Chief Mrs.(Deaconess) Oluwakemi Adewumi (nee Awoniyi), the
founder/CEO of Chikem Farm, Ikere Ekiti is 50.
She is the pretty wife of the Otunba of Ikere Kingdom, Otunba
Sola Adewumi, of Equitorial Energy Company Limited and Inspiration hotel and
Suites, Ikere Ekiti. She was born 5 decades ago, precisely on the 12th of
February.
This graduate of Accounting, from Rufus Giwa Polytechnic,
Owo, has worked for years in the Shipping and Oil/Gas sector.
She started with Al-Dawood Shipping Line Ltd before she moved
to Obat Oil & Gas where she worked before meeting her husband, Otunba Sola Adewumi.
She left Obat Oil & Gas to start Equitorial Energy with
her husband.
Her humanitarian service and kind gesture earned her an award of excellence from Rotary Club of Akure, Ondo state in 2022, and an Award of Recognition by the Women's Missionary Union of Ekiti State Baptist Conference in 2017, among others. She was bestowed with the chieftaincy title of Otun Eyesorun of Ikere Ekiti by His Royal Majesty, Oba Samuel Adejimi Adu Alagbado, the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti.
She was honoured in her hometown alongside her husband as the
Erelu of Ayede Ekiti, while her husband was honoured with Bashorun of Ayede
Ekiti by the Attah of Ayede-Ekiti, Oba Afeleye Orisagbemi.
She is a lover of Christ who devotes her time to serving God.
She was ordained in 2017 as Deaconess of the Abundant Life Gospel Church,
Lagos. and she also served as the President of the Women's Fellowship of
Abundant Life Gospel Church, Lagos for 4 years. Her passion for the gospel of
Jesus Christ is worthy of emulation.
In this interview with Princess Adeola Shittu, the Publisher
of Event Diary Lifestyle, Deaconess Oluwakemi Adewumi opens up on her life at
50.
Congratulations on your 50th Birthday Thanksgiving. Tell us
briefly who Chief Mrs Oluwakemi Adewumi is.
Oluwakemi Bolanle
Adewumi (nee Awoniyi), was born on 12th
February to the family of Chief David Akintola Awoniyi and Deaconess Dupe
Awoniyi of Ayede Ekiti of blessed memories. I am married to Sola Adewumi, a
native of Ikere Ekiti. I am a businesswoman who doubles as a farmer. I am the CEO of Chikem Farm, one of the
biggest poultry farms in Ekiti state. and I co-run other business ventures with
my husband.
I am a practicing Christian and a member of Abundant Life
Gospel Church, Lagos. I was privileged to have served as the President of the
Women's Fellowship of Abundant Life Gospel Church, Lagos for 4 years.
I was ordained Deaconess in 2017. By the grace of God, I am
the Otun Eyesorun of Ikere Ekiti and the Erelu of Ayede Ekiti, a chieftaincy
title bestowed on me by my royal father, the Ogoga of Ikere Kingdom, His Royal
Majesty, Oba Samuel Adejimi Adu Alagbado and the Attah of Ayede-Ekiti, Oba
Afeleye Orisagbemi respectively.
I attended Adeyemi
College of Education primary school (Staff School), I later moved to St. Louis
secondary school both in Ondo town in Ondo State. I was admitted into the
Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara state
where I bagged my OND in Accounting and I later proceeded to Ondo State
polytechnic, now Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo for my HND in Accounting.
Can you please, take us through your working career?
After my National Youth Service, I started my working career
with Al-Dawood Shipping Lines Ltd, Apapa, Lagos. I had a good working
relationship with my boss, I was there for years before I moved to Obat oil
& gas and I was working directly with the founder who is now the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Ondo state, His
Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Frederick Obateru Akinruntan.
