BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO CHARLEAN SOJI IBIKUNLE@ 64.
SCOBA CEC salutes Charlean Soji Ibikunle as he marks his 64th birthday, today.
Charlean Soji Ibikunle was born on October 32, 1956 to late Chief Ademola Adeniyi Ibikunle and Mrs. Felicia Tinuade Ibikunle. He started his formal education from All Saints Primary School Osogbo between 1962 to 1968, and later John Mackey Primary School Osogbo in 1969. He attended our great school St. Charles' Grammar School, Osogbo, got admitted in 1971 and passed out in 1975. He is a member of Stanza 715.
He thereafter proceeded to Federal Government, Kano where he obtained his Higher School Certificate in 1977. He obtained a B.Sc.in Economics in 1981 and a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) in 1987, both from University of Ibadan.
He started his corporate life as a Lecturer at the Polytechnic, Ibadan between 1981 and 1982. During this same period, he pioneered private investment in Solid Waste Management by establishing SKAWS Environmental Services at Ibadan together with three other great Charleans namely, Sir Emmanuel Akinpelu, Mr. Wale Oyelade and his younger brother, Pastor Kunle Ibikunle. The company made tremendous positive impact on environmental cleanliness at Ibadan for a period of five years until the State Government outlawed private involvement in Waste Management. The idea behind the project came before its time as the model is now adopted all over the country under what is now known as PPP (Public, Private Partnership) in Solid Waste Management.
His other corporate experiences include:
Planning Manager, West African Portland Cement (WAPCO) now Lafarge, 1987 - 1990;
Head, Sales & Marketing, United Parcel Service, (UPS), 1990 -1994;
General Manager, TNT Express Worldwide, 1994 - 2000;
Between 1987 and 2000 he attended numerous overseas and local on-the-job courses including, Advance Management Courses for Senior Managers of United Parcel Services and TNT Express Worldwide in the UK. He is very versatile in computer application to business and attended many courses in this field of knowledge in the UK and Lagos Business School (LBS) training in Computer Appreciation for Senior Managers and Novel Networking.
He has ventured into private business since 2000. He is the promoter & Director of the following companies:
Bluechip Interlinks Limited;
Bluechip Express Worldwide
Bluechip General Merchants Limited and
Royal Chicken Limited.
He is now the Chairman of Niyi Ibikunle Industries Limited, a company pioneered by his late father.
Charlean Soji Ibikunle also held the following positions in government:
Board Member, Osun State Environmental Protection Agency (1990 - 1991);
Board Member, Rural Development Board (2008 - 2010);
Board Member, TESCOM, Osun State (2014 - 2015);
Consultant to Osun State Government in Developing the Osun State Tourism Master Plan (2011 - 2014).
Charlean Soji Ibikunle played key roles in SCOBA in the past. He held several positions, star ting as Secretary of the Ibadan Branch of the OBA under Charlean Lai Opawoye in the early 1980s.
Other positions held are as follows:
Social Secretary, Stanza 715 (1990 - 1992);
President, Stanza 715 (1992 - 1994);
General Secretary, OBA (2002 - 2005);
SCOBA's Electoral Committee Chairman (2014) and
SCOBA's Electoral Committee Chairman (2018).
We appreciate the Ibikunle dynasty for supplying our alma mater with a pool of promising wards that have now turned very dynamic, productive and poised to leave the world better than they met it. They include Charleans:
Soji Ibikunle - Stanza 715 (today's birthday boy).
Kunle Ibikunle- Stanza 737
Tunji Ibikunle - Stanza 789
Adenrele Ibikunle - Stanza 812
SCOBA CEC specially remembers the head of that clan, Late Chief Ademola Adeniyi Ibikunle who passed on in 1997 for his unshaken confidence in our alma mater's capacity to mould his wards in learning and character. We are sure St. Charles' did not disappoint him. May his soul continue to rest in perfect peace.
Charlean Soji Ibikunle is known for being a stickler to the virtues/principles of honesty and transparency in all his undertakings; little wonder why SCOBA usually entrusts its electoral processes and procedures to a Committee headed by him, at least in its last two (2) Conventions.
Charlean Ibikunle is a sports' enthusiast. He participated actively in Inter-house while in St. Charles and won many laurels for his House (St. Luke’s House) in 400 meters race and High Jump. While in Kano, he won a Gold Medal in High Jump in All Kano State Schools Sports Competition in 1976.
He is a member of Several Highbrow Social Clubs.
He is a member of World Planetary Society, a Space Enthusiast and an Amateur Astronomer.
Soji Ibikunle is happily married and blessed with a happy family.
We felicitate with him, his family, Stanza 715, friends and associates on this unique occasion and wish him many happy returns of the day in good health, accomplishments and long life.
Congratulations, Charlean Soji Ibikunle!
Humility! Humilitas!!
Signed:
Pius Adesakin
Publicity Secretary
SCOBA CEC 2018/20
