Chief Theophilus Adeleke Akinyele, OON

February 29, 1932 – October 26, 2020.

Biography

Chief Theophilus Akinyele, OON,
Bobajiro of Ibadanland (1978)

BIRTH DATE: 29th February, 1932

PARENTS: Samuel Ajayi Akinyele; Deborah Jolade Akinyele

MARITAL STATUS: Married with four children and numerous grandchildren

EDUCATION

  • PRIMARY: ST. PETER’S SCHOOL, AREMO, IBADAN — 1939-1944
  • MIDDLE: MAPO CENTRAL SCHOOL, IBADAN — 1945-1946
  • SECONDARY: IBADAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL, IBADAN — 1947-1952
  • UNIVERSITY: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE IBADAN — 1953-1959

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS

  • CAMBRIDGE OVERSEAS SCHOOL CERTIFICATE WITH EXEMPTION — 1952
  • INTERMEDIATE BACHELOR OF ARTS (LONDON) — 1955
  • REIFIED AS COLLEGE SCHOLAR IN CLASSICS — 1955
  • BACHELORS OF ARTS (LONDON) WITH HONOURS IN LATIN — 1959

TRAINING COURSES

  • OXFORD UNIVERSITY — ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER COURSE, 1969
  • UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT — ADMINISTRATION, DEVELOPMENTAL ECONOMICS & PUBLIC FINANCE COURSE, 1970
  • HAVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL— HIGHER EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT COURSE, 1975

WORK EXPERIENCE

  • THIRD CLASS TREASURY CLERK, ACCOUNTANT GENERAL’S OFFICE, WESTERN REGION, IBADAN 1953
  • ASSISTANT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF ESTABLISHMENT, WESTERN REGION OF NIGERIA, IBADAN 1958
  • Worked directly under Dr. P.T. Odumosu of blessed memory, and later rose to become Senior Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Establishments, Secretariat, Ibadan 1958.
  • ASSISTANT DISTRICT OFFICER WESTERN REGION OF NIGERIA, UGHELLI; 1959
  • Posted to Ughelli now in Delta State as Assistant District Officer, and worked directly under Mr. A.G.R. Cross for one year.
  • SENIOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF FINANCE, WESTERN STATE; 1963
  • Transferred back to Ibadan as Assistant Secretary (Finance), working under Chief S.O. Adebo for a period of 15 months.
  • FISCAL RESEARCH OFFICER, MINISTRY OF FINANCE, WESTERN STATE; 1969
  • Worked closely with Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, deepening knowledge of Revenue and Expenditure segments of Budget Profiles.
  • PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, WESTERN STATE; 1974-1975. For a year, worked as Permanent Secretary Agriculture, Western State of Nigeria.
  • PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF FINANCE, WESTERN STATE; 1975-1976
    For a year, worked as Permanent Secretary Finance, Western State of Nigeria.
  • REGISTRAR AND SECRETARY TO GOVERNING COUNCIL, UNIVERSITY OF IFE; 1975-1976
    For a period of one year, worked alongside Professor Ojetunji Aboyade and others, as Registrar of Ife University when it became a federal school.
  • SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT & HEAD OF CIVIL SERVICE FOR OYO STATE; 1976-1979
    Transferred back to Ibadan as the substantive Secretary to the Old Oyo State, and Head of Civil Service for two years when Western State was splintered into three States.
  • FEDERAL DIRECTOR OF BUDGET & SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT ON BUDGET AFFAIRS; 1979-1983. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA; SHEHU SHAGARI ADMINISTRATION.

OTHER ACTIVITIES:

  • Member, Presidential Transition Committee (1979-83)
  • Member, Oyo State Gubernatorial Transition committee (1998)
  • Member, National Planning Commission (1999)
  • Member and Vice President, Ibadan Chamber of Commerce
  • Chairman Olubadan Coronation Planning Committee, 1994 and 1999
  • Chairman, Economic and Statistic Committee of NACCIMA (1989-99)
  • Member and Chairman, CSS Ltd and Bookshop House Ltd. An author of six books, several journal/media articles and book chapters.

ASSOCIATIONS AND AWARDS:

  • Member Ibadan Foundation. Meritorious Service Award, 2018
  • Member Ibadan Elders Forum
  • Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International
  • Member of the Anglican Communion, Chief Akinyele has held different offices in Ibadan North Diocese.
  • Immediate former Chairman and founding member of the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries of Oyo and Osun States (AREHSPSOOS).
  • Nigerian Economic Society
  • Member African Association for Public Administration and Management
  • Member Society for International Development
  • Nigerian National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), where he served as Chairman of its Economics and Statistics Committee for ten years.
  • Former Chairman, Board of Directors, Nigerian Water Resources Development Company, 1976 – 1978
  • Former Chairman of Ibadan Anglican Diocesan Development Committee.
  • Former Chairman, Ona Are Local Government Area Development Committee.
  • Conferred with the title of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by President Olusegun Obasanjo (2000).

PUBLICATIONS:

He is the author of numerous articles and books, including:

  • AUTOBIOGRAPHY: BEYOND PUSHING FILES, T.A. Akinyele (1972).
  • READINGS IN POLITICAL ECONOMY & GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: Selected speeches and Articles of Chief T.A. Akinyele, ISBN-13:9789782951816, CSS Ltd. (2002).
  • THE 2003 GENERAL ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA: VIEWS FROM A POLICY MAKER. Akinyele, Theophilus Adeleke. Journal of Third World Studies. 21 (2): 63–82 (2004).
  • IBADAN TRADITIONAL SYSTEM—REFORM AND REGNERATION. Theophilus Adeleke Akinyele, ISBN 978 978 915 497 5. Kajia Publishing. (2011).
  • EVOLUTION IN THE UNIQUE SYSTEM OF SELECTING THE OLUBADAN OF IBADAN, By Chief T.A. AKINYELE. From the Book, Ibadan Ajorosun, A Collection of Essays, Articles and Artworks on His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Samuel Odulana, Odugade1 and Ibadanland. Ibadan Book Club (2014).
  • PROFILES AND TESTIMONIES ON THE “ANCIENT GREATS” AS THE EARLY PILLARS OF WESTERN NIGERIA CIVIL SERVICE, By T.A. Akinyele, From the book, We Served Our Generation—Perspectives and Reflections on Western Civil Service. Published by the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries of Oyo and Osun States of Nigeria. HEBN Publishers, PLC. (2013).