We were the ones in
charge of the Lagos office at Ibafo where we do sell small trucks and as at
then, I used to climb those big tanks where fuel is stored. I enjoyed a good working relationship with him
throughout my years with Obat Petroleum. I left Obat oil and gas when I got
married to my husband and I joined him in his oil and gas business. We started
Equitorial Energy Company Ltd with two staff.He was the Chairman and I was the
Managing Director (MD) but today the rest is history.
After I had my children,
I had to still back home to take care of the children. Going forward, we added
hospitality business to our chain of enterprises, and this gave birth to
Inspiration Hotel and Suites, Ikere Ekiti.
And before we knew it, we added Chikem Farms, Ikere Ekiti.
This is our little way of contributing to the development and the economy of
the Ekiti state. I appreciate God for how he has helped us so far.
Take us through your growing-up years....
Growing up was fun for me and my siblings and we were given
the best any child could dream of. And above all, we were brought up in a
Christian way and they taught us to be truthful and hardworking. We were also
made to know that our best should come out in anything we are engaged in,
irrespective of the fact that we are under supervision or not. I am very
grateful to God for their life and their impact on us, which myself and my
siblings are enjoying today. All thanks to God and our wonderful parents.
On a day like this, I miss my parents, mostly my father,
because I am sure he will have been around weeks before D-day; though my Mum is
the reserved type of person, irrespective she would have made herself
available.
But all in all, I give glory to God that while they were
alive, we gave them the best and their memories are still fresh with us and I
pray they continue to rest in peace (Amen). I am the second child of a family
of 6, and to the glory of God, all my siblings are doing fine. I appreciate God
for the life of my elder sister, Mrs Foluke Ogunyakin and my other siblings
namely; Segun Davis, Ayo Akinbola, Toyin Awosan and Tolulope Awoniyi.
Now to your Poultry business, how did you start Chikem Farm?
The poultry business was not part of my plans, but I was
introduced to it through a friend.Initially, I felt reluctant about going into
poultry. But on this faithful day, we went for an occasion in Ogbomoso and the
woman gave me one dozen of pullet that I should start raising them, that before
I know it, I will see that the business is worth it. She encouraged me and I
started with 1,500 pullets,but today I have the capacity for over 20,000 birds
to the glory of God.
Can you share with us your experiences and challenges in the
poultry business?
Maybe if she had told me about the challenges I will encounter
in the business, I might not have gone into it.But she said the business was
worth it and truly it is.
When I started, it was
interesting and the urge to expand was there due to the number of eggs that
were laid per day, the beautiful atmosphere and all.
Before we know it, I started noticing that some of the staff
were stealing from the farm, this made me be at alert and I was able to curb
it. On the same day, I laid off the 3 staff and employed another set of people.
But with my experience in the business, it is very difficult to nip the
stealing at 100%, because they will always have a way around it.
Throughout my years in the
business, I have employed various workers both good and bad and I try to utilise
and manage their excesses for the sustainability of the business.
This business is meant for a serious-minded person who will
satisfy a long sperm to see the business grow or expand. One of the challenges
of this business is that our people are not ready to work rather they want to
get paid for service they never render.
For instance, I
employed a person and on his first day of resumption, he stole from the
company, to me I felt the major reason he apply for the job was to steal and
not work. All well and good, irrespective of the challenges we have faced, God
has been faithful to us and we have always been on top of every situation.
Also, the government is
not helping issues, to get the raw materials ( the feeds) has been very
difficult and we all know that in Nigeria today, once the price of anything
goes up, it takes the grace of God to return to the normal price. But in all,
we give glory to God that the challenges have not been able to stop us.
This is also applicable to the hotel business.But we thank God
for his grace that has been sustaining us and moving us forward.
How does it feel to be 50?
I feel so blessed and privileged by God to attain this Golden
age of my life. I am more than happy and sincerely short of words on how to
express my appreciation to God for His faithfulness over my life despite my
unfaithfulness.
