Birthdays
BANKOLE, Suarau Olayiwola Alani, politician, businessman and Egba chieftain will be 80 on September 17, 2021. He was born on September 17, 1941 and attended Baptist High School, Abeokuta.
He was an Ogun State gubernatorial candidate on three occasions; he ran on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria ( NPN) in 1979 and again in 1983, but was replaced by Soji Odunjo the latter year.
He joined the National Republican Convention Party ( NRC) in 1989, and later became a member of the All Nigeria’s Peoples Party ( ANPP). He became National Vice Chairman and later acting National Chairman before leaving the party for the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in 2000.
He is the chairman of West African Aluminum Products ( WAAP). He is also the founder of Freight Agencies Nigeria Ltd, the first freight company in West Africa. Married to Atinuke Bankole, the Ekerin Iyalode of Egbaland, he holds the titles of Oluwo of Iporo Ake and Seriki Jagunmolu of Egba
KHATOR, Samuel Ighede, administrator, consultant, author and business executive will be 76 on September 18, 2021. Born on September 18, 1945, he at
Bankole tended St. Stephen’s Anglican School, Odighi; Eghosa Anglican Grammar School, Benin City and University of Ibadan.
He is a retired Permanent Secretary and former Chairman, Edo State Local Government Service Commission, Benin City.
He was a President of the Eghosa Anglican Grammar School Old Boys’ Association worldwide. He is also the Chairman/ Chief Executive, S. I. E Investment and Associate Ltd., Benin City.
YEDEPO, Bishop David Olaniyi, cleric, Christian author, businessman, architect, the founder and presiding Bishop of the Faith Faith Church, also known as Winners’ Chapel International, Ota, Ogun State will be 67 on September 27, 2021.
Born on September 27, 1954, in Osogbo, Osun State, Oyedepo is a native of OmuAran, Irepolodun Local Council, Kwara State. He was raised in a mixed religious family. His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer. His mother, Dorcas, was a member of the Holy Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church ( C& S), a branch of the Aladura movement in Nigeria.
He studied Architecture at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin and worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary work. Oyedepo received a PHD in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States of America.
He founded the Living Faith Church Worldwide in 1981. The church was first called Liberation Faith Hour Ministries. Two years later, on September 17,
1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God ( RCCG), ordained Oyedepo and his wife, Florence Abiola
Akano ( known as Faith Abiola Oyedepo) to become
pastors and officially commissioned the new church. Five years later, Oyedepo was ordained as Bishop.
Winners Chapel International operates a Bible training programme known as the Word of Faith Bible Institute for members and non- members alike to develop knowledge of Christian principles, as well as to develop leaders and future pastors. The institute is run in major branches of the Church.
Oyedepo is the president of David Oyedepo Ministries International ( DOMI). DOMI is the umbrella organisation comprising Living Faith Church Worldwide ( a global network of churches), World Mission Agency ( WMA); the global missionary arm of the church’s operations,
Dominion Publishing House; the publishing arm of the church, Covenant University, and the Social Development Missions projects - made up of hospitals, maternity homes, schools, etc. Compiled by Gbenga Akinfenwa, oluwagbenga. akinfenwa@ guardian. ng or gbengaherkin@ yahoo. com