sponsor Basket Ball and Football tournaments.
I love listening to good music. I also like dancing to both African and European music.
Married and blessed with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Glory be to God. Amen. F. I. OLANIYAN, 15th July 2019.
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