Boss Picks

Olufi of Gbonganland Honours Dele Momodu, Wife with Chieftaincy Titles

Published

2 years ago

November 4, 2023

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Consequence upon his selfless contributions to the betterment of humanity and modest efforts at changing the narratives towards good governance, the Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Aare Dele Momodu, has been recognised and penciled down for a chieftaincy honours by His Royal Majesty, the Olufi of Gbonganland, Oba Adetoyese Oyeniyi Odugbemi I. He will be honoured as the Akinrogun of Gbonganland. The honours are also extended to his wife, Mobolaji Momodu, who will be recognised as the Yeye Akinrogun of Gbonganland.

Conveying the good news in a letter dated August 30, 2023, and signed by the Royal Majesty himself, the Oba informed that the recognition is as a result of momodu’s “various landmark achievements as a world renowned journalist, author, publisher, businessman, public affairs commentator, frontline politician to the level of being chosen as a presidential candidate of a strong political party in our elections”.

The Olufi noted as follows in the letter:

“I am very pleased to inform you that you have been conferred with the Honourary Chieftaincy title of AKINROGUN OF GBONGANLAND by His Royal Majesty THE OLUFI OF GBONGAN OBA DR. ADETOYESE OYENIYI ODUGBEMI THE FIRST.

This is in recognition of your various land mark achievements as a world renowned journalist author, publisher, business man, public affairs commentator, frontline politician to the level of being chosen as a presidential candidate of a strong political party in our presidential elections.

Another compelling reason is the fact that your own biological mother was a native of Gbongan from the famous Oluoje family. Some of your achievements include but not limited to:

i. Chief Executive Officer and publisher of Ovation International, a magazine that has given publicity to people from all over the world.

ii. Launched Ovation TV in 2015

iii. Launched an online newspaper called the Boss newspapers.

iv. You have received hundreds of awards and honours for your work in the world of business, politics, literature, the music and fashion industry.

v. You write a weekly column called “Pendulum” published every Saturday on the back page of Thisday newspaper.
Aside from the above. you are a cultural man per excellence and a worthy ambassador of the legendary Oduduwa Dynasty and a philanthropist, committed husband and father. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!

You are given the honour of being installed as the AKINROGUN of GBONGANLAND on the 25th of November, 2023 which is the grand Finale of the 25th Coronation Anniversary celebration of His Royal Majesty Oba Dr. Adetoyese Oyeniyi, Odugbemi the first, Olufi of Gbonganland. The installation takes place in the Palace of the Olufi of Gbongan, Oke Ofa Quarters, Gbongan, Osun State, Nigeria starting from 10am.

In his response, an elated Momodu took to his social handles to announce the honours as follows: “GREAT NEWS FROM THE ODUGBEMI OF GBONGANLAND… We have received a royal letter from the Palace of The Olufi of Gbonganland, in Gbongan, Osun State.

“I have been offered the Chieftaincy title of The Akinrogun, and my darling wife, Mobolaji Momodu, as Yeye Akinrogun of Gbonganland. By the grace of God, we shall be installed in The Palace, on November 25, 2023, which falls on Kabiyesi our King’s 25th anniversary.

“We are very grateful to Kabiyesi THE OLUFI OF GBONGANLAND HRM OBA DR. ADETOYESE OYENIYI ODUGBEMI I, and the good and forward-thinking people of my Mum’s ancestral home for their endless love for our family, The great FATOYE family.
Our close friends will be adequately briefed about our plans next week. Please, keep us in your prayers…”

Recall that in October 2021, Momodu and his wife were honoured with traditional chieftaincy titles of Aare Tayese of Iwoland and Yeye Aare Tayese of Iwoland respectively by the paramount ruler of Iwo Kingdom, HRH Oba (Dr.) Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu l, the Oluwo of Iwoland.

According to the Oluwo, 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.

He also has various chieftaincy titles accumulated across the six geo-political regions of the country.

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.

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.

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.

Boss Picks

Dele Momodu Mourns Passage of Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari

Published

3 days ago

July 14, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Publisher, Ovation Magazine, and The Boss Newspaper, Chief Dele Momodu, has expressed deep condolences on the demise of former two-terms President and Head of State of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari, who died in a London hospital on Sunday.

Momodu, writing via his social media handle, wished the former soldier a goodnight, asking Allah to grant him Aljannatul Firdaus.

He wrote: “Goodnight Sir, Former President Muhammadu Buhari…May Allah grant your soul Aljannah Firdaus”.

Dele Momodu with President Muhammadu Buhari

Buhari was 82 years when he died after prolonged illness. He is due for burial in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

Boss Picks

James Barnor @96: Sights and Sounds of the 2025 HACSA Sankofa Summit in London

Published

3 weeks ago

June 23, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Friends, family members and well wishers last week gathered in Chesterfield Hotel, Mayfair, London, to celebrate Ghanaian born ace photographer, James Barnor, as part of activities to mark the 2025 HACSA Sankofa Summit.

