Ijebuland has once again, been thrown into mourning as the news of the passing of Chief Shakirudeen Olanrewaju Kassim,the chairman of Shokas Textile Industries, the Bobagunwa of Ijebuland,a renowned philanthropist and veteran socialite filtered out.According to a statement released by Bolaji Odusanya,the chairman of Ijebu North Local government, 'On behalf of the good people of Ijebu North Local Government,i sincerely sympathise with the Kassim family,following the news of the death of High Chief Sakiru Olanrewaju Kassim aka SHOKAS.
Aare Bobagunwa of Ijebuland is a foremost indigenous industralist,philantropist,religious and community leader.He was a notable socialite and worthy son of Ijebu igbo.He will be sorely missed"
In 1978,Alhaji Kassim founded Shokas Lace industry along with his bossom friend Alhaji M O Shote,who died in 2001.He told Tribune Newspaper,about the now moribound company,years back,
"One day, I was planning to travel to Austria as usual and a friend of mine, Alhaji Shote, whom we are in the same business came to me and said he wanted to follow me to Austria and I took him along. On getting to Austria, my partners welcomed us very well, but at night I was invited alone for a meeting. They told me their plans that they wanted to come and establish a textile company in Nigeria and they wanted me to be their partner. In the long run, we agreed on 50/50 per cent share of the company, since I believed was a good business. That was how I took the textile industry (Sokas Textile Industries) to Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State. And since then, aside from textile business, I never gambled into any other businesses because of the risk associated with running many businesses at a time'.
He was a notable socialite,who bestrode the Nigerian social scene,in the 80's,that King Sunny Ade,had to wax an album,in his honour,singing his praise as the owner of SHOKAS Industry and how he lives in opulence at his sprawling Bobagunwa Castle,Ijebu Igbo.Alhaji Shakirudeen Olanrewaju Kassim,was born in June,1936,he would have been 88years in June,2024
