Director- Investment Management & Corporate Governance - CHIEF ALFRED OGEDENGBE
CHIEF ALFRED BAMIDELE OGEDENGBE, the Bobafinju of Ife, Ataiyese of Oke-mesi and Bamofin of Ukpeme, is an active law practitioner; former Chairman of Wema Bank and Two (2) time Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State.
A pioneer Director of Owena Oil and Gas Company, a Parastatal of the Ondo State Government, Chief Ogedengbe, has traversed the entire spectrum of Private and public sector Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s), and is bringing this immense wealth of experience and expertise to bear on the operations, management and direction of Harmony Airlines Ltd.
A product of UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS where he bagged the LLB HONS in 1970, following which he proceeded to the NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL where obtained the BL (Batchelor of Law) in 1971. He attended two of the foremost secondary schools in Nigeria; IGBOBI COLLEGE, YABA, LAGOS and IBADAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL, IBADAN, between 1958 and 1962.
Chief Dele Ogedengbe started his legal practice in CHIEF ROTIMI WILLIAMS CHAMBERS in September 1971. Easily the biggest and busiest law firm at that time, Chief Rotimi Williams exposed Chief Ogedengbe to many aspects of the law both criminal and civil, as well as litigation and solicitor’s work until March 1977 when he left to set up his own law firm Dele Ogedengbe & Co.
During his six years in Chief Rotimi Williams Chambers, he handled many litigation matters ranging from land, succession, libel, breach of contract, divorce, taxation to winding up of companies. He also prepared numerous legal documents ranging from simple tenancy agreements to leases, conveyancing, assignments, mortgages, debentures etc. He appeared in the Supreme Court alone in his first year of law practice before seasoned jurists like Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria and the likes of Sir Udo Udoma. He was privileged to work hand in hand with the giant legal icon Chief FRA Williams Q.C., SAN and likes of the late Hon Justice Ajose Adeogun, late Hon. Justice A.L.A.L. Balogun, late Dr Kole Abayomi SAN who later became the Director General of the Nigeria Law School, the late Royal Highness Oba Victor Olateru Olagbegi, who later became the Secretary of the Nigeria Law School, Professor Alfred Bandele Kasunmu SAN who later became the Attorney General of Lagos State and many other legal luminaries.
Chief Ogedengbe belongs to a club know as ‘The Black Table’ which consists of lawyers who had passed through Chief Rotimi Williams Chambers. Today members of the Black Table are in every legal outfit including private practice, corporations and the law courts.
In 1977, Chief Dele Ogedengbe set up DELE OGEDENGBE & CO where he has been the Principal Partner up till now. Dele Ogedengbe & Co, fashioned after Chief Rotimi Williams Chambers deals mainly with Civil litigation including land, contracts, torts, insurance, shipping, and winding up matters. The firm also deals with Solicitors works in the areas of Joint Venture Agreements, Incorporation of Companies, Mergers, Winding up of Companies, Arbitrations etc. Chief Ogedengbe was the counsel to the merger of John Holt Limited and John Holt Investment Limited in the eighties. He held retainer of many companies including John Holt Limited until his appointment as a State Attorney General in 1988. He also represented the interests of John Holt [Liverpool] in Nigeria during that period. He was a member of Nigeria/British Chamber of Commerce Council member of Nigeria/Netherlands Chamber of Commerce.
Dele Ogedengbe & Co over the years had represented many foreign interests and business notably British, American, Dutch and Swiss. Chief Ogedengbe in the course of almost 5 decades at the Nigerian Bar had attended numerous seminars, conferences and workshops all over the world.
In June 1988, he was appointed Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the old Ondo State, a position he held till January 1992.
During his tenure as Attorney General, he was also
- Director Ondo State Investment Company
- Director of Odua Investment Company first as Chairman of the Establishment Committee and later Chairman of Operations Committee.
- Chairman of Wema Bank Plc [1989 – 1992]. Also Chairman of the Operations Committee of the bank
- Chairman Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy of Ondo State
- Member Ondo State Judicial Service Commission
- Member of Council of Legal Education
- Member Body of Benchers
- Member Federal Government Committee on Unification of Criminal Laws in Nigeria
During his service time at Odua Investment Company, the organisation had over 25 subsidiary and associated companies in the areas of manufacturing of various products from brick-making to cable wires, textiles, beverages, processing of cocoa beans and banking. The company was also into property development business. So also was the Ondo State Investment Company.
Chief Ogedengbe was noted for bold reforms in some of these companies notably National Bank of Nigeria Ltd and Wema Bank. It was during his Chairmanship of Wema Bank that the bank became a public quoted company reducing the South West Governments holding from 100% to 60% as the first phase of divesting government interest. He was privileged to have in his board, corporate experts and board room gurus like the late Chief Rufus Giwa, the late Chief Folarunsho Oke, the late Dr Lekan Are and the Managing Director of the bank, the late Chief Samuel Igbayilola Adegbite who was Chief Ogedengbe’s classmate in the Nigeria Law School in 1970/1971 session.
In June 1999, Chief Ogedengbe was appointed again to the position of Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice in the New Ondo State. The First appointment was by the military under the governorship of Navy Captain Bode George later Commodore Bode George and later Navy Captain Abiodun Olukoya, now Rear Admiral Olukoya. The second appointment was by the civilian government under the governorship of the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati.
During this second term as Attorney General, with membership of many government bodies including the Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, State Judicial Service Commission, Council of Legal Education, Body of Benchers and Odua Investment Company either as a member or chairman, Chief Ogedengbe was able to bring to bear his wealth of experience from over two decades to bear on his various assignments.