Abimbola Oki studied Estate Management and has a flair for entrepreneurship. In addition, she is passionate about empowering other women. In 2014, she worked on her skills in catering and started D’Potters Catering Services which now caters to many top clients and celebrities. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde she takes you into her world.
THE inspiration came from the feedback Abimbola Oki got from her social life was the starting point. “ It started as a hobby and I remember that a lot of the people I worked with loved my food a lot. So, I decided to start a business since I was not employed. I love hosting people in my house, especially during the festive seasons and my guests enjoyed my cooking so much that they gave me money. I was still job hunting at that point”.
Oki then got the push from family and friends and she became convinced that it was the way to go: “ My husband and I had a discussion about starting a food business and that was how I started fully in 2014. My mum used to sell bread even though I wasn’t involved. My sister had a restaurant back then too and I helped to run it. I never thought of running a food business then, but I was able to learn one or two things from that experience”.
Happily, she goes on to talk about the high points as well as some of the memorable moments working in the sector. “We give value. I ensure that all our meals meet up to the standard that we have set for the brand, which is to give tasty and quality meals. We also have great customer service”.
Next, she takes you into her world and the things that make her brand unique. “I would say that it has been bitter and sweet. It also comes with so many challenges, but I must say that the experience has been worthwhile. God’s grace has brought us this far and everything is going just as I planned.”
She continued: “ A lot of people know how to cook but they don’t know about the business side, which is very critical. That influenced me to start D’potters Catering School to educate women. Here, it’s a holistic curriculum and it is not just about learning how to cook but also learning about the business aspect, of building a successful brand. It has also been very fulfilling for me and I get a lot of messages from women that have transformed their lives and businesses”.
In the process, she has been able to prove to her mentees that being consistent and dedicated to their brand will pay off and they also can make it in any business they decide to venture into. “It has been an amazing journey so far. The first set of students graduated last month and some of them already started their businesses and they are doing very well”.
Her success story also revolves around touching lives. “ I always love to put smiles on people’s faces whether I know them or not. I have been through very hard times too. So, I understand their situation, this is my inspiration”.
Oki also talks about some of the lessons learned.”I have learned to be consistent with what I am doing, people are watching. We give a specified time for delivery and try to make sure we deliver on time. However, the unstable economy is also affecting us. This has led to an increase in the price of our food which unfortunately makes our customers complain sometimes”.
Next, the discussion goes on to identify the things needed to move the sector to greater heights. “I am looking forward to an industry with great professionalism and regulated pricing. Here, we talking about an industry that will provide more tools to develop skills and expertise where I can compete with the best without feeling intimidated. In addition, getting customers to trust you and the brand is also very important because we usually do the payment before delivery. We have been able to build that trust. We also focus on getting a trusted delivery company to deliver food on time. There are many cases of food getting sour by the time clients get it. That should not happen. We have been able to get our personal bikes. For many getting reliable staff can also be challenging. On our part, we have been consistent with our principle which is to give customers value for their money”.
We treat our customers fairly and we don’t hesitate to apologize when things go wrong. We try to exceed their expectations, this makes them happy to refer us to their friends and families.”
Her experience working with organizations like BUA group, Nigeria British Chamber of Commerce, Rand Merchant bank, and STANBIC IBTC gave Oki the background experience which motivated Oki to put in her best at all times. “It has been a great experience. We have learned to be punctual, and professional in all we do and we have met great people in the process”.
Oki goes on to compare life as an entrepreneur to the things that she did in the past.“I only worked as a youth Corp member at L.S.D.P.C. I started this business afterward. I am looking at expanding the business to other states and even outside Nigeria, and maybe opening a restaurant. I train people both online and offline, I do consultations for some food vendors. I am always learning new things about my business from others. If I am not teaching, I am learning”.
Her advice for young people who want to go into the sector is: “Don’t start the business just because others are making money from it, make sure it’s something you love doing. My Dad is my greatest influence. He doesn’t take No for an answer. Government should provide basic amenities like good roads, electricity, water, good health care, good schools, etc. This will go a long way in helping every individual and business.
