Chief Henry Adelokun Olaosebikan
- Background
Chief Henry Adelokun was born to the family of Pa Malaki Adaramoti and Rebeka Agbejoke Olaosebikan Asaju of Iraye Ruling House of Ajagun Dynasty of Oro-Ago Kingdom in Ifelodun Local Government of Kwara State – Nigeria on Thursday, February 26, 1936.
- EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION(S)
Henry started schooling at Oro-Ago S.I.M. Primary School up to Infant II before joining his Uncle Late Rev. David Afolayan Asaju at the Baptist Day School, Iwo inOsun State where he went through Standard One to Standard Six from 1946 to 1952.
In 1953, had a brief training in Broadloom Weaving at Oyo before his Secondary Education at Igbaja Teacher Training College from 1956 to 1959 where he obtained his Grade II Teachers Certificate with Credits and Merit.
After a year and nine months, teaching at Oro-Ago S.I.M. Primary School, he proceed to Dundee College of Education, Dundee in Scotland from 1961 – 1963 with Diploma Certificate in Education, an equivalent of NCE Certificate.
1975 – 1977 saw him to Reading University, reading in Great Britian where he had Advanced Diploma in Education Certificate (1976) and M.A. at the same University in 1977 Academic Session.
- PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER EXPERIENCE
In 1954, Henry taught as Christian Religious Instructor at Omugo in Oro-Ago Kingdom for six (6) months before getting a probationary teaching appointment in Idofin, Ekiti Local Government and transferred to Oro-Ago Primary School in 1955 still a probationary Grade II Teacher in 1955.
He became a Grade II Teacher at the same S.I.M. Primary School in Oro-Ago from 1960 to 1961. Henry also worked briefly at S.I.M. Teacher Training College, Igbaja from 1963 to 1965 during which period Henry acted as Acting Vice Principal of the College.
He then joined the Northern regional Government Civil Service in 1965 and posted to Government Teachers College, Sokoto as a Teacher from 1965 – 1966.
1967 – 1969 saw Henry as Liaison Officer with Kano and Bauchi Teacher College Student to Ilesha Teachers College in Western Nigeria under the Student Exchange Programme of Northern and Western Region Students under the agreement agreed to by Sir Ahmadu Bello of the Northern Region and Chief Adegoke Akintola of the Western Region before the 1966 Military Coup-de-Tat.During this period, his service was transferred from the Northern Regional Government to the Interim Common Services Agency before his transfer to the Kwara State Government Service at the end of the programme in 1969.
The Kwara State Ministry of Education then transferred him to New Bussa in 1970 as a Divisional Inspector of Education and from 1971 to 1972, he was transferred to Okene Local Government now in Kogi State. From 1972 to 1975 as the Chairman and also the Divisional Inspector of Education in Oyi Local Government Schools Management Board and also the representative of the Kwara State Ministry of Education to all Governing Board of Secondary School in the entire Oyi Local Government Area.
On his return from Great Britian in 1977, he was posted to the Government Teachers College, Lokoja as the Vice Principal of the School and moved to Ogori-Magongo Teachers College, Ogori in January 1978 and to Igosun Teachers College in January 1980.
- POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Incidentally, he was seconded to become the Caretaker Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Authority in 1981 and moved to became the Special Adviser and Director of Information in the administration of His Excellency, Alhaji Adamu Atta in 1982.Subsequently the Gubernatorial Running Mate of His Excellency, Alhaji Adamu Atta in the Gubernatorial Election of 1983 with the loss of election coup and the coup of 1984 made Henry to go into full politics after Nigerian Army lifted the coup later in 1984. He joined the NRC Party and the PDP.
In the era of the PDP, he became the National Assistant Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Abuja from 1998 – 2001.He was also the Sole Administrator of the Kwara State College of Education, Oro in Irepodun Local Government of Kwara State between 1996 and 1998 where through shrewd and transparent management of fund, the construction of the Business Centre in the College made possible through direct labour. Later, the Chairman of the National Theatre and the National Troupe of Nigeria in Lagos from 2001–2003. This was followed by his appointment as the Chairman of Governing Board of the Kwara State Library Board in 2006 when the E-Library was introduced to the Kwara State Library, Ilorin during his tenure.
PRESENT CAREER/OCCUPATION
Presently, Chief Henry Adelokun Olaosebikan is retired, though not tired but stayed off official duties and politics. He is only responsible to civic responsibilities. He attends meetings and chairman security meetings of his community and her environs.
- AWARDS AND HONOURS OF RECOGNITION
Henry is an ICON in the society because of his integrity and positive contributions to the society at large.
He has been honoured with the following Honourary Chieftaincy titles:
- The Balogun of Oke Oayn in Ile Ire District of Ifelodun Local Government Area (1982)
- The Agbakin of Ekan Nla, Oke-Ero Local Government Area (1983)
- The T’Obase of Ora, Ifelodun Local Government Area (1983)
- The Fiwajoye of Eruku Land, Ekiti Local Government Area (2004)
- Award of Honours from Egbe Omo Igbomina (2004)
- Award of Excellence by HRH, the Oloro of Oro-Ago Kingdom in Ifelodun Local Government (2024)
- Academic Award
- First School Leaving Certificate, Oke-Odo Baptist Da School, Iwo in Osun State (1952)
- Teachers Grade II Certificate, Igbaja – Kwara State (1959)
- Diploma in Education, Dundee Scotland – Great Britain (1963)
- Advance Diploma in Education Administration – Reading University, great Britain (1976)
- Award of Certificate of Course of Study in “ORGANISATION OF IN-SERVICE TRAINING” – New Castle University, Great Britain (1976)
- A. (Ed.) Reading University, England – Great Britain (1977)
- Award of Commonwealth Fellowship by British Government (1977)
- Award of Excellence in Recognition of Meritorious Social Political Development (2017)
- Award of Excellent Performance by EAGLES MAGAZINE (2016)
- Prestigious Award of Excellence, Government Teachers College, Igosun, Oyun Local Government Area (2020)
- Award of Excellence of 2nd ECWA, Oro-Ago (2024)
- MEMBERSHIP OF OMO IBILE IGBOMINA
Chief Henry Adelokun Olaosebikan had been an active member of Omo Ibile Igbomina for over fifty-four years precisely Okene with colleagues in citizenship like Pa I. O. A. Afolayan, S. A. Afolayan and other Igbomina Civil Servants in Okene at that time. They held their meetings at Pa I. O. A. Afolayan of Esie Residence at the Okene Teacher’s College premises. It was so since then from place to place. Henry has also worked with many National Presidents, the most recent ones being Elder Adewara Toyin Lawal of Oke-Ode, Elder Gabriel Jimoh of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Engr. T.N Adebayo of Isin Local Government and the last but not the least, dynamic Sir Bisi Fakayode of Irepodun Local Government.
Henry was also one of the members of the first Executive members of Asepo Omo Ibile Igbomina meeting at Ila Orangun as the very first Publicity Secretary of the body. Presently, a current member of the Omo Ibile Igbomina Council of Elders.
“IGBOMINA: ISOKAN”