Late Pa James Popoola Olaonipekun Adeoye
Pa James Popoola Olaonipekun Adeoye, B.A Hons, was a special pioneering legend. He was an astute administrator and extra-ordinary community grassroot man. He was born in 1918 into the family of late Pa Adeoye of Aro Olola Compound, Aran-Orin in the present day Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Popoola Adeoye was one of the few children of his era who had the privilege of seeing the four walls of school; he was indeed a child of destiny. Hie was enrolled at St Benedict Catholic School in Osogbo in 1935 and came out in 1940. After leaving Primary School, he enrolled in a Cambridge Correspondence course.
He, in the interim,  trained as a Nurse, practiced for a while and then got recruited into the British Army Medical Corps at the tail end of World War 2 and was deployed to the Burma theatre of the War. When the War ended in 1945, he came back to Nigeria, managed to get discharged. He resumed his Cambridge Correspondence Courses.
He did some odd jobs and while at Owo got married in 1951. He was a fiercely ambitious young man. He proceeded to Scottish Church College, Calcutta in India between 1954 and 1958 for his B.A Hons in Public Administration.
He worked briefly as Clerk and Local Treasurer between 1958 and 1959, Assistant Secretary, Ministry for Local Government, all in Kaduna, Divisional Office and Magistrate 1962, Justice of the Peace 1963. Later, he was appointed Finance Officer, Ministry of Health, Kaduna, Principal Assistant Secretary, Economic Advisers’ Office. Head, Economic Division, Ministry of Trade, Lagos 1967-1968, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Trade 1968-1971, he was also appointed Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industries in 1971. In the same year, he was appointed as Chairman of Federal Agencies.
Of a particular note was that late Pa JPO Adeoye was strategically placed in Dodan Barracks corridor of power in 1967, to directly influence the choice of Major Bamgboye as the first Military Governor of the newly created North Central State, with Ilorin as Headquarter. Pa Adeoye was in the next rung of the ladder to the Super Perm Secs, Damcida, Katagun, Allison Ayida etc
Late JPO Adeoye, D. O. (District Officer) as he was fondly called, was among the very first set of privileged Nigerians of Northern extraction to be the torch bearer in our polity. The then Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Sulu Gambari used to receive him a number of times as a proud son of Ilorin Province when he came visiting.
JPO Adeoye was the first Nigerian Director of Nigeria Bottling Company (Coca-Cola) for Nigeria. NBC was a subsidiary of Leventis Group of Companies based at Leventis House, Iddo, Ebute-Meta, Lagos. He was also the first Nigerian Secretary of Universities Commission now Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC). Again, JPO Adeoye was popularly
called the Father of Nicon. He was the founding father of Nicon Insurance of Nigeria. He was a man of many firsts. Buhari and Idiagbon appointed him as Chairman of the Greater Nigeria Insurance Company. His impact in the early post independence years of Nigeria was highly remarkable. His indefatigable and selfless service to our Nation will continue to be referenced in the decades to come.
On his impact in his Aran orin community, when the likes of Dr SA Olawuyi formed Aran-Orin Progressive Union, APU, (a flagship organisation within the community saddled with the responsibility to champion its developmental agenda and efforts), in the 50s, he served as its President and later as its Patron till his death in 1985. Many developmental strides were championed by him including but not limited to Aran-Orin electrification project in the mid 70s, building of the then Town Hall, Fatima College Ekanmeje Aran Orin, Comprehensive High school (ACHS) Aran Orin, Aran Orin Health Centre and Aran Orin 2 mile radius Land Use Understanding, large scale employment of Igbomina youths in to Coca-cola establishments nationwide.
Late Pa Adeoye was happily married to Mary Jolade, an Owo indigene. The marriage was blessed with three wonderful daughters and four amazing sons. Every son and daughter of Aran-Orin and by extension, Igbomina land should be proud of this collosus! Adieu, our dear Baba Monigbagbe JPO Adeoye!