MY WALL OF FAME: MONTH OF THE AMAZONS: OLOYE JUMOKE AKINJIDE
OLOYE JUMOKE AKINJIDE
THE ICONIC STATESWOMAN
Oloye Jumoke Akinjide has particular passion for the poor and downtrodden. Issues involving Health, Education and people's comfort touch her heart. A single encounter with Oloye was enough to turn around the lives of many.
Watching her infectious smile and mien
during the inauguration of National Mandate Group in Oyo State, one cannot but
perceive a woman filled with inner strength andjoy.
A friend of mine from another part of the country once asked me; "Femi, tell me about this Akinjide woman."
I told him as much as oral narrative could
do, and promised to brief him better later. The foregoing is what I sent to
him.
Oloye Akinjide was born on the 4th August,
1959. She had her primary and secondary education between 1963 & 1974 at
Maryhill Convent School & St Louis Grammar School, both at Ibadan, Oyo
State of Nigeria respectively.
She attended Kings College, London,
University of London and bagged in 1980 a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with 2nd Class
Upper. She also attended Harvard Law School and in 1981 bagged a Master of Laws
(LLM). She was at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos where she was called to the
Nigerian Bar (BL) in 1982.
Oloye Akinjide was admitted as a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in July 1983 while in March 1996, she was admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales.
She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK.
She is a member of various local & international professional bodies/associations such as Nigerian Bar Association, Law Society of England and Wales, Association of International Petroleum Negotiators USA, International Bar Association, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). Similarly, she was variously nominated/elected member of Committees/Board such as Aviation Sector Reform Implementation Committee (2000-2002), Board of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (1999-2002), Arbitration Law Reform Committee of Lagos State 2007, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, etc.
She has had varying work experience in both the public and private sector. She was the Special Assistant to President (SAP) on FCT Matters (2001-2002) & SAP on G77 and Nigerians In the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) – 2002 to 2003.
She is a Principal Partner to NEWMAN LEGAL
– a Law firm based in Lagos & Abuja and the former Managing Partner of
Akinjide & Co. where she was Joint Head of the Energy Law Dept. and the
Head of Company Law Department.
Oloye Jumoke is the Chairperson, Local
Organising Committee, Association of International Petroleum Explorationists
(AIPN), West Africa Chapter.
As the Minister of state for FCT in the
Goodluck Jonathan administrator, Oloye used her position to better the lives of
many. Apart from several poverty alleviation programs that brought succor to the
lives of myriad of Oyo State indigenes, she brought several developmental
projects to Oyo State. She has particular passion for the poor and downtrodden.
Issues involving Health, Education and people's comfort touch her heart. A
single encounter with Oloye was enough to turn around the lives of many.
Even outside government, she has not stopped her passion for bettering the lives of others.
Little wonder she attracts unflinching loyalty from her teeming lovers and supporters.
Jumoke Akinjide is an astute stateswoman.
I cannot count the number of Men and Women
who’s lives have been positively touched ny Oloye Jumoke Akinjide.
An elderly retired teacher summed her up
thus; “Jumoke has the Strength of a Colossus and the caring heart of an angel”
Even among giants, her svelte and elegant stature
still towers well above her peers. Behind that sonorous gentle voice is a woman
made of whip-cord strength steel.
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