BY SHOLA OSHUNKEYE
Debonair former Minister of Information and Culture, later Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Chief Alexander Opeyemi Akinyele, on Saturday, joined the growing list of eminent Nigerians who read their obituaries while they yet live.
A report that went viral on social media said the Ondo High Chief had gone the way of all flesh; dead.
But the report died shortly after as facts emerged that the former Information Minister is alive and well.
Aliu Mohammed Olurotimi, his publicist, told The Crest at about 00.05 hours on Sunday that Akinyele is not dead.
“I spoke to Baba Friday night and he was as lively as he could be.” Aliu said. “Baba is alive and well. I do not know where the purveyor of the fake news got her information from.”
A public relations practitioner, named Doyinsola Ogunbiyi, had written on her Facebook wall that Akinyele had gone the way of all flesh.
“MY PR PROGENITOR IS GONE,” she wrote. “SIR ALEX AKINYELE JP. @80. RIP”.
The announcement created anxieties at both Ondo, Chief Akinyele’s homestead, and his primary constituency-media and public relations.
Like Aliu Mohammed Olurotimi, Dr. Raphael James, Director- General of the Centre For Research, Information Management and Media Development, CRIMMD, also knocked the bottom off the satanic rumour, when he wrote:
“Chief Sir Alex Akinyele JP is very much alive. People should confirm the news they broadcast on social media. I am so very disappointed in some of our so-called media practitioners who will never confirm stories before publishing them. The news on the social media that Chief is no more is false. May God grant him long life and good health. My name remains Dr. Raphael James. Pls share if u can.”
Apart from debunking the fake news in a telephone interview with The Crest in the small hours of Sunday, Aliu Mohammed also rubbished Ogunbiyi’s story through a quick dispatch on his Facebook wall.
His salvo:
“This woman, Doyinsola Ogunbiyi announced the death of Sir Alex Akinyele without any confirmation. The truth is that Sir Alex Akinyele is alive. We just spoke to him. Kindly disregard the news of the death of the former Minister of Information, Sir Alex Akinyele. How can you claim that somebody is your progenitor in PR and you cannot call his family to confirm a stupid rumour? Doyin Ogunbiyi is a big embarrassment to the PR profession.”
The rumour which went viral also drew the ire of other notable PR practitioners and Facebook users.
Born April 24, 1938, Chief Akinyele who holds the highly influential chieftaincy title of Lobosin of Ondoland, as well as the Jagunmolu of Ipetu-Ijesa, among others.
Chief Akinyele, a czar of the Nigerian public relations world, brought panache and style to the practice of public relations and information management in Nigeria. A man of high taste, and powerful dresser, Akinyele demystified power, both as Minister and Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission through his open door policy and disarming smiles. Little wonder his numerous fans gave him the sobriquet, Alecko.
Though he still looks his cheerful and exuberant self, the former Minister who celebrated his 80th birthday on April 24, this year, has made very few public appearances in recent times dues to some undisclosed health challenges.
As a mark of honour for this great Nigerian, The Crest runs a capsule biography of Chief Alex Akinyele below. It was published by http://www.ekimogundescendant.org.
Please, sit back, relax and enjoy it
Chief Sir Akinyele Opeyemi Alexander: Born on April 24th 1938 to Pa Akinyele a soldier and an ex-serviceman who was by the end of the Second World War holding the rank of a Regimental Sergeant, he retired in 1974 as a Court Clark in Ondo town. Alex attended all Saint Primary School Ondo, Gboluji Grammar School Ile-Oluji and St. Andrew’s College Oyo. While at St. Andrew’s College, he was appointed the school first reception prefect. He studied English language at the prestigious university of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University. On leaving Ife, he worked as a teacher at Olofin Grammar School Idanre and in June 1967 he applied to join the Nigeria Police force and was offered a place as a trainee assistant Superintendent of Police, but fate had other plans for him.
On reporting to the Police Service Commission, the other 12 trainees recruit were not present due largely to the commencement of the civil war. He was directed to join the customs. After his 18 month training programme, Custom Controller Henry Duke appointed him the first Public Relation Officer of the Nigeria Customs and Excise. Chief Akinyele, Remains a man that will never shy away from public glare or the press. If success is a relative word then judging by his own standard one can say it without fear that Chief Akinyele is a successful man, one that doesn’t believe that money guarantees happiness.
A man of vast tentacles, a Communicator, Public Relation Practitioner, industrialist and Executive Director of so many functional Companies, and above all a Philanthropist. Chief Alexander Opeyemi Akinyele is a charismatic man of gait and immerse stature and yet unbelievably accessible. Following his retirement from the Customs he joined the private sector business.
It is on record that he is the first former secretary general of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relation that eventually became the President. As president of NIPR he was very vocal and actually changed the face of public relation in Nigeria. In fact he injected panache into the body. Ebullient good looking, and entertaining Alex is truly an Image Maker who is always ready to contribute meaningfully to any healthy discussion that bother; on the advancement of the Nigeria polity as well as the upliftment of public relation practice in the country, A cursory look at part of his achievement during his tenure as NIPR President reveals that he fought against quacks in the profession and encouraged large registered memberships.
Under his leadership NIPR liaised and aligned itself with the universities of Lagos, Akoka and Nigeria, Nsukka for more emphasis on public relation in their mass communication syllabus. Perhaps it was on this basis that the former military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babaginda deemed it fit to first of all nominate him as a member of the constituent Assembly and later appoint him as the Minister of information thus becoming the very first public relation practitioner in Nigeria to be appointed into that post. In his stint as the Information Minister/ Chief Akinyele did not only perform his role creditably well but also with great zeal, enthusiasm and style. Chief Alex Akinyele has received so many chieftaincy titles which include Lobosin of Ondo land and Jagunmolu of Ipetu-Ijesha just to mention but a few.
Despite the fact that President Babaginda was noted for shuffling his cabinet at will/ Chief Akinyele was still considered as among the Ministers that could be discarded. Eventually when the president decided that it was time to have a change in the information ministry, he thanked Chief Akinyele tremendously and promise him yet another job. Akinyele was later appointed the Chairman of National Sports Commission (NSC) though several years later he bowed out from the NSC in a circumstantial manner, his tenure as the boss of the NSC saw Nigeria moving to a greater height, it was under his chairmanship that a Nigeria Contingent for the first time did put up a superlative performance ever. Nigeria won a bronze and four silver medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic. The following year the Nigeria under 17 team the Golden Eaglet won the under 17 world cup (Japan 93), in addition to the golden boot and the fair play prize. In 1994 the Super Eagles for the very first time too also qualified to play in the final of a world cup (USA 94).
At the peak of his public life and even today at seventy, Sir Alexander Opeyemi Akinyele who was knighted by king Juan Carlos 1, Rey. De Espana on 15th November, 1991 remains a colossus communication pundit and a guru in public relation. Chief Alex Akinyele was also the Chairman of the National Reconciliation Commission.
Source BY: Dr Raphael James
Author, Researcher, Curator, Tourist Ambassador, Director General Center For Research, Information Management and Media Development, CRIMMD – CRIMMD FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, Photo Museum of Nigeria History, Publisher of African Dame and The National Biographer Magazine.
