BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO CHARLEAN ENGR. GABRIEL BANKOLE BENSON
Today's birthday commendation is to a distinguished Charlean, the Senior Prefect of 1976 Set and one of the pillars of 726 Stanza, Engr. Gabriel Bankole Benson as he marks his 66th birthday.
Charlean Benson was born on December 12, 1954. He attended St. Luke’s Anglican Primary School, Ikoro-Ekiti from January 1960 to December 1967 and obtained his Primary Six Leaving Certificate therefrom. He proceeded to the Apostolic Modern School, Ikoro-Ekiti from January 1969 to December 1971 and obtained his Modern School Leaving Certificate. It was the period when the system was “fail one subject, fail all subjects”. And as such, he was the only one that passed out in the entire Local Government back then.
His secondary education was at our alma mater, Saint Charles’ Grammar School, Osogbo from January 1972 to June 1976 and was the Senior Prefect of the 1976 Set. He holds a Canadian Diploma of Technology (Distinction) from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Burnaby, B.C., Canada and Master of Science degree in Highways and Transportation Engineering from the
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Kaduna State.
He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Civil Engineers (FNICE), Member Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (MCIHT) and a Registered Engineer with Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, (COREN).
A Civil Engineer by occupation and
Highways / Transportation / Bridge Engineer by profession. Few of his career/professional experience is as follows:
Sep '81–Mar '84: Samaila Omale & Partners, Kaduna – Engineer.
During the planning stage of the Federal Capital, Abuja, Charlean Kole Benson participated in the design of Inner Northern and Inner Southern Expressways and that of the North-West District Housing of the FCT, Abuja back then.
Oct. '84–Jul '87: Kaduna Polytechnic, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Kaduna - Lecturer 2;
Jul '87–Nov '89: Mai & Associates, Yola. Charlean Benson was the Resident Engineer in-charge of Construction Supervision of Gongola State Secretariat and High Court Complex, Jimeta, Yola of the defunct Gongola State.
Nov. '89–Jul '96: Yaroson & Partners, Kaduna – Zonal Engineer for Kaduna State Agricultural Development Programme (KADP) Project, sponsored by the World Bank. The project consisted – Supervision of the Construction of 144km length of Rural Roads for Agricultural Projects in Kaduna State;
Mar '96 to Dec 2000: Trusteng Associates Limited, Kaduna – Project Partner (In-charge of National Highway Urban and Rural Roads Rehabilitation Programme-PTF) for Niger state and as one of the first set of Consultants engaged in the Northern part of Nigeria then;
Oct. 2009 to Dec 2013: Yaroson Partnership Limited, Kaduna – Project Coordinator / Team Leader for the Nigerian – Cameroon Multinational Highway and Transport Facilitation Programme for the Enugu – Bamenda Road Corridor;
Jan. 2015-Dec 2017: Yaroson Partnership Limited, Kaduna - Project Coordinator / Team Leader for Construction and Rehabilitation of Rural Roads & Prioritised River Crossings in Niger State as part of the Second Rural Access and Mobility Projects (RAMP 2);
January 2018 to date: - Infratech Consultant Services Limited, Abuja – Project Partner for the Study & Design of 20 Nos. Dams at various locations of the 20 Local Government Areas of Katsina State. Construction Supervision of Drainage Structures with associated Roads for Jibia Flood Incidence Project in Katsina State. The Client is Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) and being sponsored by IDA (The World Bank) and FDA (French Development Agency). These are few of many projects handled in different parts of the country as part of develoomental contributions to our nation Nigeria by one of our own, Charlean Kole Benson.
He is happily married to his wonderful friend and helpmeet, Celina Irenonse, a retired Chief Nursing Officer with Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria in Kaduna State and they are both blessed with three children, two boys and one girl: The first, an Architect (Olusegun) who graduated from O.A.U, Ile-Ife. The second, (David), an Earth Scientist who graduated from FUTA, Akure and currently rounding up his Ph.D program at George Mason University in Virginia, USA. The third is Olufunke who graduated from UI and she's rounding up her Masters Degree program as a Clinical Psychologist from Yale University, Connecticut, USA.
Charlean Benson is a Boxing enthusiast. In his active days, he contested in the Canadian Golden Glove Championship in 1979 & 1980 and won medals and scholarships.
We join this wonderful Senior Prefect of 1976 (Charlean Gabriel Bankole Benson), his family, Stanza 726, friends and associates in today's joyful celebration of 66 years on mother earth.
We wish him many happy returns of the day in good health, prosperity and divine longevity.
Congratulations, Sir!
Humility! Humilitas!!
Signed:
Pius Adesakin
Publicity Secretary
SCOBA CEC 2018/20
