THE STRIDES OF RT.HON. (PRINCE) SURAJ ISHOLA ADEKUNB

By: Segun Lawal

Rt. Hon. (Prince) Suraj Ishola Adekubi was born on March 8, 1975 in Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Govt. Area of Ogun State into the family of Alhaji Rahmon and Madam Elizabeth Adekunbi.
Young Prince Suraj Ishola Adekunbi began his academic career at St. Paul Anglican School, Ayetoro where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1986. His secondary education was at the prestigious Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro where he obtained his Senior Secondary School Certificate in 1993. The following year, Prince Suraj was admitted into the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro to study Mechanical Engineering. On completion of his Ordinary National Diploma in 1996, Suraj proceeded to The Polytechnic, Ibadan for the Higher National Diploma which he achieved in the year 2000 with Upper Credit.,
Prince Suraj did his mandatory National Youth Service at the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of NNPC in Edo State in year 2000. After his Youth Service, Suraj wasted no time in applying knowledge and creating value taking a teaching job at the Government Technical College, Idi-Aba Abeokuta. He later had a stint with the Ogun State Civil Service with his appointment as Higher Technical Officer in Bureau of Transportation from year 2004 to 2006 before he voluntarily resigned. Unrelenting in his resolve to attain higher academic heights, Rt. Hon. (Prince) Suraj Ishola Adekubi proceeded to the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) for the Post-Graduate Diploma after which he progressed to the University of Ibadan (UI) and obtained Masters Degree in Project Development and Implementation (MPDI) in year 2011.
An astute businessman and administrator per excellence, Rt. Hon. (Prince) Suraj Ishola Adekubi sharpened his entrepreneurial teeth in Petroleum Products Marketing under the tutelage of his father who was then Chairman and CEO of Al-Rahman Oil & Gas Limited. Having attained a comfortable level of financial independence, Suraj decided to give himself to the service of humanity by offering to represent his Constituency of Yewa North at the Ogun State House of Assembly. Though unsuccessful at first attempt, Suraj never gave up, showing the resilience and other stuff champions are made of; re-launching his ambition in 2011 on the platform of the same Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) winning and going ahead to represent Yewa North State Constituency. Subsequently, he was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly on July 6, 2011.

Mr. Speaker, as he is also called is a recipient of so many awards and commendations from both far and wide including Young Achievers Award as Young Speaker in year (2011). The National Society of Agricultural Students of College of Agriculture, Olabisi Onabanjo University conferred the award of Patron on him. He was also given an award of Excellence by the Rotary Club of Ojo. The Meritorious Award in Politics was presented to him by the National Association of Yewa/Awori students of Tai Solarin University of Education. His Alma-Mata, Comprehensive High school, also known as Compro gave Rt Hon. Suraj the Distinguished Compronian Award. Orona day committee of Ilaro also gave him the Award of Excellence. He received a Merit Award from National Association of Polytechnic Accountancy Students, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. Agent of Hope & Change awarded him A Pacesetter of Hope. National Association of Yewa/Awori Students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic also gave him an Award of Excellence while Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities presented him a commendation in appreciation of his support as a guest .
On the professional front, Rt. Hon. Suraj is a corporate member of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), a corporate member of Association of Project Development Practitioners, (APRODEP) and a registered member of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, (COREN).

In all, Rt. Hon. (Prince) Suraj Ishola Adekunle Adekubi, also commonly called PAS in informal parlance has lived a vibrant, enviable, fruitful and commendable life.
He is happily married to an amiable, warm, hospitable, virtuous and quintessential woman of class and statement in the person of Mrs Oluwaseun Adekunbi and their union is blessed with children.