Oki added: “We also rent out our cooking studio to content creators, food bloggers, and food brands. Our outdoor cooking area is also available for rent to caterers who need a convenient cooking space for their large cooking. I have always dreamt of moving to a bigger space but I was scared of the unknown. We were given a quit notice at the former space because they did not want us to use the space for cooking again. We had no choice but to get a new space and we got exactly what we wanted. It was not easy getting space for cooking and took us a year to get to this new place. We did some renovations and it came out perfect”.
Hilda Effiong Bassey known as Hilda Baci is the founder of ‘My Food by Hilda”, actress, TV presenter, and talk show host. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about her homemade recipes, inspiration from her mother’s culinary techniques, the turning point in her life, and embarking on a cooking marathon.
YOU are embarking on a 4-day cooking Marathon to break the world’s longest cooking record. What inspired the idea?
I used to be obsessed with watching the Guinness Book of Records on TV and YouTube. At some point, I have been crazy about cooking. About 5 years ago, I said to my brother then that I had not seen anyone doing the longest cooking marathon. It was always the biggest pizza, the largest this and that. So, I imagined if someone cooked for a really long time and my brother said that it was a really good idea, people would enjoy it. I now inquired about it to know if a record like that was existing.
At the time, the current record holder just hit that record. I think that I kind of forgot it for a while. But, then somehow I didn’t stop thinking about it. It was on my mind, it was something that I really wanted to do. I told my friends and family members, and here we are.
So, what are you looking at?
The attempt is supposed to begin on the 28th and we would round up on the 1st.
How did your mum influence your performance in the sector?
She was really good with people and customer service. I watched her build her business. I remember when she started, there were so many vendors in the space that she started with and as the years went by, she became the only one there in Area 10, Abuja. She did that and she trained us with that. So, I realized that there is money in the business but you just have to be serious about it.
It is a very competitive and tough sector. How do you cope?
I guess I have a passion for it. I enjoyed it. When you are doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work. It is also supposed to fund my lifestyle. I have responsibilities and I mean every other thing that I have to do. This is basically like my handwork, so I have to take it seriously.
There are recipes everywhere. What makes yours different?
My tagline is made with love. It sounds very mundane but the truth is what I have at the back of my mind when I am making anything. I have some of these recipes which I learned from my mum and then I improved on them.
Talking about love, are your targets young people?
It’s for everybody.
During COVID-19, you supported the less privileged communities with about 3000 meals. What inspired you to do this?
Then, I noticed that there was a lack around my area. So, I used to take walks around Elegushi beach every Saturday morning. I saw that the guy there would help other people. It was their source of livelihood. But since COVID nothing was happening. So, every time I was passing, they would say mama please help us. They had kids as well as pregnant wives or girlfriends. I also noticed that those reaching out were going to the streets, and motherless homes, and nobody remembered them. So, I just decided to take it there. I did it every Saturday for the entire period of the lockdown. I used to take 150 meals there every Saturday. I always wore my face masks. It was rice, easy meals, Jollof, and fried rice. I alternated between both drinks and water. I had COVID at a point. It was towards the end of the lockdown and my body really fought it. I had a few malaria symptoms for one day. It didn’t really knock me down and I was still very active. I ate a lot of pepper soups that was it.
Let’s talk about life as a presenter and TV show host.
I can’t even remember the year but my friend sent me this post about Linda Ikeji TV, they were looking for a presenter. So, I just tried. I made an audition video and the video was really good at the time. Then I wanted to be an actress, be on the screen, and wanted everyone to know me. From there, I started auditioning for multiple presenting roles.
Was it easy or challenging doing this?
It wasn’t easy at all. I had to go to Lagos multiple times because Lagos is where it happens. I came to Lagos for just auditions. Sometimes, I got callbacks and would come back to Lagos. There was this particular station that had me come back like four times and eventually I didn’t get it. It was very upsetting.
What would you describe as the turning point for you?
I can’t say that I have one particular turning point. Different things! Moving to Lagos was definitely a turning point for me. If I didn’t come to Lagos, I wouldn’t be here. The challenges I faced pretty much got me to this point. I did a 9 to 5 and worked two jobs at a point. I was working as a cook. When I quit that job, I got the opportunity to have my own show on DSTV. It was called Dine on a Budget and it was on Pop Central TV channel. I basically used to host celebrities. I had a mixologist, just like dinner with friends. We got to discuss different topics while I was cooking. So, they would have an appetizer, main course, dessert, and cocktail. It was just like a really fun roundtable conversation while I was also trying to teach people how to cook. I was also entertaining them with their favorite celebrities. For me, doing that allowed me to combine all my interests, my ability to present, my ability to cook, and my desire to teach. And I like looking good, that way I married everything to one show.
