Determined to make a mark in the society, Adeola has moved from the private sector to the state legislature. Now he eyes the highest legislature in the country.
“Every generation, out of relative obscurity, shall either fulfil or betray its mission” – Frantz Fanon
Nothing can better lead the introduction of a determined, intelligent, courageous and hard-working man like Solomon Olamilekan Adeola than the words of Frantz Fanon.
A man of variegated experience in both private and public sectors finance, Adeola had a stint with The Guardian, a leading national daily, for 12 years and rose to the position of Accountant.
In a profession where private sector experience is key for proof of competence, Adeola proceeded to Olatunji Omoyeni & Co, a chartered accounting firm, where he led the audit team for several years and was later promoted to the position of a Senior Auditor.
Determined not to perpetually remain an employee, he later established his own company, Sootem Nigeria Limited, which specialises in tax consultancy.
Having served effectively in the private sector, as the managing director and chief executive officer in his consultancy firm, the urge to serve his people became more intense. And he can only do this successfully through active politicking.
Following his decision to join active politics, sometime at the dawn of the Fourth Republic, Adeola contested and won the ticket of the then ruling Action Congress (AC) in Lagos State to represent Alimosho State Constituency 2. He was member of the House of Assembly from 2003 to 2007, and was re-elected in 2007. Eventually, his stint in the House of Assembly ended in 2011.
A man of immense financial and political skills, he was reputed to have been instrumental in the enactment of the law that strengthened the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), a legislation that catapulted the revenue of the state from N5 billion monthly to over N20 billion! He was also part of the team that passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Public Procurement Act of Lagos.
Without doubt, his sterling performance in public service of Lagos naturally promoted him to the federal legislature when he was elected to represent Alimosho Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives in 2011, which will culminate in 12 years of unbroken legislative experience at both state and federal legislatures.
And when the committees of the House were inaugurated by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal for members, he got position of the chairman of the only constitutional committee of the House, the Public Accounts Committee. It is a rare feat that he got the post as a first-timer in the Green Chamber. His performance in that committee, in relation to exposing monumental corruption and sharp financial practices of government agencies, has attracted national acclaim and made him a man to desire as a true representative of the people. He is also a member of Aids, Loans and Debt Management, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Land Transport and Petroleum Resources (Upstream) committees.
Adeola, fondly called Yayi, is noted for community development in the form of provision of social amenities like transformers, sinking of boreholes, building of classroom blocks, educational empowerment, free health care and other humanitarian-cum-philanthropic services.
Now, “Yayi for Senate” stares every Lagosian, even those outside his constituency, in the face everyday. The message is simple: the man of the people is on his way to the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.
Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (SOA) was born on August 10, 1969, at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital to Ayinde Adeola Ogunleye and Abeeni Olasunbo Ogunleye (nee Akinola).
He grew up in Alimosho, Lagos, where he began his education at State Primary School in Alimosho. He proceeded to Community Grammar School, Akowonjo, Lagos, for his secondary education.
His quest for knowledge took him to the prestigious Ondo State Polytechnic, Owo (now Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo) Ondo State, where he bagged a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting. He became a Chartered Accountant at a very young age and is a distinguished Chartered Accountant-Associate, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
He is a distinguished Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).
The great philanthropist is happily married to Temitope Adeola and the union is blessed with two male and two female children.