At times, when I wake up in the morning, all I do is to just
fall into worship mode, tears of joy will roll down my eyes, because when I
look back, I ask myself how did I get to 50.Recently, someone was asking me,
are you sure you are 50 years old? It is just the grace of God. Flashing back,
I realised that I have enjoyed the grace and mercy of God beyond my
imagination.
I remembered my late parent sharing a story of my naming
ceremony with me, how they saw me bleeding a few hours after I was christened,
my baby court was full of blood and as they were about to carry me, they saw
this wrapped Islamic piece things they called “Tira” under me. What will an
eight day old child be doing with such or could have done to deserve such
wicked attack?
I was preserved only by
His grace and up till today, I remain a proud product of the Grace and mercy of
God. Because as at that period of my infancy, with such attack, it is possible
I blend to death but for divine intervention I survived it.
Growing up, his mercy still sustains me and each time I
remember that story, I give praise to God. As the year goes by, from primary
school days to secondary and my tertiary days it has been God. I can't thank
him enough because it's only thanks and praise we can use to appreciate him.
And that is why my birthday thanksgiving is the most important aspect of the
celebration because without God I won't be where I am today.
What has life taught you at 50?
At 50 I’ve be through different life situations and that has
taught me a lot about life. The first philosophy in life is that, if you want
to navigate the affairs of life successfully, you must always hold on to God.
There’s no one believes or connects with his/ her creator that would be put to
shame. Some situations have threatened me in the past, so much that humanly
speaking, I can’t survive it, but with God, I experience my breakthroughs and
victory effortlessly.
Holding on to God and
serving him wholeheartedly without looking back has been my source of strength.
You see, when you are doing something and people call it eye service don't be
distracted, face what you are doing and serve him diligently and commit your
life in his care, you will see that even when you don't know, he will be
fighting on your behalf and by the time the victories are pronounced, people
will be wondering how possible it is for you to survive without scars or
bruises.
Let me share this story to inspire others who are passing
through challenges of life, the reasons they need to firmly hold on to God.
Between Ayomide and Tamilore, I had 8 miscarriages and at a point, I was placed
on BP medication,but I held on to my faith that I will be fruitful and nothing
will stop me from having another child, it was not as if I was not pregnant, I
was at several times, but i usually lose the pregnancy through miscarriages.
At a stage, i held to my prophetic belief and I told myself, I
was going to have a child and I won't die with the pregnancy, neither will I
lose the baby.I was going to carry my baby in hand.
At this point, I was introduced to a doctor, Dr. Olusegun
Akeredolu of Royal Oak Hospital, Lagos.
On my first visit to
him, he asked when was my last period, I said I don't know, but I use to note
it in my diary, so I brought out my diary and I discovered I was two weeks gone
and the doctor ask me to do a pregnancy test and I did and it became positive,
but he saw that I was not excited with the news and he said "Kemi don't
worry, the lord will give us this" and by faith, I held to his word and I
said Amen. As usual, at 3 months I started bleeding and I called him and said,
doctor, this is what I experienced and he said don't worry, come to the clinic,
I went, and he stopped some of my medication and he gave me an injection and
placed me on bed rest and he said to me again that, the lord will give us this
and I said Amen again.
The doctor is a Catholic, Christian and it's not as if he is a
pastor, but he is a man of faith and that alone made me believe that God can
work through anybody, all we need is just to trust Him and He will never fail
us. Several threatening events happened in the period of that pregnancy, but
alas, our faith was intact and the end result was the miracle of my precious
daughter “Oluwatamilore”.
Today, being a proud mother, I thank God for the lives of my
children. God has been faithful to me and my family.
Another thing my
50years life experience has taught me is to be patient and this brought about
the issue of Oluwatamilore's birth, because if I was not patient, many things would have gone wrong,
so much advice, I wouldn't have been able to say to God be the glory. But with
patience, I have been able to boldly say glory be to God and sing his praises
always.
Life has taught me to be faithful, patient and trust God and
God alone in every situation.
If she is allowed to change one or two things at 50, what will
that be?
