You recently turned 40 and you marked it big. How do you feel?
I feel good. I feel great. I am really thankful to the almighty. I thank him because being here today is through his Grace and Mercy. When I look back I say thank you father. I am really grateful and thankful to God. I am grateful to him.
Each time I look back it makes me feel elated. Its all glory to God. I feel grateful to the Almighty.
How did it start for Olori Aderonke, 40 years ago? Where were you born? Which schools did you attend?
I was born in Ibadan. I attended primary school back in Ibadan. My growing up years has been in Ibadan. I went to primary and secondary school there. I attended St. Theresas College. From there, I came to Lagos where I started my tertiary education. I went to Lagos State University (LASU). I studied Accounting in LASU and from there I started working. While working I went for my Masters in UNILAG. In those days, I was working as a Banker. So while working as a Banker I had to study Banking & Finance at the University of Lagos for my Masters.
When you left banking what else did you go into?
From Banking I came to Adron Homes. Whilst I was in the bank my husband was running Adron Homes. Infact, I had to leave banking so that I could be actively involved in the running of Adron Homes.
How did you find the transition from banking to real estate?
It was seamless, because I wasn’t totally new to it. While in the bank, I was part and parcel of the company in a way, just that I wasn’t resuming 9 to 5pm in Adron Homes. But, from the beginning, right from the very first day of the company we were together doing it. The transition was seamless.
How did you meet your husband? What year was this?
We grew up together in Ibadan and we we’ve known ourselves as kids, even then it was just as friends. It was Ade Boy and Ronke Girl. You know we were just little kids in the same neighbourhood in Ibadan. That was at Anfani area in Ibadan.
At a point, of course, everybody went their separate ways. We never even knew, in those days, nobody knew, not even us, not even our parents knew that we were going to become husband and wife. As God ordained it, somehow we became husband and wife. Looking back, it has been a wonderful journey together, by his grace. Its been 10 years as Husband and wife. To the glory of God, we always say it when we reflect back, we always say: Ah, our father, we thank you for this Union, because we have never known a better yesterday, or yestermonth or yesteryear. God did it for us. On the day of our wedding, my father-in-law said something notable that day. Something notable happened that day. It was April and I don’t think April is a raining period per se. But on that morning, the weather was so cold, we just had little drizzle. And it stopped and for the whole of the day, there was no scorching sun, there was no heat, there was no rain, everything was just calm.
The weather was serene and beautiful. My father-in-law said that day that, wow, this wedding is special and that God had ordained this day. Since that day, it has been wonderful.
Can you tell us a bit about your husband? What sort of a person is he?
He is a very, very focused person. He is a man of Wisdom. I really appreciate God, in him, for that. He is full of wisdom. He is generous to a fault. He is a man of the people. He is hardworking. He stresses himself for people. He is a good man.
What were those striking things you noticed about him then that endeared you to him?
It dates back a long time. We started our relationship way back, when I was 5 and he was 7. Then, in those early years I couldn’t really say a lot about him then. We were small. All I can recollect is that he was a nice person. However, we came to meet again in1996. I was 19 and he was about 21. Then, we came to meet again after that break, as born-again Christians. That was what attracted us to each other. He fears God. And I equally fear God. I noticed then that he was a focused person. He is a dogged person. And he puts passion into everything he does. Even then, when we came together again on the platform of Christianity, he was very passionate about God. He will go for Village Evangelism. He was very dogged. He is a man of passion. I noticed that in him, back in 1996, while he was not even working any where then. He was still in school.
Both of you share a lot in common. You are beautiful. He is handsome. Both of you are very fashionable. How did you achieve this feat?
(Smiles) Some people have said so too. That confirms what some people have said that this union is purely Gods choice. Nobody designed it that way. It is just coincidental, orchestrated by God, that this handsome man will be married to this beautiful lady and their products will be beautiful both physically and in every other way in life. Its Gods own design.