“To be of noble birth is a great advantage. In eighteen years it places a man within
the select circle, known and respected, as another has merited in fifty years. It is a

gain of thirty years without trouble.”

– Blaise Pascal

There was wild jubilation in the serene community of Uloen, Ile-Oluji Kingdom, on
this Wednesday morning of June 10, 1953, when news broke that the family of one
of the founders of the community had welcomed a cute baby boy. The rustic village
erupted in celebration as the Adetimehin family was well-known, much-loved, and
well-respected. The patriarch of the family, Baba Josiah Oluwadakingbe Adetimehin,
better known as Baba Chairman, was a gentle, amiable, and affable community
leader who wielded enormous influence and commanded the kind of respect
reserved for men of noble character and impeccable pedigree.
The mother of this bundle of joy was Mama Julianah Adetomi Adetimehin (née
Akinfiresoye), who was the toast of the women in the community, and was
affectionately called “aya baba chairman”. Madam Juliana was a reticent housewife
who loved and respected her husband without any reservation. Men and women in
the community did all they could to be in her good books, knowing that a favourable
word on their behalf could swing Baba Chairman’s attention and support in their
favour.
As she beheld this latest addition to the family, her third child, Mama Julianah,
rocked the baby to the right and to the left, smiled, and thanked God for making her
three times lucky as a mother. She had enough reason to effusively thank and praise
God given the high infant mortality rate that prevailed in those days. Uloen did not
even have a standard maternity; hence every safe delivery was celebrated.
Uloen was densely populated. It was a remote village on the outskirts of Ile-Oluji.
Baba Chairman was one of the early settlers with the likes of Baba Sama Akinsile.

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The arrival of Baba Chairman’s third child brought unspeakable joy to the family and
brightened the mood of the community. When the baby was christened, he was
given several names, notable among which was Olufaderin Oluwole Julius
Adetimehin.
ROYAL LINEAGE AND PEDIGREE
The young Olufaderin, who would later become the 31 st Jegun Olu-Ekun of Ile-Oluji
Kingdom 63 years after his birth, boasts of a rich royal lineage and ancestry. His
father came from the royal family. Jegun has this to say about his father: “My father
was an embodiment of forthrightness all through his lifetime. His sterling leadership
qualities consistently earned him the Chairmanship position virtually in every Society
or Group he belonged. That earned him the appellation “Baba Chairman”.
He founded Egbe Ifesowapo in 1934 with membership from all the strata of the
community, including High Chiefs such as Baba Lisa Fagbamiye, Baba Odunwo
Adesiyakan, and community icons such as the late Ambassador Adeuga Adekuoye,
and other less prominent people. Papa was also a fashionista being a tailor in those
days, now glamourised as a fashion designer. Jegun Adetimehin’s mother’s
genealogy was not in any way different as she was a descendant of the “Akunye-
Kunlu” Lobun Dynasty as it was then known. Simply put, he has royal blood flowing
in his veins from both his paternal and maternal lineages. It is indeed a combination
of two shining royal stars. In Ile-Oluji’s local parlance, elders would say, “o ba ola ni
ibi meji”.
BABA CHAIRMAN’S EARLY VOCATION
Oba Olufaderin Adetimehin is very fond of his father. He speaks in glowing terms
about Baba Chairman. He sheds more light on his father’s personality, personae,
disposition to life, and the cozy father-son relationship they shared. He also speaks
about his mum’s loyalty to Baba Chairman. “My father started as a tailor; in today’s
circle, you would say fashion design. He was exceptional. He was in the group of the
late Baba Akinrelere, who was their chairman. I grew up to meet him in that group
and Baba was reputed for making dresses for his friends, the likes of Late Chief E.
Adepoju, Late Baba Badun Akintimehin, and quite a number of them like that. One