Was there a particular fallout doing this?
It taught me to be more assertive. Getting the celebrities, I had to send them DMs. Some people would respond positively, some didn’t and till today, there are people that are just seeing my DM this year and this was like two years ago. I just knew that if you want something nobody is going to hand it over to you. You have to make an effort and get it yourself and achieve what you want.
At what point did you get into acting?
I think that in between all that, I was still going for acting auditions. I did a role, not necessarily a waka pass in this movie called side waves. It was directed by T. Sinachi. It featured Nancy Isime in 2018, then my very last acting role was playing a supporting lead in Dream Chaser. A movie by Multichoice talent factory. Acting is just a few years; I don’t take it seriously because my bottom line now is that I have to make money. If I am doing something that I love it has to serve me and pay my bills. Right now, acting is not doing that. I need to invest in my business.
How has the recent cash scarcity affected your business?
Oh yes, it has. We tried initially and it became a bit more difficult as time went on. There were days when we couldn’t buy petty things in the market because these women don’t take transfers. I remember calling my account officer to beg for twenty thousand nairas.
Do you have young people that you mentor?
I won’t say I mentor young people but I teach. It is not restricted to young people but anyone who is interested. I teach people how to cook. I share my recipes because I want recipes to propagate what I stand for. I want them to become authentic staple recipes. That is why I am very open to sharing them with as many people as possible. I notice that there is a lapse. The food industry, in terms of fast food and outdoor catering. We are not respected as we should be.
We should make as much money as we deserve to make based on the amount of work that we put in. I think that most times, we don’t understand the business side of it. So, you can have someone doing the same thing, sustainably but not profitably. So, you are doing the same thing but you are not able to scale up because you are not charging properly. You are not pricing properly. So, I just got to understand that a lot of people are struggling with that based on my interactions with customers, intending customers, and other food vendors as well. And because I like to share, I felt that this is something people need to learn and take their business more seriously. It can be very deceptive when you have an inflow, a lot of things coming in but then you are not exactly making money just because you have a lot of money coming in. So, you actually need to be very intentional about every single thing.
Could this be because there are so many people in the sector?
Not necessarily. I feel that if you have a niche for yourself like your service is good, you still have your client base. I would say people don’t have the desire to eat the same thing 365 days a year. As human beings, we are not static to be eating the same things. What you try to achieve is that you are top of mind. So, sometimes people are actually craving your food which is why you need to be original. So, I don’t think it is because the market is over-saturated.
Are your cooks male or female?
It’s a mix. I have about 8 cooks right now. 5 men and 3 women, both men and women are pulling their weight. Then the narrative was that cooking was only for women, when a man chooses to do it, it is done with precision. Now, more women are getting into it professionally.
What does the theme for the 2023 International Women’s Day?
I will like to relate this to the policies in the sector. You find that people don’t want to employ women as professional chefs. They think men would do it better. I think we need to be more intentional, this can actually be a craft that should be taken seriously. We need to have more people in culinary schools.
•Victims pumped with hard drugs to work like beasts •Returnee suffers mental health challenge
•Our efforts at checking menace – Igede South west monarch ·We’re aware of it, says NAPTIP
The lives of many young boys from Oju-Obi Local Government Area of Benue State have been ruined by unscrupulous relations and syndicates who traffic them to various parts of Oyo and adjoining Southwest states to engage in hard labour on farms. The exploitation is massive, and to make them accomplish the arduous daily assignments as agreed, they are placed on hard drugs so they could work like beasts. The damage to the lives of the young ones has been enormous, INNOCENT DURU reports.
FELIX, a young man from Igede area of Benue State, was full of joy when he was asked by a relation to come to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital for a ‘lucrative’ farming job.
As a young man who could hardly boast of N10,000 savings at the end of every year, Felix was filled with excitement when he was told that he would be getting a whopping N100,000 besides other benefits at the end of the farming year.
