Profile of Dr. Moses Adeniyi Kolawole Ojo – The Asiwaju of Igogo Ekiti Kingdom

Dr. Moses Adeniyi Kolawole Ojo was born on February 20, 1945, in Igógo Èkìtì, Ẹ̀rọ́ LCDA, Èkìtì State, Nigeria. He is a lone child of the wedlock between Pa David Ọṣadiya Ojo of Isaka Compound and Madam Alice Wuraọla Ojo alias Iya Ẹgbẹ Jọ́gọ̀ née Ajayi-Faniyi Abuletagba of Ile Òkoye both in Igógo Ekiti.

The paternal grandmother of Kolawole Ojo’s mother, Yèyé Ariyekẹ hailed from Òkerọwa. She was a Princess of one past ruler of Igógo Ekiti Kingdom, Kabiyesi Ọba Akópupayokobóodidẹ, while his maternal grandmother, Yèyé Ọmọleewọ̀ born in Ile Ajiribọtọ, was daughter of Yèyé Aina Jẹjẹ of Ojoko lineage, Ìdi Àagba Ìsalu, Igógo Èkìtì.

On the other hand,  his paternal grandfather, GrandPa Alagogo Ọkọ, was a son of a past Chief Olori Arẹ distinguished by revered cognomen, Ìjẹtì-Oyè. The paternal grandmother, Yèyé Famoriyè from Idọ̀ka, was birthed by Eyebaisà Ẹkùn, a scion of Ọ̀dọ̀fin Ògbóyè dynasty, Igógo Èkìtì.

Kolawole Ojo’s father was a peasant farmer while his mother was a proprietress of an erstwhile popular bukateria operated for decades at Idọ̀ka Motor Vehicles Bus Stop. Both parents were active members of Emmanuel Anglican Church, Igógo Ekiti. His father was the treasurer of his society in the church till death on December 26, 1982. The mother had also been the Iya Ẹgbẹ Imọlẹtàn of this same Church since about 1944 till she died on October 14, 2011.

Dr. Ojo began his early education at Emmanuel Anglican Primary School, Igógo Èkìtì in 1950 and continued at Harding Memorial Secondary Modern School, Ado Ekiti in 1958-60 when he lived in the house of late Prince Adegoke Adewumi of Ojumose, Ado Ekiti. In January 1961, he was admitted to Form Two at Ado Grammar School, Ado Ekiti and thereby joined the first set of the schoool. He however transferred to Doherty Memorial Grammar School, DMGS, Ijero Ekiti in January 1962 and continued with the set of 1960-65 till he finished.

His zeal for science based education took him to Federal School of Science, Onikan, Lagosy in 1967-68. As a student at Federal School of Science, he opted to live in the school hostel and kept his clerical job at the Federal Office of Statistics, Ikoyi, Lagos in 1966-1968 for subsistence.

After obtaining the Advanced Level London General Certificate of Education, he worked as a clerical officer also at the Federal Ministry of Communications, Lagos in 1969-1970.

He was an undergraduate science student at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria during 1970/71 session. Through the Nigeria Bureau for External Aid, he proceeded to the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) on August 22, 1971 and was sent to Ukraine. After completing Preparatory in Kharkiv University, he got admitted in 1972 to Bogomolets Kiev Medical Institute now Bogomolets Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Dr. Ojo successfully completed medical training in June 1978 and became the first indigene of Igógo Ekiti and environ to graduate from a medical school. Much later, he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychiatry from the West African College of Physicians. It is interesting that in 1962, the Councillors representing Igogo Ekiti in the Council deliberately refused to shortlist his name for aursary award. But the Councillors were not aware that the young aspirant by divine guidance had supported his own application with his past School Terminal Examination Reports which he forwarded directly to the then Council Chairman, Mr Nathaniel Falaye Aina. Kolawole Ojo  apparently became the only applicant with sterling evidence-based most qualified candidate for sponsorship. Hence the Chairman over ruled the Councillors and chose him as the first person to be granted the award.

In the Year 1970 when Dr Kolawole Ojo entered ABU, Zaria, the Government of Western Nigeria started to give annual bursary of 100 Nigerian Pounds to every undergraduate of the region. He was one of the first beneficiaries. The following year, he secured a foreign scholarship to study medicine in the defunct USSR. It is therefore remarkable that even though Dr Ojo had initial serious financial challenges during his early years at school, by Providence, he eventually went through Secondary School and University educations on one type of government aid or the other.

Following completion of houseman-ship at State Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Dr Kolawole Ojo went through the National Youth Service at Okelele Medical Center, Ilorin, Kwara State in 1979/80. Thereafter, returned briefly to State Hospital, Ado Ekiti in the service of Ondo State Government before relocating again to Lagos.

He was first engaged by Dr. A. A. Aderemi at Marian Hospital, Ilupeju, Ikeja while also running Dr Aderemi’s industrial clinics at PZ Ilupeju and Vegetable Oils Industries, Ojota. In September 1981, he took up employment with the Nigeria Ports Authority, Lagos as a Medical Officer in the Medical Department. However in 1984, he resigned from this employment to set up Moffod Hospital at Mushin but moved the practice eventually to Ilasan Housing Estate, Lekki Peninsula, Lagos. In the course of time, he was a parent volunteer visiting physician to the Sick Bay of Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos in 1987-1996. When he returned to Ekiti, he also accepted to be volunteer Chief Medical Director of Ile Abiye Hospital, Ado Ekiti in years 2006 – 2013

Dr Kolawole Ojo is a former Chairman, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Lagos State, He is Fellow and former First National Vice-President of the AGPMPN, now known as  Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP). He is also an international member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and direct member World Organisation of Family Doctors.

Outside medical profession, Dr Kolawole Ojo was a charter member of Rotary Club of Victoria Island East of which he was Club President in 1991/92 Rotary Year. For several years, he was the club facilitator for Rotary polio immunization programmes and co-ordinator when the club, in collaboration with Rotary Eye Institute, Navsari, India was conducting 1000 yearly free eye surgeries in Lagos and Ogun States. Dr Ojo was  a member of the prestigious Ikoyi Club 1938. While in Ekiti, he joined Ekiti Golf Club, Ado Ekiti, and in New Jersey USA, he is a member of Freehold Raintree Golf Residents. He is also an enrolled member of Ekiti Council of Elders and has penchant for humanities, melodies, hymnody, virtual tourism, photo-videography, and for sustaining healthy relationships.

In Igógo Ekiti, Dr Kolawole Ojo is a member of The Patriotic Club and convener of Igógo Ekiti Think Tank. He was instrumental to the siting and retaining Igogo Ekiti branch of former People’s Bank of Nigeria, which was eventually renamed Bank of Agriculture (BOA). Dr Ojo is the Laity Patriarch (Baba Ijọ) of Emmanuel Anglican Church, Igógo Ekiti. He is also the Bobagunwa and is recently conferred as Asiwaju of Igógo Ekiti Kingdom.

Dr Ojo authored “Compendium of Igógo Ekiti Kingdom”, in which history of the town is citably documented. He is the administrator of the website: https://www.igogo-ekiti.com.

Beyond Igógo Ekiti, Dr.Ojo holds honorary titles of the Àgbàyẹwa of Ijero Ekiti Kingdom, the  Baba Ewe of Aramọkọ, and the Agbọmọlà of Igede Ekiti. He is also a recipient of many honorary awards including Ekiti Peace Hero Award.

Dr Kolawole Ojo is happily married to former Ololade Ogunleye of the Alájàò and Ojùmu Chieftaincy Dynasties of Owo. To the glory of God, they are both blessed with quite successful children and growing number of grandchildren.