3
interesting thing about the history of my father is that I never met him on that
machine. He had already diversified into cocoa farming. That was what took him to
Uloen as one of the early settlers and founders”.
“That informed me why one of my paternal uncles, my father’s younger brother,
became the Oloja of Uloen. We grew up to meet him doing the cocoa farming
business, and it won’t be strange to you that farmers of those days made a success
of it, in terms of the money and the yield from their efforts. So, that was what took
Baba to Uloen District and our mother followed suit. You know women’s loyalty and
submissiveness to their husbands at that time was never in doubt. The loyalty was
absolute”.
“Before then, my mum was raised and brought up in Lagos. It was shortly after she
moved to Ile-Oluji that my father met her, and Baba did not waste time in proposing
and marrying her traditionally according to the prevailing custom and traditions of
that time. So, Mama was right there at Uloen with Baba tendering the cocoa farming
business we all grew up into. As I said, they had absolute loyalty to our parents,
different from what obtains now, and it was quite rewarding. It was in the process
that I was conceived and born”.
DADDY’S PET
“Frankly speaking, I used to be Papa’s pet. Not that I did not love my mum, but I was
most of the time with Baba everywhere he went. I was always in his company, but
again, it was short-lived because, for posterity's sake, I was a young boy that was
well-loved by everybody that came across me or whom I met at that time; everybody
wanted me in their company”.
RELOCATION TO ABEOKUTA
“Eventually, one of my uncles severed me from the close ties of Papa and Mama. He
was a teacher, so he picked me up right when I was going to be registered in
elementary school in 1960. I started going around with him everywhere he was
posted. At that time, teachers’ children or wards were regarded as highly privileged.
Then, teachers were renowned for being able to properly train and groom their

4
wards. We had good etiquette and a good upbringing, and you had no excuse not to
be smart, not to be disciplined, and not to be brilliant. Whenever he had to attend
any course, my uncle left me in the care of his colleagues in some of the stations. I
remember my stay with the late Baba Adekuhun (deceased) who contested the
Jegun’s stool with the immediate past Oba (Engr. Suulade Adedugbe). I also had a
short stay with Mrs. Comfort Adelosoye, the wife of the great Pa Abraham
Adelosoye, who worked and made his impact at the NNPC in those days. They were
not married then though. Mama Comfort also took good care of me”.
“I left with my uncle as soon as he finished his Grade Two Teaching Certificate
course. I think I was in Primary Two then. So, I had a very brief stay in school back
at Ile-Oluji. We went as far as Abeokuta, from Primary Three till I finished my
elementary school there. It was while in Abeokuta that I gained admission into Lisabi
Grammar School, one of the reputable schools in the then Western Region. While in
Abeokuta, my uncle and I regularly visited Ile-Oluji for holidays. You can imagine my
experience; my contemporaries saw me as a “new arrival from abroad”. They called
me City Boy (laughs)”.
Jegun Adetimehin lost his loving parents almost in quick succession, just two years
apart. Papa Josiah Oluwadakingbe Adetimehin died on 25th January 2008 aged 91,
while Mama Julianah Adetomi Adetimehin (née Akinfiresoye) died on 31st January
2010 at the age of 87.
SIBLINGS
Jegun Adetimehin has seven siblings: They are:
1. Mrs. Beatrice Adefunke Olagundoye (deceased). She was married to Surveyor
Johnson Olagundoye, a.k.a “Archimedes”. He was a senior Federal Civil Servant,
Head, and Director of Federal Survey School, Oyo. Surveyor Olagundoye was very
sound and versatile in Mathematics and Physics. Surv. Johnson Olagundoye aka
“Archimedes is the full name of the late husband of my late Sister. His father was
Chief Solo Olagundoye at Odomikan, a.k.a “Baba Kanga-Kanga”. Mrs. Olagundoye
died in an automobile accident while visiting her first daughter at the Federal
Government College in New Bussa, Niger State.

5
2. Otunba Henry Akinlade Adetimehin, a.k.a Baba Oba. He succeeded in his
clearing and forwarding business before he retired home shortly after Baba
Adetimehin’s demise. He is very versatile. He is Kabiyesi’s most senior Personal
Assistant. Of him, Jegun Adetimehin said: “He has been very supportive morally and
financially. He has put his totality into my administration, and I pray that God will
reward him”.
3. HRM Oba (Dr) Olufaderin Oluwole Adetimehin, Jimoko II, Jegun Olu-Ekun, and
Paramount Ruler of Ile-Oluji Kingdom.
4. Prince (Engr.) Adeboboye Adetimehin, a.k.a “Bob Tay”, is based in New York,
USA. He is an Engineer by profession.
5. Prince Lawrence Oluwarotimi Adetimehin, a.k.a. “Oyibosola”, a Chartered
Insurance Practitioner
6. Princess Cecilia Ibironke Olayinka, née Adetimehin, an Educationist based in
Lagos.
7. Prince Adeniyi Adetimehin, an employee of the Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji.
8. Princess Florence Bamitale Adegunloye, a step-sister.

