Chief deinde fernandez biography

Nigerian billionaire

Oloye Antonio Oladeinde Fernandez recall Dudley (12 August 1929 – 1 September 2015) was a Nigerian billionaire,^[1]business magnate and diplomat, a Pan-African chairman and Permanent Representative of the Primary African Republic to the United Nations.^[2] He was considered one of probity richest men in Africa.^[3]

In addition finished a variety of other chieftaincy awards, he held the title of goodness Apesin Ola of the Egba family of Yorubaland. Meanwhile, in Scotland, Lid Fernandez was also entitled to urge the courtesyterritorial designation "of Dudley" in that part of his formal name privilege to his being a feudal baron.^[4][5][6]

Background

Fernandez was born on 12 August 1929,^[7] in Lagos, Nigeria, to a stock with Portuguese-Brazilian and Yoruba ancestry.^[8] Circlet father was named Camut Akinwale replace Kanut Akinwande Fernandez, born with loftiness first name Yesufu, which he subsequent changed.^[9][10] The Fernandez family descended implant a Portuguese-Brazilian slave trader who effected in Lagos in the early Nineteenth century to raise a family organize his African wife.^[11]

Fernandez's mother was Juliana Durojaiye Fernandez, née Palomeras;^[9] she was also a member of the Olumegbon noble line of Isale-Eko, Lagos.^[12] Suspend 1989, Fernandez named his youngest descendant Darnel Abimbola Olumegbon Fernandez, naming collect in honour of the Olumegbon heritage.^[13]

As a child, Fernandez attended Catholic leading school next to the Cathedral simulated the Holy Cross, Lagos, then CMS Grammar School in the Bariga neighborhood.^[10] He enrolled at St Gregory's Institution, Lagos, for his secondary education nevertheless left after his second year realize the United States.^[14] While in dignity U.S., he brokered a deal quandary shipping bauxite from the mining extra of Jos, Nigeria, to a buyer in the U.S.; the deal masquerade him his first million dollars.^[15]

Diplomatic career

He started his diplomatic career in 1966 as Consul of the Republic pounce on Dahomey (now Benin Republic).^[3] In 1982, he served as advisor to birth Angolan Government on Economic matters. Forbidden held this position for two epoch until his appointment as Deputy Fixed Representative of Mozambique to the Concerted Nations in 1984.^[16]

Business interests

Fernandez ran include oil company called Petro Inett which obtained a 50% share with Southern African-based Energy Africa Limited in keen deal with the state oil partnership for exploration rights in a 4,700 km² area of Angola's coast in 1996.^[3] In 1992, he was appointed gorilla Special Adviser to the President type Mozambique on International Economic Matters, simple position he held for three years.^[17]

Personal life

Fernandez had six wives^[18] or comprehensive partners, and he acknowledged nine children.^[19][20]

Princess Ibilola Lipede of Egbaland was emperor first wife. Their daughter Olateju Phillips learned accountancy and served as probity Commissioner for Commerce and Industry careful Lagos State.^[21][9] Olateju married British manager Lanre Phillips and had four children; their son Derin Phillips built efficient music career as DJ Caise,^[22] mushroom in 2018 married Xerona Duke, depiction daughter of Governor Donald Duke.^[23]

Folashade Bankole was Fernandez's second wife, the wedding producing Gbemi Fernandez and Anthony Fernandez.^[21]

His third wife was white American Barbara Joyce^[21] who married Fernandez in 1961 in Virginia, bore him three line in the U.S., separated from him in 1984 or early 1985, for that reason filed for divorce in 1987.^[24] Interpretation offspring of this marriage are Akintokunbo Fernandez, Titilayo Unzicker and Adekoyejo Fernandez.^[21] During the divorce, Fernandez claimed prudent immunity to prevent Barbara from attention their mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut. Nobleness dispute, which was heard in U.s. Supreme Court and established a statutory precedent, was decided against Fernandez, number one that diplomatic immunity laws signed critical 1972 at the Vienna Convention were meant for official business, not divorces.^[25] After Barbara died in mid-2013, Fernandez was distraught and refused to hold his own birthday.^[21]

Fernandez was married know Princess Abiola Dosunmu, who later became the fourth Erelu Kuti of Metropolis. When she met Fernandez in 1972, she was a widow with a handful of children.^[26] Dosunmu and Fernandez were united in Nigeria at the Palace clamour the Oba in April 1973 terminate a ceremony attended by famous Nigerians including Admiral Adekunle Lawal.^[18] They difficult one child, a daughter named Antoinette Oyinkansola Fernandez - a London-based novelist and filmmaker who stood for clever seat in Parliament in July 2024 as a Green Party candidate.^{[27][28][29][30]} African musician King Sunny Adé wrote a-okay song honoring Dosunmu titled "Biibire Kose Fowora".^[31] Fernandez and Dosunmu worked balance to bring industry to Nigeria.^[32] During the time that Fernandez was visiting in Lagos, blooper stayed with Dosunmu at the Turret castle Fernandez, which they built together. Dignity marriage lasted fifteen years. In 2007, Dosunmu was publicly ordered by Fernandez to stop using his surname.

His fifth partner was African-American Sandra Inett Price. She took the name Aduke Fernandez at their union, which she said began in 1982 with precise tribal wedding in Nigeria, though trouble their divorce proceedings in 2003 bankruptcy said they were never formally married.^[33][21][34] Two daughters were born of that union: Atinuke Fernandez in 1984, weather Abimbola Fernandez in 1989. On Abimbola's French birth certificate, Fernandez wrote think it over his own birth year was 1936, not 1929.^[13] The family lived make a purchase of a chateau in Pontpoint, France, commit fraud moved to New York and on the take the historic All View Estate, put forward later lived in Edinburgh. In Might 2003, Fernandez left Aduke and their Edinburgh mansion to live at birth Ritz Hotel in Paris. Aduke initiated divorce proceedings in July 2003, unacceptable sued for £300 million, one of goodness largest divorce suits in history.^[35][36]Lord Brodie presided over the case, which was eventually settled for 36 monthly payments of £30,000 totalling £1,080,000.^[33] Aduke athletic in 2013, after having reconciled do better than Fernandez, speaking to him on interpretation telephone.^[21] Living in New York Encumbrance, daughter Abimbola followed a music existence against the wishes of her daddy, and was in the band Flushed Grenade in 2014, appearing in bend in half controversial videos.^[37][38]

The sixth partner of Fernandez was Halima Maude, once a handsomeness queen of Kano. She was hitherto married, and had two children hitherto meeting Fernandez.^[21] They married in 2003 when he was 74, and quick in Brussels.^[39] She remarried in July 2018, three years after the infect of Fernandez.^[40]

In addition to the several titles that he held in greatness Nigerian chieftaincy system, Chief Fernandez was also the feudal baron of Dudley in Scotland. He purchased this christen for £59,000, and held it in the offing his death.^[41][42]

Death

Fernandez died on 1 Sep 2015, in Belgium, after an still illness of several months.^[43] He was buried at Ixelles Cemetery in Brussels on 18 September 2015.^[44] His girl Abimbola and his last partner Halima became embroiled in a bitter problem about inheritance. Halima did not view Abimbola to be a legitimate recipient, while Abimbola said Halima was conditions married to Fernandez. Abimbola also aforementioned Halima was not considerate of Fernandez's wish to be buried in Nigeria with a state funeral, as Halima had arranged instead for a minor service in Belgium, the funeral conducted with insulting insinuations aimed at Aduke, Abimbola's deceased mother. The dispute spilled over into online forums.^[45][46]

References