Samuel Ladoke Akintola was born July 10, 1910 into the Akinbola Akintola family in Ogbomoso. His father was a trader who not only plied his trade within the shores of Nigeria, he was an international trader of a kind. 

This afforded Samuel Ladoke Akintola the opportunity and privilege to be well traveled across different ethnic groups within the country. 

It is most likely no news, that he had his primary education at the Baptist Day School, Osupa, Ogbomoso. In 1946, he was awarded a scholarship to earn a diploma in Administration and Journalism at Barbell house, Oxford, Great Britain. He went on to become a lawyer. He was called to bar in 1949.

So below are 10 things you might not have known or heard about the prodigy, Samuel Ladoke Akintola.

1. Samuel Ladoke Akintola was born into a royal family. Both his mother and father are from royal lineages. His father, Solomon Akintola Akinbola hailed from Oba Olugbon of the Igbon royal family. And his mother -Omolade Akanke Akintola- was from a royal lineage of the Onpetu stool, Ogbomoso.
2. As was the popular practice of most that were schooled in the early to mid nineties in Ogbomoso, Samuel Ladoke Akintola received training as a preacher of the Gospel of Christ at the then Baptist College and Seminary.
3. It is said that Samuel Ladoke Akintola read the complete works of Shakespeare and other poets while he studied in Great Britain. Who would have thought that?Perhaps this later effects on his diction as he was known to have great oratory skills, even as a politician in his days.
4. Samuel Ladoke Akintola was the second premier of the then Western region (1960 - 1966) He succeeded Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Meanwhile before the succession, he was the deputy premier of the Western region (1954 - 1959) while Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the Premier.
5. Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA as he was popularly called in certain climes) was the first Chancellor of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). And it is said that the University of Ife was sited in Ife during his time as the premier of the Western region. "He was 'belatedly' honored with a hall of residence in the institution twenty years after his death" as Chief Oyebisi Okewuyi puts it in his book.
6. Samuel Ladoke Akintola was a linguist of some sort. He spoke his native Yoruba Language, Hausa, Nupe and English Language eloquently and fluently. Much credence was given to his oratorical skills and proficient use of the Yoruba language. He had a testimony of staunch mastery of the language.
7. Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was instrumental together with the founding personnels, in the founding of Ogbomoso Grammar School and Ogbomoso Girl's High School. It was said that he provided water, electricity and even built an assembly hall, all in a bid to ensure the upkeep of the schools.
8. In case you've ever wondered about how interconnected Ogbomoso roads are. About how much intra city road networks the land has. Well, thanks -maybe not "all thanks"- to Samuel Ladoke Akintola as he spearheaded the mass intra-city road networks carried out between 1953 - 1957 through communal effort. It was said that even his father, Akinbola's house was demolished during the road construction.
9. Samuel Ladoke Akintola is the last Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland from Oyo State. The title of Aare Ona Kakanfo (Supreme Generalissimo or Field Marshall) is the highest military rank during the war years of the Old Oyo and the New Oyo empire. Hence all those that have been bestowed with the title have been indigenes of Oyo. However the title has transcended the war times into the modern era. Samuel Ladoke Akintola was the 13th Aare Ona Kakanfo. The 14th Aare Ona Kakanfo was Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola (M.K.O) from Abeokuta, Ogun State. The last Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland till date; Chief Gani Adams is from Ondo State
10. Samuel Ladoke Akintola son, Chief Abayomi Akintola once served as Minister of State for finance under Alhaji Shehu Shagari administration (military rule). The same son was also made ambassador to the Republic of Hungary during President Olusegun Obasanjo (civilian rule). 
    

Without any iota of doubt, Samuel Ladoke Akintola isn't adored and given much credit without justifiable reasons. The Man; Ladoke Akintola was an indefatigable visioneer and leader par excellence. Worthy of note is the fact that a man without flaws is not a man. However that is not within the scope and syllabus of this write up.