CHILDHOOD
“Of the usual four weeks of holiday at that time, we would be compelled to spend two
weeks on the farm to support our parents and learn the art and science of tropical
farming. It truly paid off in that everywhere we went; most of us developed an interest
in farming. I have been involved in all aspects of farming. Right now on the throne, I
am farming as a way of showing a good example to my subjects because Agriculture
is the mainstay of our economy. For the remaining two weeks of the holiday, we
would go to one of the neighbouring schools to study preparatory to resumption.
While there, we formed peer groups and collaborated positively. Most parents
believed in educating their children because some of them didn’t have the
opportunity. We took advantage of their interest in sending us to school.”

6
“Naturally, we wanted to attend parties and socialise, but our parents were more
interested in seeing us observe our rest period, after a busy day studying.
Nevertheless, we were restive and adventurous. We still sneaked out after our
parents had gone to bed, and we would return early in the morning to get ready for
the day’s farm work. In those days, our parents did not use sticks and other objects
to beat us, but they scolded us with the length of their tongues. We never liked to be
scolded. We had high regard for our parents; we respected and feared them, unlike
these days when children take their parents’ love for granted.”

Olu Goes to School
Having been brought up by parents who believed in investing in the future of their
children, and an uncle who was a career educationist, the young Prince Olufaderin
had little choice on the issue of his education. It was not a matter of whether he
should go to school, but it was a matter of setting the minimum standards for him
and pursuing a discernible academic path. Also, as a precocious kid much loved by
Papa, Prince Olufaderin Olufaderin could not afford to disappoint.
Already, he enjoyed a head start with the time he spent with his uncle, Mr. Joseph
Adeyemi Adetimehin, a professional teacher. He followed his uncle everywhere he
was posted to, right from when he was in Primary 1. It was a big deal then as
children and wards of teachers were respected and seen as elite kids. It was a rare
privilege enjoyed by very few kids. Prince Adetimehin maximised this rare
opportunity, lapping up the exposure, uprightness, grooming, etiquette, focus, and
other benefits associated with being a teacher’s ward.
Living with Boda Joseph, his amiable uncle, accustomed him to the strict regimen of
doing things at scheduled intervals without fail. There was an allotted time for
everything: time to sleep, time to wake up, time to clean the house, time to eat, time
to play, and so on. It was such a well-organised routine that prepared him for life’s
future challenges. Prince Adetimehin left home to follow his uncle to Abeokuta when
he was in Elementary 2. He completed his Elementary 6 and gained admission into
Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta in 1966 at age 12, just about the time the 30-

7
month Nigerian Civil War was commencing. Abeokuta, regarded as the cradle of
civilisation in the South West, was a bigger and livelier environment than Uloen and
Ile-Oluji. Lisabi was a commercial college with a curriculum heavily focused on
Accounting, Commerce, Shorthand, and Typing.
Towards the end of 1968, just three years into his sojourn in the school, the school
curriculum changed as all secondary schools were compelled to introduce Basic
Sciences – Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. This change caught the students
unawares as most of them had already registered for the WAEC exams. The late
introduction of Basic Sciences affected their preparations as they had to put in extra
hours to catch up.
Despite their efforts, the best result the most brilliant among them could achieve in
the examination was P7 in some of these subjects. It was rough and tough, and that
was why the WAEC result of 1970 was generally not impressive. Despite this
temporary setback, Prince Adetimehin had his sight firmly set on his ambition to
become a professional – Accountant, Banker, Lawyer, etc. By the time he was in
Form 5, he had hoped to write the UK professional exams such as RSA. Then, the
certificates were universally acceptable and were good enough then for employment.
But fate dealt him a cruel hand and he could not join his friends to write the
examinations although he was one of the top students. What happened? “I had an
unusual experience. Without being immodest, I ranked among the best boys in the
school. Unfortunately, I was deprived of the privilege of writing these exams. My
parents mailed my exams fee to me but it was stolen overnight in the hostel. I wept
bitterly because, despite all the efforts of our house masters, they couldn’t trace or
find the money. I missed the exam and was left with just my WAEC exam. Thank
God, I did fairly well. I planned to become an Accountant or a Banker”.
Prince Adetimehin’s stay at Lisabi was made memorable by the presence of some
teachers who were very dedicated and went the extra mile to impart knowledge to
the students. There was Mr. Adediwura, a native of Ile-Ife who he described as “very
versatile and hardworking”. He was very good at Commerce and Accounting. There
was also the House Master, Mr. Funmilayo Ayeni, an Ekiti indigene who developed a