“Me, get 100k at the end of the year?” he thought aloud as ruminated over the discussion with excitement. Wondering if the offer was real or a mere dream, he said: “It sounded unbelievable but that my brother (referring to his kinsman) allayed my doubts, assuring me that what he said was real and that I stood the chance of managing a big farm if I could work hard.”
“On getting to Ibadan,” Felix said, “my brother gave me and some other boys a place to live in. We were later shown a massive expanse of land we would work on.
“At that point, my colleagues and I felt cheated because the money wasn’t worth it. We actually got the N100, 000 but we later found that he collected N300,000 for each of us. It was like slavery and that is what it actually is.
“That is what many of our people do here in Oyo State. They feed on our sweat.”
Each of the victims earned a paltry N8,350 approximately monthly when the N100, 000 they got is divided by 12 months. Going by the present economic situation in the country, the sum would hardly take an individual through a week.
For John, it was also a cheering news when he was talked into going to Ibadan to earn a ‘decent living’ working as a farm labourer.
His words: “I was very happy when my brother asked me to come to Ibadan for farm work.
“Before I left, he told me that my life would not be the same again if I should accept to come as I would be handsomely paid at the end of the farming year.
“He promised to pay me N100,000 and also promised that I would be given accommodation and provided with food from time to time.
“The day I was to leave, I found that I was not alone. He linked me up with four others and asked someone to bring us down.
“Getting here, he took us to the place we would live and gave us good food.” The following day, John said, the relation came with a man who introduced himself as the owner of the farm.
“The man told us that we would have to make 400 ridges every day and that failure to meet up would result in us not getting our money at the end of the year.
“We objected, insisting that we should be doing between 200 and 250 ridges but they insisted it could not be less than 350 ridges each per day.”
When the brother saw that they were frowning, John said,
“He assured us that it would not be a difficult task as he would provide us with what would make us work without feeling it.
“I didn’t know what he meant until he brought some drugs which were identified as codeine for us to use. As time went on, we started using other hard drugs like tramadol and Indian hemp.
The drugs actually worked as it enabled us to work tirelessly. We relied on them to work like animals in order to meet our target. Some of our colleagues at times abused it and sometimes slept off all day.
“Many of us are already addicted to these drugs. They have become like the air we breathe if we have to do our work.”
Another victim, who gave his name simply as Samson, said: “Apart from cheating us in the area of paying us below what they collect from the farm owners, some agents also shortchange us by using our names to collect money from the investor.
“Whenever he is financially low, an agent could tell the investor that some of us need money to meet pressing needs. When the investor gives out any money, he deducts from what he would pay at the end of the year.
“The agent will out of greed deduct the money from what we are supposed to get at the end of the year instead of taking it away from the money he has made on each of us.
“Instead of N100,000, a labourer may be going back home with N80,000 at the end of the year. If he had collected money before by himself, he would go with far less than that.
“You can see how we are ceaselessly exploited. The agents are crooks. They feed fat on the sweat of poor and unsuspecting people back at home.”
Findings showed that the traffickers were previously taking citizens of Benin Republic to Oyo State and adjoining states for the inhuman venture. But the trend changed when the Beninois started making weird demands.
Explaining how it all changed, Tony, a victim of the ungodly agents said: “The agents were previously using people from Benin Republic. After a long period of reaping them off, the Beninois started demanding for brand new motorcycles at the end of the farming year.
“That didn’t go down well with the agents because there was no way they would divide the motorcycle into two and ask the labourer to take one part while they would take the other.
“This made the agents to start going to bring our people who are naturally good at farming. That is why every part of Oyo State is full of Igede people.
“Some of the agents have also started trafficking our people to Benin Republic for farming because many of us will settle for whatever they offer. If you don’t accept it, some others will, because some parents are looking for people that will take off the burden of providing for their children back at home.”
It was gathered that some of the victims who have seen the lucrative nature of the shady business have also ventured into it.
Abel, who survived the ugly trade, said: “Some of our colleagues who have the mind of exploiting others have also become agents. They go home from time to time to bring young people to work as labourers in different farms across the state and other parts of the Southwest region. It is big business for some of our people.”
He noted that there are some of their people who have vehicles dedicated to doing this.
