Ogbomoso no doubt, is blessed with astute and distinguished personalities who have tremendous blessings to humanity. One of them is Chief Akinwale Akinwole, otherwise known as Wolekanle. He is a businessman, politician and philanthropist who is committed to humanitarian services and making people happy.
His foray in politics is not basically for pecuniary gains because God has blessed him with what he needs to make a living but basically to serve and change the statusquo by using his influence in politics to empower people and facilitate more development to his would-be constituency and the state at large.
Some of his activities over the years through which he offered helping hands to the less privileged include: annual sponsoring of JAMB/UTME training and purchase of forms, reaching out to the aged ones in the society and giving moral and financial supports to any event that will enhance personal and community growth in the land of valiant.
As a grassroots politician, Honourable Akinwale’s influence cuts across all parties and key stakeholders in Ogbomoso politics. He maintained a balanced relationship with everybody, irrespective of religion and political affiliations. He doesn’t denigrate nor discriminate against anybody; only that he detests cheating and he will not even want to dine with people with deceptive characters with the proverbial longest spoon.
Wolekanle, the son of Late Chief Magistrate Olusanmi Akinwale of Seriki’s compound, Osupa, Ogbomoso, is no doubt an enigma, a light and one of ‘beautiful’ ones that will shape the political circle in Nigeria particularly in Oyo State in 2023.
Not many people are aware of what he passed through in life before he got to this stage and that is why majority of those who are already being threatened by his astronomic rise in politics are maligning him all in a bit to pull him down so that they can always have their way in politics. But their effort has always being in futility because he is destined to be great and every stumbling block placed before a determined mind will always be a stepping stone.
He passed through the mortal. In fact, he hawked sachet water and other petty commodities to make ends meet. Akinwole, who was in his final year class at St Andrew College of Education when his loving and responsible father died, was left to paddle his own canoe and face the reality of life. His determination to succeed took him to Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo to further his education and as a student, he was shuttling between Katangua where he was buying and selling foreign used cloth (Okrika) for his education. For about two academic sessions, he was sleeping inside container with his friend in Katangua.
The story changed at the appointed time and upon his graduation, he left Nigerian for London where he worked with various companies where he made some money and returned to Nigeria and started Quarry and Haulage business and later moved into construction and other businesses.
Akinwole today is the chairman of AA Luxuries Ogbomoso, founder, Ogbomoso United Football Club Ogbomoso, Chairman Blackedge LTD and others.
It is interesting to note that many of those who are spreading unfounded rumours about Wolekanle have not only benefited from his milk of kindness and know his worth but they are maligning him because they are feeling threatened politically. They saw him as a liberator who will not only lead people out of their political bondage but enhance a better development through provision of credible representation in government arena.
Let me conclude by saying that Akinwole’s rise in politics is beyond what anybody can stop because God is involved and by His Grace, Ogbomoso shall be free from the ramshackle of the professional politicians whose focus is mainly to use Ogbomoso for their selfish interests.
Olalekan writes from Ogbomoso