8
special interest in Prince Adetimehin and did everything to protect him including
moving his bed into his room.
He was loved by both the teachers and the students. Apart from being brilliant and
studious, he was also amiable, jovial, well-behaved, and easy-going. He was courted
by his classmates and seniors. He earned the sobriquet ‘Small Julius” because of his
petite stature. There was another Julius, his senior, with whom he shared the same
bunk bed. Prince Adetimehin was focused, and he paid special attention to his
results, realising that he couldn’t come from Ile-Oluji to earn poor grades in
Abeokuta. The time he spent staying with his uncle paid off as he was intentional
about his plan to excel. He also showed strong mental strength and a desire to
succeed. “I detested having any red portion in my report sheet. As young as I was
then, I was determined that in my class I must be within the first five out of the 70
students in the two arms. That was the minimum standard I set for myself”.
To date, he cherishes the good time he shared with his classmates such as Timothy
Oluwole (deceased), Bayo Adeogun (who retired from NTA 2), Tunde Akinode,
Yemisi Sofunke, etc. They were not just playmates; they formed a study group with a
shared mission to excel. Beyond studying together, they were “rascally” too, playing
felele football and engaging in all manner of pranks children of their age indulged in.
But, they were very moderate in their rascality, ensuring that they did not lose sight
of their main purpose of being in school.
While at Lisabi Grammar School, Prince Adetimehin further developed his
philosophy of life anchored on the need to be independent-minded in achieving
success. “Right from my early years, I have always believed that one must be
principled, resourceful, focused, and believe in destiny. These virtues can only
manifest if, from your independent living perception, you are hardworking and
believe in being resourceful and principled. So, it is unacceptable for you to end up
being ordinary. That is one value I have inculcated in my children. Yes, you would be
guided, directed, and you would be given all it takes to succeed, but at a point, you
must be able to put in place a sustainable pattern of living going through life. These
are the basic factors that have informed my modest achievement in life.”

9
He could have ended up at Gboluji Anglican Grammar School, Ile-Oluji’s premier
secondary school, instead of Lisabi. At the end of his first year at Lisabi, he returned
to Ile-Oluji to write the entrance examination for Form 2 at Gboluji. However, the
then Principal, Canon (Dr) Olumide Olawanle Oni (now deceased), delivered the
result to the Adetimehins’ house a day after Prince Olufaderin returned to Abeokuta
to resume. That was how he missed attending Gboluji Grammar School.
The experience of staying with his uncle is one that he relishes with so much
satisfaction. “My uncle was posted to Abeokuta after qualifying as a Grade 2 teacher.
While he was away for the return course, he left me to stay with his contemporaries.
That was when I had the opportunity of staying with Mrs. Comfort Adelosoye (wife of
Mr. Abraham Akinfadeyan Adelosoye who worked at NNPC and helped in recruiting
several Ile-Oluji indigenes), and Mr. Noah Adesoji (now deceased). Immediately after
my uncle completed his Grade 2 return course and was posted to Abeokuta, I left
with him, and that was the beginning of my sojourn in Egbaland. I was in Primary 3
then”.
Living with his uncle at that early stage of his life had a significant impact on who he
is today. That was when he imbibed the culture of independent living with the
understanding that to a great extent, he must be able to sort himself out on any issue
and that he must have a plan before he starts looking for somebody to add value or
advise him on what to do. He also learned that “you can’t just afford to be blank and
be waiting for somebody to come and show you direction all the time. That has been
the problem with most people. They want to live, they know that they must have a
means of livelihood, but they don’t have a plan or strategic action plan to actualise
that dream. Then, they start banging on people’s doors, give me this, I want this, I
want that. Such people never become independent”.
LIFE AT LISABI COLLEGE, ABEOKUTA
The school was founded in 1943 by Reverend and Mrs. Popoola. It was one of the
reputable co-educational schools in the defunct Western Nigeria. Prince Adetimehin
recounted his experience: “I had a very useful experience as a Boarding House
student in the College. We usually resumed on Fridays ahead of the Day students.
So, I would have left Ile-Oluji very early on Thursday. As young as I was, I would

