A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK…FEMI AKINRUNTAN AT 40

Too many rich, spoilt kids do nothing that has permanence. They slither through life and the world, like the proverbial rattlesnake travelling across the rocks without an imprint or establishment of its presence on the rocky plains. But Prince Femi Akinruntan, the MD of Obat Oil, seems remarkably different. Femi is enviably inured to the rudiments of successful enterprise and persistently seeks to push new enterprise past all the barriers to success.

Many say it’s due to his tenacious inner passion, which borders on calm resolve; many more claim he is simply cut out like that, like all innovative leaders-especially his father. Whatever anyone thinks, Femi, at 40, is a man accustomed to honourable pursuits. He’s got panache and clout within and outside the shores of Nigeria as well as a generous dose of resourcefulness too, which makes him the delight of every successful magnate or business patron.

However, it then came as a shock and a surprise when easy-going Femi Akinrutan, son of acclaimed Africa’s richest king, Oba Obateru Akinrutan, the Olugbo of Ugbonla Kingdom in Ondo State, announced that he would turn 40 in July.

Like the Yoruba would say, only the child that knows how to wash his hands, gets to dine with the elders. Perhaps because of his affable and accessible persona, despite his wealth and education – Femi attainment of the 40 took many by surprise. But what many cannot take away from him is his maturity and level-headedness. More so, he had been prepared for leadership roles by his billionaire father who put him in charge of his business empire when he was just in his early 20s. Femi has indeed come of age and not for him are the distractions that come with wealth, power and position. He is humble and homely and spends quality time with his beautiful wife, Folakemi, and children. To celebrate this epoch, Prince Akinrutan would, between July 16 and 18, offer free medical services to the people of his home state in Ondo. Thereafter, he plans to take friends and family members for a grand dinner holding somewhere in Lagos.