THE UNRELENTING PHILANTHROPIST: CHIEF WOLE OLANIPEKUN
By
Seye Adetunmbi
When you have a humble background and God blesses you outstandingly in your community or among your contemporaries, and you deploy your affluence and use your influence for the benefit of people around you and the needy, it says a lot about the character and general disposition of the person. In most cases, this type of inclination is not by accident; it is often a manifestation of someone who responded well to good upbringing and appreciates the place of God in his or her life accomplishments, and in turn blesses others with his God given substance and means. Chief Oluwole Oladapo Olanipekun SAN, OFR fits this description. His beloved father, Pa Isaac
Olanipekun who passed-on in 1999 was very rich in character and a God-fearing man, who dedicated over a decade of his life taking good care in gratis, the premises and building of St. Peter’s Church, Ikere-Ekiti. Apparently, the patriarch inculcated discipline in his children; to fear God, respect humanity, and love their neighbours and serve the larger society. To the glory of God, his son replicated the good work of his father by building an architectural masterpiece church auditorium for the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion in Ikere-Ekiti. The 1,500 sitting capacity multi-million-naira cathedral, that has the state-of-the-art facilities which include fully marbled pulpits, audio visual gadgets and new complete set of musical instruments, was dedicated on the 28th of February in 2020 to the glory God.
Prior to the donated church building, Isaac Olanipekun Memorial Vicarage was built by him and his wife in 2012. His philanthropy is beyond the Christian community, it is extended to the education sector, government facilities and his professional constituency. His alma mater, Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti is a beneficiary of a computer hub, fully equipped with laptop and desktop computers. It was first commissioned in 2007 and refurbished in 2019. In March 2014, he donated to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikere Branch, a 350-sitting capacity Bar Centre. This was later followed with a donation of a brand new 16-seater bus for the Branch in August 2019. Iyaafin Abosede Amenity Ward with modern facilities, was built by him and donated to Ekiti State Government at the State Specialist Hospital, Ikere-Ekiti in 2015. He established an FM Radio Station that was commissioned on the 28th of February, 2020 in Ikere-Ekiti.
He responded to the call of Ekiti-State government to indigenes of means to reach out to the government during the incursion of Covid-19. He donated to the state government a Ventilator worth over N14 million plus the cost of transportion, installation and other logistics. Also contributed N10m to the Covid-19 Fund in addition to the palliatives of 25 bags of rice.
Having excelled as a legal practitioner and various state and federal governments have benefited from his integrated professional expertise, he was the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of University of Ibadan in 2004 to 2006. During his tenure in office, he used his influence to open up Ajibode, the second phase of the institution. He donated N10 million in 2011 to the university when the flood ravaged the university in 2011 towards the restoration project. He also donated a 350-sitting capacity Wole Olanipekun Law Lecture Theatre to the Faculty of Law. Ajayi Crowther University also benefited from the donation of Wole and Lara Olanipekun Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge from him and his wife, during his appointment as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council.
The latest addition to his integrated awe-inspiring generous donations is the new Ekiti-State Judiciary High Court of Justice Building in Ikere-Ekiti, commissioned on January 19th in 2023. In the pipeline, is the construction of the Senate Building for the newly established Bamidele Olonilua University of Education Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti.
Apart from his ongoing reach-out to corporate entities and institutions generally, he instituted the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme in 1996. Over 650 indigent students from various secondary schools and universities in Nigeria have benefited from the scheme. In 2020, he paid for the JAMB fees of 94 students of St. Louis Grammar School of Ikere-Ekiti. Those are some of his numerous philanthropical exploits in the public domain without capturing too many numerous gifts and assistance he gave wide range of people as a cheerful giver. Chief Wole Olanipekun was born on the 18th of November in 1951. He is a product of Amoye Grammar School in Ikere-Ekiti, Ilesa Grammar School, and University of Lagos, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Law. He was called to bar in July 1976 after graduating from the Nigerian Law School. Wole Olanipekun and Co, his practicing outfit is a leading law firm of repute in Nigeria. His brilliance as a dedicated smart lawyer earned him the Senior Advocate of Nigeria in July 1991. He was appointed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State. He was elected as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2002 and was appointed the vice President of the Pan African Lawyers Union in 2003. He was appointed by the Nigerian Body of Benchers as a Life Bencher in January 2007. In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chief Olanipekun is happily married to Erelu Omolara Olanipekun and the matrimony is blessed with successful four children. He is held in high esteem in Ikere-Ekiti. This was underscored by the honour the Ogoga of Ikere did him with the honorary title of the Asiwaju of Ikere-Ekiti on 10/11/2016. The act of giving is in his DNA, that is why he is not relenting his inimitable philanthropy. May God continue to bless oga Wole and uphold him in his inclination to support worthy causes, tirelessly. In mo s’oro un o, eee!
Chief Wole Olanipekun flanked by Seye Adetunmbi, Mr & Mrs Femi Falana and other dignitaries at the wedding ceremony of his daughter on July 14 in 2016 in Lagos.
Chief Wole Olanipekun and Seye Adetunmbi at a function in Lagos on 15/10/2016
Vice-President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Governor of Ondo-State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akerdolu and Dr Kayode Fayemi, onetime Governor of Ekiti-State graced the dedication of the Cathedral Church he built in 2020.
