By Eric Elezuo

As his works in the world of professionalism, philanthropy and promotion of the cultural heritage of Nigeria, especially among the Yoruba, continue to make waves, celebrated journalist and philanthropist par excellence, Chief Dele Momodu, has once again been recognised by a revered traditional institution, the Oluwo of Iwo.

In a letter dated August 27, 2021, and signed by the paramount ruler of Iwo Kingdom, HRH Oba (Dr.) Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu l, the Oluwo of Iwoland, Momodu and his wife, Mrs Mobolaji Momodu, were offered the honorary traditional titles of Aare Tayese of Iwoland and Yeye Aare Tayese of Iwoland respectively.

According to the letter, the couple was considered for such great honours as a result of their immense contribution to the promotion of Yoruba culture and tradition and mental beneficence through national and international media.

“Having contributed immensely to the promotion of Yoruba culture and tradition, and your mental beneficence through national and international media in ensuring quality governance is delivered, my throne (Oluwo in Council), considered you worthy and most suitable for the honorary chieftaincy title of Aare Tayese of Iwoland, and your wife, Yeye Aare Tayese of Iwoland.

It is believed that with the honours, the revered journalist, who is a considered as a progressive, will complement the throne in promoting her mission and vision statements as well as affect the kingdom positively with his mental asset, quality advice, connections and goal getting spirit.

In fact, the respected international citizen had already began his job even as Aare-designate by seeing to the immediate repairs of the Iwo road by FERMA. Momodu’s prompt response at the request of the Oluwo saw the honorable Minister of Works, Mr Babatunde Fashola, mobilising men and materials to site, and the road today is a beauty to behold, and a source of pride to the people of Iwo. Momodu is trustworthy.

In his response however, while wholeheartedly accepting the titles, Momodu had acknowledged the exceptional privilege and expressed gratitude to the Oluwo in Council for recognising his “contributions to national discourse, growth and development through the prism of media practice, entrepreneurship and the fostering of national understanding via social and political networking.”

Momodu pledge that with the new feather, he is sure to keep the flag flying in all mentioned areas, and more especially in the areas of cultural and traditional reawakening.

The ceremony for the conferment of the titles holds at the Oluwo’s Palace in Iwo on Saturday, October 2, 2021.

Chief Dele Momodu, born May 16, 1960, in the ancient town of Ile-Ife, Nigeria, is an African Journalist of high repute and loud acclaim. He is a Publisher, polemicist, businessman, philanthropist, actor, politician and motivational speaker. He is the CEO and Publisher of Ovation International, the flagship celebrity magazine that has given publicity to people from all over the world in over 60 countries. He is the Chairman of the Ovation Media Group, comprising of Ovation International magazine, Ovation Television and The Boss newspaper. His media empire has worked assiduously to change the negative perception of Africa as a dark continent of vampires. He is one of the most prolific essayists in Africa and he has authored and published several books in his name. He is one of the biggest voices on the African social media platforms and his Twitter account has over a million followers. He is one of the most photographed celebrities in Africa. Chief Momodu has met and interacted with world leaders. He has received innumerable awards and honours, and garnered recognition for his work in the world of business, politics, literature, music and fashion in which he plays major roles. He has bagged two Doctorates (honoris causa) from Universities in Benin Republic and Ghana. He is a recipient of multiple traditional titles in Nigeria and Liberia.

Chief Momodu is a graduate of the great University of Ife, (now Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Yoruba language (1982) and a Master’s degree in English Literature, 1988, from the same University (the first Nigerian ever to attempt such a combination). He has been a political activist for decades and was forced into exile in Great Britain from 1995-98 under the military rule of General Sani Abacha.

Momodu announced his intention to run for the Presidential election in 2011 but lost. He was, until 2020, a Visiting Scholar at Oxford University, England.

Conceptualised and rolled out in London, United Kingdom during one of Momodu’s low periods, OVATION International has ruled the airwaves in celebrity broadcasting since 1996. Momodu has remained a tried, tested and high-profile journalist. The magazine was a child of circumstance because rather than take the short route of eking a living through engaging in menial jobs, Momodu decided to stick to his area of core competence: Journalism. His desire was to publish an African magazine for Africans and create a forum where the real picture of Africa would be presented to the world. OVATION’s main focus then which is still its core value today is the celebration of Africa. That was why the first edition rolled out of the press with Egyptian Billionaire and then owner of Harrods, Mohammed Al-Fayed on the cover. And its pay-off line Loud For A Purpose was a bold testament of its vision and ambition. That first package was uniquely different, breezy and upscale. The edition showed the high standard and lofty dreams of the Publisher and those Directors who helped to fuel his dream. Year after year, cover after cover, the magazine has been able to discover and celebrate Africans all over the globe.

