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Local Government Area of Ondo State, was born forty four years ago to
Chief Jacob and Mrs Agnes Abiloye of the Iba clan in Ipe Akoko.
graduate of the Manchester Business School of the University of
Manchester, United Kingdom, Martins Abiloye had previously graduated
upper second with honours from the English and Language arts department
of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-ife Nigeria. Prior to this, he
attended the African Church Grammar School and the St. Mark’s Primary
School both in Oka Akoko.
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concern he founded in 2005 involved in Petroleum marketing, Dredging,
equipment leasing, Imports and Oilfield Logistics based in Port-Harcourt
and in business relationship with Industry giants as Oando Plc, Conoil
Plc, Chevron Nig ltd, Masters Energy and so on! Mr Abiloye is a family
man, happily married and blessed with children.
Martin’s
story is the typical African story – Raised under humble parenting with
values from the heartland in a strong family where hard work and
education are believed to be necessary means of getting ahead and the
conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.
Martins belong to a breed who are able to situate their skill,
experience and knowledge within the social realities of their time
especially as they concern the political economy and the overall well
being of the common man.
organising a people towards emancipating them for better lives predates
his work or ‘’comfortable’’ years as evident in his single-handedly
organizing like-minded compatriots of Ipe descent in institutions of
higher learning in the early 90’s into what is today known as the
Federation of Ipe Students’ Association. As a founder and pioneer leader
of this group, he with other leaders of similar federations in Akoko
land also synergized to birth the National Association of Akoko
South-East Students with the sole aim of engaging the local government
authorities, lobbying the State government and Encouraging Private
Individuals towards supporting the education advancement of Akoko
students by awarding grants and scholarships. It is on record that the
group under Martins Olutade Abiloye’s leadership learnt to give back to
the community by organising free extra-mural classes for secondary
school pupils and school leavers writing or re-writing qualifying exams
of WAEC and JAMB with the attendant modest achievement of increasing the
National enrolment statistics of Akoko students in Institutions of
higher learning in the 90’s.
Upon graduation, Martins
Abiloye taught English at a community school in Lagos, had a brief stint
as an admin executive in the law firm of chief Gani Fawehinmi of
blessed memory before finally joining one of the nation’s leading oil
producing and marketing firm where he worked for 7 years as a supplies,
distribution and logistics executive. It is while here that he
eventually cut his teeth as a budding entrepreneur, business
administrator and management expert. Martins would recall with Nostalgia
that the oil firm only hired him because of a commendation letter he
presented from the then Benue State governor George Akume, which was
given on account of his ’ unusual’ community service during his NYSC
days having donated all of his “allowee” – as corpers called their
monthly stipends those days to stocking the Library of the school he
taught for his primary assignment! He eventually got a state award as
the best corper for that year.
Mr. Abiloye’s regal perch
as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Mart Signature Ltd
has provided him with the opportunity to touch lives and impact his
community.
Abiloye considered education as the most potent weapon
against poverty and established a structure that has awarded scholarship
worth over N100 million to over 500 students from villages across Akoko
South East Local Government Area in Ondo State. He is a role model for
the youths and exemplary son of Akoko land. He caters for the widowed,
aged and poor with the resources entrusted to him by God. Specifically,
the annual Jacob Abiloye multi-million naira social intervention scheme
was instituted to empower youths and advance educational development in
the local government. It was designed to benefit undergraduates from
Ipe, Isua, Ifira, Ipesi, Sosan and Epinmi towns in tertiary institutions
across the country.
On the annual scholarship award scheme, Mr.
Abiloye, who instituted the scheme in honour of his father, High Chief
Jacob Abiloye, the Olu-Odepo of Iba Ipe, a community leader, said that
he choose education as the vehicle to impact the society because of its
limitless powers. “You know what education can do to any human being. I
choose education as a vehicle through which I can touch lives because I
want a limitless impact; education will enable beneficiaries understand
the philosophy behind the action and urge them to replicate it”. Over
the past 14 years, Jacob Abiloye Foundation has spent over N100 million
on its annual scholarship scheme.
Martin’s guiding principle has
always been malice towards none, charity for all, firmness in the truth
and the right, and as God gives us, we must strive towards service to
humanity. He had said during this last Ipe day celebrations that ‘i have
seen, tasted and experienced poverty!, i have therefore sworn on the
altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of poverty over man.
For poverty of the mind, we will bring education, for poverty of the
spirit, we will encourage spiritual emancipation, and for physical
poverty of lack, we will bring financial empowerment and dignity of
labour through the provision of smart work.
Mr. Abiloye’s many
strides in associating with his roots has caught the attention of all
and as such has been severally recognized in the form of various awards
such as
Media Award as Distinguished Role Model in Educational
And Community Development by the National Support Programme Media Link,
Leadership Award on Educational Development in Ondo State, by the Akoko
chapel of the Ondo State branch of NUJ, Senior Advocate of the masses by
the National Association of Ondo State Student (NAOSS)
Awards of Cardinal of Integrity by the National Association of Akoko South/East Students (NAASES) of various Chapters
In
response to several entreaties from various groups including
community/opinion leaders, youth groups, market women and Royalty, Mr
Abiloye Olutade Martins has finally accepted to offer himself for
further representation of his people at the platform of the National
assembly and as such will be contesting for a seat at the Federal house
of representatives in the Akoko South east/West Federal Constituency.
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