Hmmm, maybe I would have known and committed my life to God
earlier than I did. Maybe, from my Primary school and I would have enjoyed His
grace more than what I am enjoying now.
Secondly, I would have gotten married earlier, so maybe by now
I will look younger, because I would have faced the stress of child bearing
earlier and have enough time and energy to keep my fitness and your look
(laugh).
Above all, I will love to serve God better.
How did you meet your husband Otunba Sola Adewumi and what
attracted you to him?
Hmm, I call him Olusola mi because our meeting was
orchestrated by God.Though we had our challenges, despite that, his love and
care for me has kept the marriage going. Everything about him was attractive to
me. I’m blessed and favored to be his wife.
How do you cope with the challenges in your marriage?
Every marriage has its ups and downs,but the grace to manage
it is what we seek and God's intervention showed up at every point. One thing
that helped us during our challenging period was communication.
For anything I feel or
not certain about, I call his attention and ask questions, I ask questions very
well because I always want us to be on the same page and that has helped my
marriage.
I know when to ask and when not to. I ask in a good atmosphere
and if there are things to sort out, we discuss them and put them behind us.
Communication has been a great instrument of help to me.
What is the secret behind your over 20 years of marriage?
I will say the grace of God. And secondly,
communication,because without communication so many things will go wrong and
the true love we both share would have disappeared. If Communication and love
are missing,such a marriage will stand the test of time.
I love my husband so
much and I can’t but express that at all time. And for him, he loves and sees
me as himself, what else do I want?
You are 50 but you look younger than your age, what is the
secret?
I will attribute the secret to God and my husband and above
all, I will say I gave myself peace of mind and I hand over everything to God.
You see when you hand over to God, he will direct one's path and before
anything happens, the holy spirit will reveal it and put one through.
How fashionable is Otun Eyesorun of Ikere Kingdom?
I believe this question will be better answered by those that
are associated with me, but in my personal view and assessment of myself, I
will say i am a fashionista. There is this adage that says, "dress the way
you want to be addressed".
I am always particular about the way I dress and my children
can testify to it. I don't appreciate people not dressing well, especially when
they have the capacity to do so. I give attention to details when it comes to
what I wear. I feel good dressing well and it is one thing that makes me happy
and fulfilled. At times, I pack my clothes and go to the studio for a photo
session because it makes me happy.
As a fashionable
person, when you are comfortable with what you wear, you have this inner joy
that brings smiles to face. On my phone, I have over 17,000 personal pictures.
It's a passion that I love to do. My father is a fashionable man but my Mum is
the quiet type and she wants everything to be moderate. But my father loves
fashion, maybe I took that from him. I enjoyed doing it and appreciate it when
I see somebody dress very well. I am a fashionable person. I don't go by what
is trending or in vogue, all I am about is decency, moderation and class that
gives details to what I wear.
Which of the fashion items do you love most?
I love every fashion item. Anything that will set me up and
make me look good, I don't joke with them, from my hair to my toes I don't joke
with it. And those that come to beautify me knows, I don't reduce my standard
and I don't joke with my look and I don't negotiate my appearance. I’m a very
detailed person and people around me can testify to that. I love detailing,
maybe because I was brought up by a teacher and God gave me another set of
parents that are my in-laws.They are also teachers, and this makes me to
understand how to do things properly. So when I give anyone an assignment the
result has to be very detailed. My husband knows once I believe in something, I
want it done, perfectly.
At 50, what are you giving back to society?
Before now, I see giving to the needy as a way of life and a
way to show appreciation to God for the grace I enjoy. Doing things that
affect humanity positively gives me joy. Maybe because of my upbringing, my
late parents are givers and my late father-in-law is also a giver and I’m
married to a man who believes so much in lifting other people. So we have
plans.
How do you unwind?
I love travelling and I love to give myself a special treat by
going to Spa but above all, I love taking pictures because it makes me feel
happy. I feel more relaxed when I have my family around me.
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