Momodu is not new to traditional honours, however. He is the Bashorun of Oke Ila, as conferred by Oba Adedokun Abolarin, The Òràngún of Òkè-Ìlá.

A fiery lawyer, Mike Ozekhome says this about Momodu “Dele Momodu stirs controversy, wittingly and unwittingly. One of these is that people across the globe erroneously believe Dele is a Yoruba man. You cannot blame such people. He appears so. What with Dele’s one sentence-long Yoruba name, Ayobamidele Abayomi Ojutelegan Ajani Momodu (AAOAM)? What of the fact that he was born and bred in the cradle of Yoruba civilization, Ile-Ife? How do you blame anyone for thinking Dele is Yoruba when he is also married to a Yoruba woman and his first degree was actually Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Yoruba language in 1982; before Masters in Literature in 1988?

“So, if you mistake Momodu for a Yoruba man, you could be well forgiven. The truth however, is that Momodu has his pedigree and ancestry in Edo state. Dele is an Edo man of Edoid origin. Pure and simple, he hails from Ihievbe, in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo state. He is therefore of Afenmai extraction like me (I am from Iviukwe, near Agenebode, Etsako East LGA, Edo state). Edo blood runs through the whole veins of Bashorun Dele Momodu.”

Most people have quantified Momodu’s wealth in currency, but Ozekhome explains better: “The wealth of Dele therefore cannot be measured in naira and kobo, Dollars or pounds, yen or Euro and Rouble. It lies in his intellect and his many contributions towards having a better society. Even then, he has solid physical wealth. Palatial mansions? He has them in form of his investment in young Africans!

“You can also not measure Dele’s wealth in the number of presidents, royals, international figures and celebrities he has, over the years, met, interacted, dined and wined with across the globe. No. His writing, especially his Pendulum column, has become a piercing thorn in the flesh of successive governments.”

Momodu, who bagged the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition (YPYC) 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award, has been in the forefront of dishing out palliatives to young Africans ever since the coronavirus pandemic erupted. Not only that, he is been involved in literarily everything that has to do with the youths of Africa. Recently, he mediated from his corner, the rift between Nigeria and Ghana as the Ghanaian authorities locked up shops belonging to Nigerian traders over payment of a $1 million fee.

Momodu did not just talk, he followed his talk with action, reaching out financially to over 111 displaced and distressed Nigerian traders in Ghana.

Chief Dele Momodu as he is known in the business circle, and Bob Dee, in the social stage, is by every standard a man who is diligent in his business. And it is no wonder that he has not only stood before kings, he had and continues to dine with kings. There is practically no influential person that Dele Momodu does not know across the length and breadth of Nigeria, Africa and on the inter-continental stage. He is that large!

By every standard a rare breed, Momodu is many things in one; journalist/publisher, businessman, philanthropist, actor, politician and motivational speaker. Among all these he considers himself simply as a reporter, and even with a retinue of seasoned staff still ventures into the field to scoop exclusives. Those who have referred to him as a workaholic are not far from the truth. Even he, himself has an oft quoted line thus “those who come from poor background cannot afford to sleep too much”.

A beacon of the Momodu family, Dele, the last of three siblings, was ‘privileged’ to lose his father at the age of 13, and was therefore sentenced to the complete tutelage of his mother, and sometimes relatives. His mother became practically his mentor, teacher  and soulmate until she passed away on May 18, 2007, two days after Dele’s 47th birthday. According to him, one of the many morals his mother, who he revered next to God, taught him, is never to despair even when times are tough. Even in her near poverty state, Dele maintained that ‘she didn’t give up on me.’

Momodu is not a stranger to awards and honours as he has received hundreds for his work in the world of business, politics, literature, the music industry as well as the fashion industry. On July 30, 2016, Dele was awarded with an honorary doctorate degree (PhD) from the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana, earning him the title “Doctor of Humane Letters”.

A fiery and fearless writer, Dele has for years been writing a weekly column, Pendulum, published every Saturday on the back page of Thisday newspaper, which he piloted as the founding editor, and TheBoss Newspaper. The articles have been compiled into two volumes of a must read books titled ‘Pendulum: The Writings of Dele Momodu’, and was launched in July 2018.

On December 19, 1992, Dele married his sweetheart, Mobolaji Abiodun Momodu, who he adores and honours. He lavishly hosted her to a 50th birthday celebration in December 2017, and they are blessed with four children: Pekan (1994), Yole (1996), Eniafe (1997) and Korewa (2004). Today, the four boys are becoming a force to reckon with in their chosen fields.

The celebrates with the great Bob Dee on attainment of one more milestone!