Two weeks ago, the family of late Ikire-born business magnate, Alhaji Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim, popularly known as ‘Inaolaji’, was once again thrown into deep mourning. As one of the late billionaire’s children, Busola dies.
The deceased, a lawyer, worked briefly as a counsel to the family and her late dad before she retired into private practice. Her death, no doubt, has remained shocking and a great loss to the family who lost their patriarch about two years ago. Chief Inaolaji, it would be recalled, died on 31st March 2020, at his Oluyole Extension Country Home, after a brief illness. He was aged 85.
Barely six months after and when the family was yet to get over the passage of their patriarch, the younger wife, Ronke Ibrahim (Inaolaji) also died. The news of her death was a rude shock not only to her immediate family but also to both business and social worlds in Ibadan. Chief (Mrs) Ronke Ibrahim, simply known on the social scene as ‘Ronke Inaolaji’ was a prominent society woman in Ibadan. She died at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Sunday 18th October 2020, after a brief illness. She was aged 59 and survived by three lovely grown children; two boys and a girl.
Busola’s death has, however, brought to three, number of the key members of the family who have died within the space of two years. And that makes it, indeed, a trying for the Inaolaji family. Chief Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim also known as Inaolaji was born on 17th May 1934, at Olupele compound, Oke Ada, Ikire in Osun state. He was said to have started off as a Forest Guard before venturing into the Cocoa business. He was later to become a big-time Cocoa merchant with properties here and there in his Ikire home town. But unfortunately, he lost everything to the ‘Operation Wetie’ crisis in 1963. As all his properties were burnt down.
That incident of the 60s was what led to his relocation to Ibadan. Where he picked up the pieces of his life together and bounced back big time. His first registered company as a construction contractor, Inaolaji Enterprises is today a household name in Ibadan and has since given birth to many other businesses.
Some of his companies include Inaolaji Enterprises Limited; Arcom Nigeria Limited, which is affiliated to the Romanian Government; Inaolaji Builders; Tri-Star Nigeria Limited and many others. Late Inaolaji’s businesses cut across Quarry, Shipping, Construction, Manufacturing, Hospitality, and Property just name it. He was so rich with properties scattered all over Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja and abroad. He had a replica of his Ibadan mansion in his hometown, Ikire. One of his many legacies is the popular Inaolaji Shopping Complex at Agodi-Gate, Ibadan.
Baba Inaolaji in his lifetime was also a great philanthropist and a highly religious man. He married about 9 wives and had 26 children. One of his children, Biola is contesting the House of Assembly elections in Osun State.
-Dare Adeniran
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