Late Chief Theophilus Adediran Oni
BACKGROUND AND EARLY LIFE
Chief Theophilus Adediran Oni (T.A Oni) was born at Oke Padre,in Ibadan on May 13, 1913, to Prince James Joseph Adeyemi Oni, of the Fadumila/Oni (Akepe) ruling house in Oke-Imesi, Western Region of Nigeria (now Ekiti State) and Mrs Alice Olufunmilayo Oni, from Ile-Igi-Ege, Odofin chieftaincy house in Igbajo, in the Western Region of Nigeria (now Osun State).
He was educated at St James primary School, Oke bola Ibadan and Ogba Methodist School in Abeokuta where he gained School Leaving Certificate in 1930. While in school, to augment family income, he hawked Kerosene with his family friend Emmanuel Aderibigbe Ladele, who later became the General Manager and subsequently Chairman of T.A Oni & Sons. He also worked as a ball boy at Lawn Tennis Court frequented by expatriates, earning three pence per day.
HIS WORK- PROJECTS
Projects handled between 1946 and 1971 included the following:
First Baptist Church Ibadan
Saint John Cathedral Church Iloro, Osun State
Cathedral of St. Peter Aremo, Ibadan Oyo State.
HIS FAMILY LIFE
T.A Oni was a family man with 8 wives from almost all parts of the country and beyond. They were:
- Late Abigail Ladunni nee Aboderin (Mama Ilesa)
- Late Hannah Omodunbi nee Owayungba (Mama Oyo)
- Late Maryan Adeteju nee Oyegunna (Mama Doyin)
- Late Mopelola nee Alabi (Mama Debiyi)
- Christianah nee Lali (Mama Dayo)
- Cypriana Aduke nee Adegbesan (Mama Deoye)
- Elizabeth Modupe nee Coker (Mama Yinka)
- Late Fay-Frances Monica nee Etherton (Mama Tokunbo)
He had 35 children. His first family house was built in Oke Ado- large enough to accommodate his growing family.
TESTIMONIES
WHAT I HEARD!
Well I never had the opportunity of meeting Chief T.A Oni(Grand Dad) neither did my younger brother; what I do know is that he a was a strict, loving father to his children, and a loving & charming husband to his wives; I have heard my mother and so many of her brothers & sisters say that he taught them table manners, to respect their elders and to show to the world which home they have come from! He definitely was a philanthropist, so I know he had a kind and loving heart. I wish I had met him; unfortunately he passed on just a few years before I was born. There is no doubt that most of his children; even his grand children (including ME!!) have his trade mark-“pointed nose”. God bless u Papa & continue to rest in perfect peace…Amen
Femi Sosanya