10
travel with my school fees and pay without any stress. At that time, schools were not
giving textbooks. I would have gotten money for my textbooks, so I would go to Fola
Bookshop and get my books.”
Being independent-minded and relying on the financial discipline he had learned,
Prince Adetimehin started applying economic wisdom because there was no amount
of money he got that was enough to buy all the recommended books. It was in
Abeokuta that he discovered a number of shops that traded in used textbooks. This
discovery served him as he was able to buy most of the books he needed. He was
determined to fulfil his vision of excelling and becoming the successful person that
he is today.
Abeokuta exposed him positively and taught him life lessons. He was exposed to a
more sophisticated life than the one he was used to in Ile-Oluji. This is because most
of the students in Lisabi Grammar School came from Lagos, Ibadan, Agege, Ota,
and other metropolitan places. Despite this exposure, he did not get carried away by
peer pressure. He remained focused despite being involved in sporting activities
such as Football, Athletics, Long Jump, etc. His diminutive stature was not a barrier
to making an impact in school. He said he didn’t start growing vertically until after his
secondary school. But, that did not stop him from being part of the school’s main
football team, even though he hardly made the first eleven due to his petite stature,
body frame, and stamina that are required for outstanding performance in a game of
football. He was never left out of any of the major footballing events and tours. His
petit stature earned him the nickname “Small Julius”. What informed that was there
was a senior student called Julius Ikebode. He was two years ahead of Prince
Olufaderin, having been in Form 3. They shared the same bunk bed.
“I was a privileged boy because I was smallish in stature, handsome, jovial, and
playful. Everybody loved me to the extent that my housemaster, Mr. Funmilayo Ayeni
moved me to his room. I lived in his room all through Form 1 and part of Form 2. He
was a brilliant young teacher with a Higher School Certificate (HSC). They were the
best teachers. In the whole secondary school, we had one or two graduate teachers
and two or three NCEs. The remaining were HSC holders”.

11
Living in the House master’s room was an added blessing for ‘Small Julius”. In
addition to the fact that he became the toast of everyone on campus as they jostled
to curry his favour, he also had access to extra food portions. Even when the
Headmaster was away from the school, his food was still delivered to the room, and
that meant an extra plate for Small Julius. He was so brilliant and versatile that he
made it to the School’s Literary and Debating Society and the Drama Club. The team
travelled to a lot of Western and Northern States, including Kontagora. One of the
stage plays or literature novels that it acted and took around secondary schools in
many parts of Nigeria at that time, and in which he featured, was She Stoops to
Conquer, a play by Oliver Goldsmith.
Despite his active involvement in extra-curricular activities and indulging in pranks
like any other young boy, Prince Adetimehin maintained his rigid focus on his
mission in School. “I was into all sorts but I was loved by God. I enjoyed the love and
special grace that at no point did I miss my track. I must confess to you, I was unduly
exposed to all sorts of pranks, especially as a footballer and an athlete. We were
always sneaking out to parties. We took some alcohol, but I never joined them in
smoking despite being in their midst.”
On whether the end justified the means for him in terms of his final result, he said:
“Well, Demola, I cannot praise myself, but the little you have seen of me since we
started relating should be a testimony. The background I had as a teacher’s boy was
solid. The philosophy at that time was never to play second fiddle; we had to be pace
setters, we just must excel. For you to excel, you must believe in hard work. You
must be resourceful and industrious. So, I took all of that to secondary school. To
excel meant I had to work very hard. With my involvement in football, drama, music,
and Literary and Debating, going to all academic competitions and all those things,
ah, Demo, I dare not. I also had that conviction that I must not disappoint my parents
with the efforts they made as cocoa farmers to raise money for my education”.
BABA CHAIRMAN’S DILEMMA
No doubt, Prince Adetimehin’s family background played an influential role in how he
managed his academic life. His mother worked hard to complement Baba

