With the appointment of Chief Bisi Ilaka as Chief of Staff, new Oyo Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde has hit the ground running. The Oyo-born politician was announced for the post shortly after Engr. Seyi Makinde’s inauguration as governor, making it his first appointment and the 3rd executive action the Governor took on the day of his inauguration.
Governor Makinde had earlier in his speech after taking his oath of office declared open for public use, the bridge that leads from the state secretariat to Government House, which has been put under lock by the immediate past administration, and named it ‘Freedom Bridge. He also put a stop to #3000 school fees levy across primary and secondary schools in the state.
The new Chief of Staff to Oyo State Governor, Chief Bisi Ilaka, is a seasoned politician. Not many know that Ilaka is not just a politician, but a businessman of note. He is also a philanthropist. Many people may not also know that he is a prominent Oyo Chief; he is the Ladilu of Oyo. As prominent as BisiIlaka is in the business, so also he is in politics, having paid his dues politically. He has contested and loss the Oyo Central Senatorial seat three times, and that has never dettered him from commitment to the upliftment of his people.
Luqman Oyebisi Ilaka, born into the family of Late Chief Lasisi Ojedokun Ilaka and Chief (Mrs) Ilaka compound, Apinni, Oyo Town, is a legal and tax consultant. He attended Grange School, Ikeja for his primary education, and proceeded to the Government College Ibadan between 1973-1977 for his secondary school. He sat for his A-level exams at Ansar-Ud-Deen College, Ikeja, Lagos and came out in flying colours in 1978.
He proceeded to University of Ife [Now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife in 1978. Ilaka’s quest more knowledge led him to the prestigious University of London, where he bagged a Bachelor of Laws Degree with Honours. He also attended the College of Law, Lancaster Gate, London in !990, where he excelled academically. In 1993, he attended Charterd Institute of Taxation of England and Wales.
Chief Ilaka is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of England and Wales.
A United Kingdom based chartered Tax and Financial Adviser. A fellow of the Charterd Institute of Insurance, he also qualified as a Mortgage Advance Planner of the same institute. Ilaka, a legal icon and Tax consultant, has had numerous work experiences in both public and private sectors. His first professional apprenticeship was with Her Magesty’s Inspector of Texas Paddington District dealing with income tax, capital gains tax and corporate tax cases. He also had a stint at Salfiti and Co Solicitors based in London. He worked on diverse areas of law in the course of his stint particularly, land, trust and commercial cases.
Between 1994 and 1997, he worked with the Guardian Royal Exchange, GRE Maidstone, Kent where he served as Tax/Financial Consultant dealing with life assurance, investments, inheritance tax and mortgage cases.
He has also worked as Associate Partner J. Rothschild Allum gate House, Theobalds Road, Elstree Herts where he was responsible to advice clients on life assurance, investments [offshore and onshore] Inheritance Tax planning, Trusts and settlements, Mortgage and Real Estate planning. since 1994, Ilaka has been the Executive Director of many companies.
He is the ED of Grosvenor Place Property and Investment Nig. Ltd. Director, Parner Total Reality Company, an estate agency based in United Kingdom. He is also the Sole Proprietor of Mortgage Assistance, a mortgage brokerage based in the United Kingdom. He joined politics about eleven years ago and he has always been active has been actively involved in politics for upwards of 11 years.
Chief Bisi Ilaka sure has an intimidating C.V, no wonder he was appointed member of the Board of Directors, Nigeria Deposit Issuance Corporation (NDIC).
He is so passsionate about making life better for his people and community. Ilaka is a visionary who believes strongly in service to humanity. He is always ready to impact positively on his community and everybody that comes his way.
HIS PHILANTHROPIC GESTURES.
In his plans to develop his community and Oyo State, as a member of Board of Director of NDIC, he facilitated the construction of a Lecture Classroom, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo; ICT center fully equipped for the use of students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan as well as Government College, Ibadan. He had touched and still many lives through LUQMAN OYEBISI ILAKA FOUNDATON” a registered non-governmental organization saddled with the responsibility of making life abundant and more meaningful to the people.
The foundation has sank 27 bore-holes throughout Oyo State, thereby being a major provider of clean and portable water to the people of Oyo State. Provision of numerous grants and scholarships to indigent but brilliant students of Oyo State, rehabilitation of the sanitary and toilet facilities in Oyo State Prisons. He has Micro-Finance projects aimed at alleviating suffering and promoting wealth creation by ensuring that business funds are within the reach of the masses particularly rural women.
He has established the ILAKA football club ensuring talented youths in Oyo State are trained and encouraged to engage in sporting activities. A member of the team had represented Nigeria in the under 20’s. Ilaka is also the sponsor of annual Oba Lamidi Adeyemi Cup.
SOCIO-CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.
Ilaka is a member of many socio-cultural clubs such as the Government College Ibadan Old Boys Associaton; OYO Descendants Association and Anfani for All, a sustainable development initiative and many more No wonder he was made the Ladilu of Oyo Kingdom by HRM Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, Alaafin of Oyo, in 2006.
–Dare Adeniran
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