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PROFILE OF MERCY AYOADE OLATERU – OLAGBEGI OMOYENI

Mercy Ayoade Olateru- Olagbegi  Omoyeni  is a Nigerian nationalist activist, a woman of many parts.

From a very early age Ayoade had shown great love and deep affection for her country Nigeria. She recalled that whenever there was an occasion and the aso oke was warn for her it would take  much wisdom from the grandmother to convince her to remove it. To her the aso-oke is the most beautiful material ever. Grandmother would have to plead with her that the aso-oke needed to be tucked away to make it ready for another occasion.

In 1977, when the clarion call for a new national anthem was made, the young Ayoade put her own together.

“Nigeria our beloved country,

we praise you we bless you and

we pray that may God be with us

in this land Amen ---“

Years later while in the then University of Ife (OAU) she had the rear opportunity to represent Nigeria in an international exchange programme to Canada, Canadian Crossroads International.

The young Ayoade quickly used the opportunity to lecture and address various groups on the country she loves so much. She left an indelible mark on the minds of those she met.

In 2007 she founded an NGO, Association of Intellectuals for the Development of Nigeria (AIDN). This group has become a catalyst for nation building. The association believes that as a Nigerian, if you have any basic education and you can reason logically then you should have something to offer Nigeria. AIDN believes that the task of realising the Nigeria of our dream is a collective responsibility that requires the contribution of one and all. The individual must determine and purpose in his heart to become the shining example for others to follow. When you become the good Nigerian, your shinning light will change others. This is the ‘ you and l’ analysis.

The ‘you and l’ analysis portends that If you cannot work on yourself, if you cannot trust yourself to do the right thing, then you have no locust standi to condemn or correct any other. Really and truly ‘YOU’ are the most important. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of a great society where high moral standard reigns. AIDN says: ‘use your talent to help your nation’.

Barrister Ayoade is concerned with the fact that much of the citizens know next to nothing about the constitution and policies that guide them ditto lots of public office seekers. This is the replica in almost all the African nations. This lacuna is what she seeks to bridge. She is hugely committed to seeing to it that Nigerians are familiar with the constitution  and other such policies that regulate the  society, that they  enjoy the benefits entrenched in the constitution  and that the people and the government  live up to their  responsibilities. Knowledge of the constitution will in turn inform and ultimately necessitate if need be the amendment of non suitable sections, expunge the irrelevant ones and in turn add such others that will do us a world of good. To her “ the contents of the constitution must be warn like a chain in the neck and be sung like a song’

Recently,the Barrister was the Guest Speaker at this year’s public lecture series of the College of Humanities of the Redeemers University Ede. She spoke on ISSUES OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA, THE CONSTITUTION AS THE PANACEA. To her, understanding the Constitution is a major panacea to curbing the infringement of Human Rights issues in Nigeria. In the lecture she stressed :

“Sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority” per S14 (2) (a) 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It will be recalled that Abraham Lincoln aptly described and defined DEMOCRACY at the Gettysburg Pennsylvania address on that faithful Thursday afternoon of November 19, 1863 as the “government of the people by the people and for the people” Where there is election, candidates or office seekers should seek to convince the people that they will protect the interest of the people as ‘sovereignty’ belongs to them. Unfortunately, Nigeria has not really witnessed this.

When the people and the government know their duties and responsibilities and dispense such accordingly, there will be mutual respect and sustainable development becomes attainable.

Pastor Ayoade Omoyeni’s project, ‘Sermon in  Lyrics’ is a divine instruction to put some of her sermons in the form of lyrics, to reach out to souls in a non conventional way.

Her project, ‘ NIGERIA: I see a great nation’ accentuates her strong belief and faith in Nigeria and its people. With the incredibly huge resources with which Nigeria is endowed, she believes if Nigeria and Nigerians can only have faith and confidence in themselves the whole world will be amazed at how great Nigeria will soon become. The ‘you and l’ analysis is about the individual working and concentrating on himself to be the best and the melting point, the resultant effect will be a great nation. Hear her: “as a nation If you wait for another  to fan your flame of greatness and success you may wait forever”  “For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.”  Job: 14:7

Princess Mercy Ayoade Olateru – Olagbegi Omoyeni  hails from Owo  kingdom in Ondo state of Nigeria. She is the grand daughter of Oba Olagbegi I, direct daughter of Oba Olagbegi II and the sister to Oba Olagbegi III. Her father, Oba Sir Olagbegi II  KBE was one of the Nigerian nationalists that struggled for the independence of Nigeria.

Ayoade is married to Adebisi Omoyeni, the former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State and Group Managing Director of WEMA Bank PLC. They are blessed with children and grand children.

An exceptionally brilliant and unassuming Nigerian, Ayoade had her early education in Government primary school, Owo Ondo State of Nigeria. From there she proceeded to St Loius Girls’ Grammar School Owo. She attended the Ondo State College of Arts and Science, Ikare-Akoko in Ondo State from where she gained admission to the then University of Ife, (OAU) where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Studies. She proceeded to the University Of Lagos for a Masters degree where she bagged her M.sc in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management. Ayoade bagged a law degree from the University of Buckingham, in the United Kingdom. She is a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Partner at The Peak Chambers, a law firm situated in Ikoyi Lagos Nigeria.