12
Chairman’s efforts. Being a leader in his family, Baba Chairman contended with
many extended family commitments. Just about the time Prince Adetimehin was
about to gain admission into secondary school, a family land dispute ensued and it
became a court case. Baba Chairman was in a quandary. He had two of his children
who were ready to proceed to the secondary school same year after Prince
Olufaderin’s brilliance and hard work enabled him to catch up with his brother.
Baba Chairman had two options: drop the land case in court and pursue the
education of his two children, or drop one of his two boys and pursue the court case.
If he had chosen the latter option, Prince Adetimehin would have been the one to
step down for his elder brother. But, by sheer providence, Baba Chairman decided
that the two of them must go at the same time. Before taking that decision, baba had
sold many of his cocoa farms to fund the court case.
FAILURE TO WRITE RSA EXAM
Another incident that threatened Prince Olufaderin’s academic pursuit happened
when the money intended for his RSA examination was stolen in the hostel. He had
hoped to secure jobs upon passing the RSA examination as it was the practice then.
Some of his colleagues who wrote and passed the exam secured jobs with banks
even before the School Cert. results were released. Some of them even ended up as
Company Secretaries in the absence of specialist secretaries at that time. He missed
the RSA examination and had to concentrate on his WAEC examination. “It was
painful and I wept. I told my parents and you could imagine their feelings too. They
were distressed. Mo sun ekun yen for almost two weeks (I wept for almost two
weeks). I thought that me too, ma a ti ni qualification kan ki School Cert to de (I had
hoped to bag a qualification before the release of the School Cert results).
THE EXAM SYLLABUS BROUHAHA
The theft of the money meant for the RSA examination was not the only challenge
Prince Olufaderin faced in school. In 1970, WAEC introduced the Exam Syllabus
resulting in the disruption in the examination application process and the cancellation
of some results. Many students of Lisabi Grammar School had their WAEC entry
forms returned in 1970 due to failure to register for at least one Science subject,

13
especially Mathematics. “You can imagine the effect of that. We had to go back and
start making up with subjects that we had dumped for a year, but notwithstanding we
managed to pass but not as expected. Immediately I finished, I applied to re-write
some of my papers and trust your Kabiyesi, I cleared everything”.
His favourite teacher was Mr. Ajayi, the English and Literature teacher. He also loved
Geography and Accounting. Some of his classmates were Timothy Oluwole
(deceased), who was with him in the top four best students’ cadre; Bayo Adeogun, a
successful Accountant who worked with NTA; Tunde Akiode, an Accountant who
worked at First Bank.
LIFE AFTER LISABI GRAMMAR SCHOOL
When he completed his WAEC examination, Prince Adetimehin worked as a Primary
School teacher in Ondo State, before he joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Ibadan as
a Produce Inspector-in-training. It was at Ibadan that he wrote the GCE A Level
examination as a private candidate and passed the three papers, thus commencing
his journey to the University of Lagos. He was originally slated to study Accountancy
at the University of Benin, but at about the same time, the Insurance and Actuarial
Science programme was introduced at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
UNILAG IS THE NEXT DESTINATION
Not sure of what career prospects such a course would lead him to, he sought the
counsel of his cousin, Dr. Akinnola Fagbamiye, who would later become a General
Manager at Chemical & Allied Paints PLC. Dr. Fagbamiye advised against going to
Benin. That was how Prince Adetimehin became one of the foundation members of
the Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science at UNILAG. This was in 1975.
“So, for somebody like me, I would say, I am God-made. I should forever be grateful
to God, for being able to harness all the privileges and opportunities and growing up
as a well-disciplined boy.
LIFE AT UNILAG

