Chief (Dr) Jonathan
Durojaiye Soleye is certainly Offa's gift to Born October 22, 1923 in Offa,
Kwara State, Soleye inspite of a humble the Nigerian nation state. upbringing,
was born to distinguished parentage.
He was at the St,.
Mark's Anglican School, Offa between 1929 and 1936 and the Igbobi College,
Yaba, Lagos between 1937 and 1941.
After a stint at the
Higher College, Yaba between 1942 and 1943, he had defined the path he would
follow 1n Medicine. Thus, he proceeded to the Nigeria School of medicine, yaba
between 1943 and 1948.
Ever pursuant of
knowledge in his chosen career, Soleye was at the West London Hospital Medical
School, London between 1954 and 1955 and the Queen's University, Belfast
between 1961 and 62.
At once, a professional
technocrat, Soleye has had a fulfilling career. Starting out as Assistant
Medical Officer, Medical Department of Nigeria in 1948, he was to become the
Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health in the defunct Northern Region of
Nigeria between 1952 and 1960 rising to Permanent Secretary between 1967 and
1968.
With the creation
of Kwara State in 1967, Soleye became the first Permanent Secretary in the
State Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, a position he held until his
retirement from public service in January 1969.
Since then, he had sat
atop a flourishing medical practice as chairman of Duro Soleye Hospitals.
Soleye is a fellow, Medical Council in Public Health, fellow, West African
College of Physicians and member, Royal College of Physicians.
He has also been past
Executive member. Family Planning Association of Nigeria (1963-91), Member,
Management Board, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (1986 -87),
Chairman, of Board, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (1987-89) and National
Chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (1989-96).
Although, he got
deserved recognition in his field Medicine bagging the May and Baker Prize in
Surgery as far back as 1948, national honours was to come in form of the
Officer of the Order of Nigeria in 1965.
As one of the patriarch
of Offa Descendants' Union still alive today, Soleye must be a happy martoday
seeing the fruit of h labour come to fruition.
In the aid thirties
while staying wilth late Mr. A. O. Bilewu who was his guardian during his Igbobi
days, Soleye was obliged to distribute circulars of notice of meeting to all
officers and other members of the ODU. It was a chore which brought him into
contact with many of ODU's foundation members.
Between 1942 and 1991,
his linkage with the ODU Was sustained and deepened as he traversed the
Nigerian landscape in pursuit of his career. Many of the places where he worked
had a thriving ODU branch.
At the annual conference
of December 1975, Soleye assumed the leadership of ODU and was to serve for an
unprecedented 16 years before handing over to Professor M. O.Oyawoye in
December 1991.
For his invaluable
contribution to Offa, he was given the Chieftaincy title of Bobagunwa of Offa.
 Jonathan Durojaye Soleye){kind=link}