According to a post by the Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu, who participated in the 2-day intellectual fiesta comprising hearty lunch and fireside chats, noted that the “moving session is a heartfelt tribute to his extraordinary legacy, which spans over six decades of capturing the soul of African identity, fashion, culture, and Diaspora life through the lens.”

The post further stated that “Today’s chat is not only a journey through visual history but also a celebration of life, as we mark James Barnor’s 96th birthday, a testament to a life lived with purpose, vision, and enduring impact.

“The atmosphere is both reflective and celebratory, bringing together cultural leaders, creatives, and changemakers who are united in honouring a pioneer whose work continues to inspire generations. This event encapsulates the spirit of the Sankofa Summit sponsored by Svani Groups, looking back to honour, looking forward to preserve, and moving together to build.”

This is wishing a happy 96th birthday to a prolific image hunter.

Boss Picks

Yvonne Khamati: The Coming of a Presidential Amazon

Published

4 weeks ago

June 22, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

With a focused eye on the presidency of the Republic of Kenya, seasoned diplomat and thorough bred politician, Yvonne Khamati, is a force to reckon with. She is by every intent and purpose born for leadership, having started very early to mount saddles of political and diplomatic seats, dishing out first class acumen and sound ambassodorial gestures that have placed Kenya in better corners of the world map.

As the July 2027 date for the election of a new president for the Kenyan Republic draws nearer, young, seasoned and tested Yvonne Khamati, who was born in 1982, is ready to move the nation to a new level, having set standards, conquered diplomatic territories, developed new horizons, and is set for the task ahead.

Khamati was born in Nairobi, Kenya, where he started his early education, attending elementary school before joining Stretford Grammar School, in Manchester, United Kingdom, where she completed her O-Level studies in 1998. By 1999, she returned to Kenya and attended Peponi High School, for her A-Level education, which she concluded in 2001.

Setting her mind to acquiring the best of academic tutelage, she devoted the period between 2001 and 2009, among other things, for intense studying, studying at various institutions of higher education including the University of Nairobi, the United States International University Africa and the online American World University.

Consequently, she earned a Diploma in Sociology & Criminology, a Diploma in Political Science & International Relations, a Bachelor of Business Administration from San Juan de La Cruz University (Universidad San Juan de la Cruz) and a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Counselling Psychology.

In 2012, she returned to the classroom, and earned a Professional Graduate Diploma in Management from Cambridge Association of Managers.

Currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Heroes Council, a parastatal under the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, Yvonne, as close friends, colleagues and family members address her, is a full-blooded Kenyan, and was nominated to the East African Legislative Assembly as Member of Parliament by Ford Kenya Party (and the Kenya National Assembly) at the age of 21. Yvonne cut her political teeth at a very young age, which put her at a gracious advantage of thorough knowledge of thr country’s political and economic terrain.

Again, as a diplomat, she was appointed by then President Mwai Kibaki to serve as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to Ethiopia and African Union at 24. She is a typical example of catch them young, and has garnered thorough and home-based experience requisite for leadership.

She has also served in the past, as the Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives and Rapporteur of the African Diplomatic Corp, in the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has also worked in various missions. As at November 2018, she served as the Deputy Ambassador of Kenya at the Kenyan Embassy in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia.

Yvonne has a larger than life credential trailing her, thanks to all exploits. It is worthy of note that in 2001, at the age of just 19, she was elected to serve as the Deputy Organizing Secretary of the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy – Kenya (Ford Kenya) political party, a position she kept until 2006. Whe she was later nominated by the party to the East African Legislative Assembly in Arusha, the appointment bestowed on her the status of the youngest MP to be nominated to the house. From August 2003 till March 2006, she was a research fellow at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), working in the Sustainable Development and Food Policy Division. Again, from April 2003 till January 2008, she served as the Chairperson of the Youth Technical Committee for NEPAD, appointed by the then President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.In January 2008, she added diplomacy to her budding political career, when she was appointed by Kibaki, the then President of Kenya as Ambassador and DPR to Ethiopia and the African Union. She went on to became Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya at the United Nations office in Nairobi, Kenya, working in that capacity until September 2012. In the same year, she was transferred to Kenya’s Embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia, as the Deputy Ambassador. She has served as Director FS in the Liaison Parliamentary and Senate Directorate at the Foreign Ministry HQ, Chairperson of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of UN HABITAT, Rapporteur of the African Diplomatic Corp and was Director FS in the Directorate of International Conferences and Events at the Foreign Ministry.

Khamati’s sterling performances over the years have drawn recognitions from.across thw length and breadth of the continent and the world at large. In December 2014, she was named one of “The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2014”, by Forbes. A feat worthy of celebration.

In 2017 she was named among 100 top Africans under 40 by MIPAD (Most Influential people of African Descent).

On the side, she runs the YK Foundation which works on empowering women and the girl child in rural areas providing scholarships, sanitary towels, jigger treatment and feeding programs.

Khamati, who is married to Nigerian Oxford University trained lawyer, Laiwola Yahaya, and bless with two children; Zalika Kalani and Kazeem Yahaya, is a bundle of academic, entrepreneurial, diplomatic and leadership skills. These qualities set her apart to give Kenya the next leadership direction.