14
Prince Adetimehin arrived at UNILAG when others had registered and were about to
commence lectures. This was because his admission letter arrived late. He was
staying with his brother-in-law, the then Mr. (later Surveyor) Johnson Olagundoye,
a.k.a “Archimedes” (now deceased) at Nathan Street, Surulere, Lagos. His elder
brother, Otunba Henry Akinlade Adetimehin, was already working for a Clearing and
Forwarding company owned by the then Mr. Nathaniel Adesiyakan (now High Chief
Nat Adesiyakan, the Odunwo of Ile-Oluji Kingdom).
Otunba Adetimehin was gracious enough to allow his beloved brother to ride his
Honda 175 Alto belly Motor Cycle to school. So, Prince Adetimehin commuted with
risk daily from Surulere to UNILAG at Akoka. He did not have accommodation on
campus, so after lectures, he would go to the library to study till 9 pm when he would
return to Surulere.
A COCKTAIL OF DIVINE FAVOUR AND MERCY
The search for campus accommodation continued when Prince Adetimehin
registered at Jaja Hall, a brand-new hostel. God was waiting for him there to, once
again, show His kindness. To his pleasant surprise, he met the wife of his Principal
at Lisabi Grammar School, Dr. Olu Olagoke. Mrs. Olagoke hugged him and greeted
him warmly after he introduced himself. She was the Hall Warden for Jaja. The
second pleasant surprise awaiting him was the fact that the Boarding house master
that moved his bed to his room then was the junior brother of the Hall Warden.
Interestingly, the man was still in the University, having obtained his HSC and gained
admission. Dr. Olu Olagoke was also a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Social
Sciences. There was also Baba Tugbiyele, a native of Ondo who was the Vice
Principal at Lisabi. He used to treat Prince Adetimehin like his son when he
discovered that he is from Ile-Oluji. Baba taught Geography at Lisabi Grammar
School.
With all these divine connections, he settled in quickly at UNILAG. He got hostel
allocation with ease. “Mi o mo bi won se se, boya won kan treat me like a fellow
lecturer abi nkan. Ti Housemaster mi tun ti ri mi bayi, small Julius ah, Juli Juli (I don’t
know how they did it that my name came out just like that. My former housemaster

15
too was glad to see his small Julius again). That was how he dumped the idea of
riding a motorcycle to school with the attendant risk and moved to campus.
While at UNILAG, he also reconnected with one of his juniors at Lisabi, the
extremely brilliant Mutiu Sunmonu, who later became the Managing Director of Shell
Nigeria. Mr. Sunmonu shared a room with the boarding house master at Lisabii. At
UNILAG, he was in the same room with Baba Tugbiyele.
A LEGACY OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE SUSTAINED
Prince Adetimehin performed creditably at UNILAG. He was one of the best students
in the Faculty. “My excellent records are there in our Faculty. That was what
informed my not going to serve in Sokoto State. Lagos State Polytechnic was about
commencing and it was to offer the Diploma in Insurance Programme. However,
there was a dearth of Insurance lecturers. The authorities sought relief at UNILAG,
and that was how I was recruited and advised not to go to Sokoto”.
“You see, God works miracles. My colleagues were collecting their transport
allowances and excitedly travelling for orientation. I chose not to collect. I couldn’t
imagine myself going to Sokoto to serve. What was bothering me at that time was
how could I go to Sokoto, where are the Insurance companies there? If I have to
attend interviews, would I be able to afford the trip from Sokoto to Lagos which was
the seat of most Insurance firms at that time? I refused to go until God came up with
this opportunity again”.
He resumed at Lagos State Polytechnic for his youth service. While there, he used
the opportunity to write his professional examinations. A year later, he completed all
his Insurance professional examinations, all within two years. As he was preparing
lecture notes, he was also studying and educating himself. That was how he
equipped himself with the knowledge required to launch his career in Insurance.
Excerpts from Omo Baba Chairman, the Biography of Oba Olufaderin Adetimehin
written by Ademola Akinbola & Dotun Adekanmbi, published in 2023. Contact
Jegun’s Palace for your copy.