If you are close to Chief Tunji Sunmonu ; you will know certain qualities in him and if you are not close to him and you happen to be present at his 65th birthday in Houston Texas on 16th October, 2021; then voice of the people as they testified about him will give you a clear picture about him.
This is a man that is blessed by God and what you see around him in Nigeria is nothing compared to what God has blessed him with in the US.
Almost everybody at the event have similar testimonies about this man.
If you listen to Primate Akinola at the event and compare with what Mr.Ade Coker said among others, you will hear the same thing.
I have known this man for close to 20 years and his passion for Egbaland and Ogun State attracted me to him.
When he brought Chicken Republic and spread Butter Field Bread in Abeokuta and the whole of Ogun State : I ask myself, who is this man.?
When I was building my house at Ibara GRA , I will look from my first floor and ask who owns this beautiful grey house at the Hill Top.?
The Hill Top was referred to by Primate Akinola as one Small Village in Abeokuta.. Village indeed.!!! A village that could house Chief Obasanjo for years before moving to the Library Pent House.
Leaving that modest expression aside, as I get closer to this great man, I discovered a lot of virtues among which are :
1.Humility.
2. Simplicity
3.Peace
4. Kindness.
5.Egbalistic .
6. Wealth without noise .
7. Care for everyone around him.
8. Love for the youth.
9. A man of little words.
10. Objective Stand on all issues.
11.Patient Man.
12 .Full of Interior Decoration Skills...
Most of my interactions with him when he was President of Egba Economic Summit showed clearly that he is just a different breed from Egbaland .Later, we worked for him as External Auditors and Tax Consultants @ Gbenga Adeoye & Co.( Chartered Accountants)
The first time, I visited his house in Houston Texas; at 11pm , he will insist ..Gbenga , look here, you aren't taking any Uber, am going to drop you in your hotel.
Sir, it is a long distance !!!...My friend. ...That is my route to work everyday.. dont worry. I will drop you.Then he will drive you straight at almost midnight.
His wife ...Sister Iyabo.. another wonderful woman.. An Ijebu woman like my wife that has become Egbalistic, Caring, accommodating and very humble too.This is a Professional Healthcare Expert in Pharamaceutical arena but as simple as a house wife will be.Very homely .
What I said at his birthday was just the little that time could permit .
His children. Wonderful , brilliant daughters.
In a mansion, you see sets of simple and humble people from father to mother and to the children.
His humility and kindness we heard made some bad people to take advantage of him in the past; from staff to associates and extended family members but this man kept rising and remained so simple.
As big as he is inside; He took me round an extension around his pool side in his mansion at Houston and I discovered this man was so patient to handle the whole extension by himself .He took measurements; bought all the items, fix everything up to painting .. catching fun.
He showed me his paint brush and Instrument...He is just simple ...
On my right at the event was Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa the former SSG of Ogun State.. He whispered to me...Dr. Adeoye. This man is so important to me that I had to leave APC congress to be here in USA
Bukoloa Olopade ...who later discovered that this man is his relative while serving as Commissioner of Youth and Sport with Otunba Gbenga Daniel was also on ground Gidigba with his Agbada but going up and down like a Field Marshall. He said a lot too about him..as a family member and as an individual with contacts with the celebrant.
On my left was Ambassador Okanlawon who represented the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland and also there in his own capacity.
He whispered to me and said.. Tunji is a good man.We all concluded; if not that Alake just returned from UK, he would have been here .
Primate Akinola in his words said. ...This man takes care of anything that will give comfort to us in our small Village...anyway...Hill Top GRA in Abeokuta..ranging from Security,water and anything.
He even introduced confectionary training to the Skill acquisition school that Baba Akinola set up to empower the youth in Abeokuta and today,they have graduates that can produce bread, cakes and all sorts of pastries.
Many spoke about him , almost everybody said the same thing.
One woman said, when I got to US ..uncle Tunji took me into his house and what I am today,he was a big factor..Hmmmm.
Titi Oseni and her friend from age 21 spoke about this man during the Toast...Even though Titi Oseni is related and her daughter in US,sees this man as his father ...what a great man...No wonder birthday celebrant said he lives in the midst of 4 girls...his wife and two biological daughters and Titi Oseni Gomez's daughter.
The M.C Erelu Bukky...spiced the event with her height, egba songs and anthem and serious worship song to thank God.
To end this my write up about Chief Tunji Sunmonu, then you need to listen to the wife. ...
"He is the best any woman can wish as a husband.
The story of how he met her at Atlanta was told and selected her as a wife material in the midst of three girls.. Then the young Tunji Sunmonu wanted to show her he just bought a house to attract her but alas..young Iyabo never bothered about material things .Then young Tunji felt...Yes. this is a wife material...
The woman said...if I come back again ..I will marry this man again...He is so caring and very compassionate....
Then the celebrant renewed his marriage vow with a new ring..
Barr Taiwo Adeoluwa was like the ring bearer as the ring was kept in his pocket covered with his Agbada Adire made from Itoku...like a coup between him and celebrant...The wife was surprised and excited..
Chief Tunji knelt down and called on Primate Akinola to come to rejoin them and Baba blessed the ring and blessed the union.What a symbolic way to celebrate birthday..
I was about to leave at 15 minutes to 11pm; I met the celebrant on the way.. He said Gbenga where are you going? ...I said sir, Your party is 5pm to 11pm and my driver is waiting outside.. ..He said. No way go back ..Tell the driver to join the party.. come back here ..dont go yet. I obliged him and stayed for another few minutes just to honour this great man.
I pray for him to encounter the Lord Almighty in a manner that as men speaks good of him here on earth , may he not miss eternity with the Lord in Jesus name.
Happy birthday Double Chief Sunmonu..@ 65.
Dr. Gbenga Adeoye.LLB, FCA, PhD.
Houston Texas.
16th October, 2021
11: 59pm..
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