The celebration of an anniversary imposes a burdensome weight of accumulated years; a select few are privileged enough to celebrate each passing year by undergoing an incredible process of evolution, distinguishable by sheer brilliance. To the glory of God, we are pleased to see Sir Ezekiel Folorunso Ogunjuyigbe, a Knight of John Wesley (KJW), celebrate 3 scores and 10. Sir Ogunjuyigbe’s accomplishments are legion, but his humility remains legendary.

We celebrate Sir Ogunjuyigbe as he climbs the ladder of success without losing his touch for the common man and God, just as his grass-to-grace story keeps him on his toes and continues in his relationship with humanity and God. Sir Ogunjuyigbe, the learned silk, with tenacity and grit, transited from being a church organist and Choir master to a formidable giant, bestriding the legal profession through a journey that could be characterised as purely nomadic. There is a whole menu of options for describing Sir Ogunjuyigbe. He is a fantastic singer, a confluence of brilliance, panache and eloquence, qualities he brought to bear in his work, community, and leadership in Methodism at the local, diocese, conference and global levels.

At 70, Sir Ogunjuyigbe now belongs to the pantheon of legends, and indeed, this is not the end of your story but the beginning of another chapter and his leadership contributions to Methodism in Nigeria. His close ally, Prince Adegoke Arimoro, aptly described Sir Ogunjuyigbe as ‘a book in the waiting to be published.’ Sir Ogunjuyigbe’s life is defined by God, and he unfolded like a flower through times and seasons, each recording great accomplishments along his career path and culminating in his destiny, which we celebrate today. Sir Ogunjuyigbe had a rendezvous with history growing up as a young boy from Osu, in Atakumosa West Local Government Area, Osun State, from an agricultural background to a giant in the Law profession.

Born to the family of Pa. Chief Joseph and Mama Beatrice Ogunjuyigbe, both of blessed memories, on April 14, 1956, to the glory of God, Pa Joseph Ogunjuyigbe, a strict disciplinarian and community patron, was the second Baba Ijo of this Church from January 1976 to August 2001, when he joined the Church triumphant. To the glory of God, Sir Ogunjuyigbe is currently the Otun-Baba-Ijo of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Oke Omi, Osu.

Sir Ogunjuyigbe attended Methodist Primary School, Oke-Omi, Osu, Atakunmosa High School, Osu, for his school certificate, Ilesa Grammar School, Ilesa, where he obtained his Higher School Certificate in flying colours and prestigious University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he obtained his LL.B and LL.M, respectively.

Prince Arimoro explained that Sir Ogunjuyigbe began as an organist in the Methodist Church, Oke Omi Osu, in the early seventies. He rose to become the Choir Master in this same Church before leaving Osu for Ilesa. He briefly served as Organist at the Methodist Church, Oke-Ese, in the late Seventies. His dexterity in this art secured him employment at Leadway Assurance Company Limited in Kaduna, where he worked briefly before leaving for the University of Ife (now OAU), where he studied Law. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in August, 1984. He thereafter observed the one-year mandatory National Service in the 1st Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna and began his Legal tutelage in the Private Law Firm of Oluwadare Aguda & Co in Kaduna.’

In Kaduna, Sir Ogunjuyigbe expanded the frontiers of his Church activities at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral, where he served as Organist, Choir Master, Circuit Steward, and Diocesan Youth President. He was the First Secretary of the Cathedral Building Committee that gave birth to the gigantic Wesley Cathedral Auditorium in Kaduna that was dedicated in 2002. He was the Legal Adviser to the defunct Diocese of the North, which now has six Dioceses, and contributed in no small measure to the development of people through personal support and counselling, both in the house of the clergy and that of the laity, which accelerated the rapid expansion of Methodism in Northern Nigeria, particularly, among non-Hausa Speaking Indigenes.

Sir Ogunjuyigbe was the National President of the Methodist Church Nigeria Youth Fellowship between 1991 and 1996. Prince Arimoro explained that ‘it is on record that many of the Youth Fellowship members he captained are now Bishops and Archbishops in the Methodist Church Nigeria. He was Legal Adviser to the Dioceses of Ibadan, Agodi, and Ilesa, respectively, between 2004 – 2007. He served as Diocesan Lay President of Ilesa Diocese, which now consists of three vibrant Dioceses- Ilesa, Ijesa North, and Imesi-Ile- between 2008 and 2014, and thereafter, he was appointed Methodist Church Nigeria Conference Legal Adviser. Through this involvement, he played exceeding roles as a solicitor of the Church in reclaiming acres of land already lost to Land speculators and perfection of title documents to lands in Jos, Kaduna, Ilesa, Ibadan, Oyo, Abeokuta and Wesley University of Nigeria, Ondo.’

Sir Ogunjuyigbe has demonstrated leadership qualities in several facets. He was the President of the Oyo State students’ Union-Unife Chapter, President of the Federation of Ijesa Students’ Union, and Legal Adviser to many Socio-Cultural organisations. He is a very strong opinion-moulder in the Osu Community from 1977 to date.

It is worth noting that among the individuals who played a very key role in the life of Sir Ogunjuyigbe was Sir Hassan Olusola Odukale KJW (one of the first Methodist Members to be Knighted), may his soul rest in peace. This iconic individual took a personal likeness of Sir Ogunjuyigbe; according to him, he saw Sir Ogunjuyigbe as the first young individual to play the organ. From that time, an uncommon love developed in him. The love he had for Sir Ogunjuyigbe was naturally transferred to other Osu sons and daughters, through which many of them were offered jobs in Leadway Assurance Co. Ltd.’

Prince Arimoro explained that Sir Ogunjuyigbe remains one of the few opinion moulders who has contributed to major decisions at the Methodist Church Nigeria Conference level to date. A key figure in the church once said, “He is one of the uncrowned chroniclers of the core internal mechanism of the Methodist Church Nigeria for many decades.” Sir Ogunjuyigbe was one of the six speakers at the Methodist Assembly for reconciliation of the two factions in the Methodist Church held on 14th July 1989 at the Methodist Church Ijoku, Sagamu. In his book titled “Methodism in Nigeria,” Sir Michael Mofoluwaso Familusi described Sir Ogunjuyigbe as “a devoted Methodist Youth, also a Lawyer and gifted public speaker.”

Sir Ogunjuyigbe is happily married to Lady Deborah and is blessed with four good and responsible children and grandchildren.