“They know how to bypass all the security barriers in our village and the road to Oyo and other states.
Encounter with human traffickers
Posing as an investor looking for workers and land to carry out a large scale agriculture business, our correspondent encountered some traffickers who were excited by the request and instantly expressed their readiness to provide the needed assistance.
One of the traffickers, who identified himself as Monday, said it would be suicidal to work with Igede people already residing there in Ibadan.
His words: “They are very expensive and difficult to deal with. If you give them a job now, they can go and collect jobs from one or two other places and leave your work undone. This is why I prefer going to bring people from home. Those ones are dedicated and easy to manage.”
Asked what it will cost to hire one person, Monday said: “It will cost between N250,000 and N300,000. You will provide accommodation and also be responsible for their feeding. If they are sick, it is your duty to take care of them.”
Prodded further, he said: “You will also have to give them money for them to enjoy themselves once in a while and also provide things that will help them work very hard.”
Feigning naivety, the reporter asked, “What do you mean what will make them work hard?”
Swiftly responding, Monday said: “Things like Indian hemp, tramadol and so on. Some of them would need it to do the work for you very well. Once you provide all that, they will have no reason not to do your work well.”
On how the payment will be made, he said: “When the time comes, I will call the labourers and you will give me their money in their presence. After doing that, the rest will be left to me.”
Explaining why payment will have to be made to him and not the workers, he said: “I am the agent. If anything goes wrong while they are doing your work, I will be held liable. So when payment is to be made, I have to also be the one to accept it. That is how it works.”
Another trafficker, who gave his name as Mato, said he has a large expanse of land on the way to Eruwa, assuring that there would never be any issue over any land he provides, because he works with a traditional ruler in the area.
Giving a breakdown of what would be needed for the venture, he said: “An acre of
land for farming will cost N12,000. If you need about 500 acres, that will be about N6,000,000. Then, you will pay N50,000 for the survey. After that, you will pay N20,000 for a tractor to clear an acre.
“It was about N15,000 last year but because of the cost of diesel, the price went up this year.
“For each worker, you will pay N300,000 and you will first tell them that they will do 400 ridges each daily.
“They may beat it down to 300 or 250 per day, but stand on 350.
“For them to come from Benue, you will pay N17,000 for each of them to transport down here. This includes their feeding on the way.
“You will have to also pay the fare of the person who would bring them, because if you send the money home, they will spend it and fail to send anyone down.”
Asked the reward for his efforts, Mato said: ”It is 10 per cent of what you will pay each person. If I am bringing 10 people, you will pay me #300,000 as the agent and at the end of the farming season, you will hand over their money to me so that I can sort them out.
“By paying them myself, none of them would claim that he was not paid. If they ask for any money in the course of the year, it would be written down and deducted from their pay at the end of the year.”
Victim hooked on hard drug suffers mental health challenge
The culture of relying on drugs to work, it was learnt, has ruined the lives of many victims.
Barrister Michael Awo Ejeh, a native of Igede and founder of Ogedegede Community Development Foundation (OCDF), told of how one of the victims suffered mental health challenge.
He said: “There was one that was very painful to me because the boy involved lived close to my house in the village.
“He was taken to Osun State. He said they used to give them hard drugs, including indian hemp, so that they could complete the portion of work given to them, because if you don’t finish yours, you are not entitled to your pay.
“The boy later ran mad and was brought back home.
“After that incident, the younger sister also left to go and hustle because there was nothing attractive at home. She said she was going in spite of the fact that the brother was mentally ill.
“The elder brother of the sick boy was taken to Ondo to work and he came back empty handed.
“Many of the children get N70,000 at the end of the year. The highest any of them would get is N100, 000. None of them has received up to N150,000.”
Igede monarch in Oyo State, who also doubles as the Southwest chairman of Igede traditional rulers, Chief Monday Onda, said he had condemned the use of drugs to no avail.
“I have told them that drugs don’t help anybody to get energy. It rather reduces your energy.
“I have made them understand the need to rely on their natural energy to work and not rely on drugs. When some of them are pushed to the wall, they will be taking tramadol and so many other things to work very well.
“Some of them take hard drugs and sleep off. Sometimes when they work, they do it like jackals. They are killing themselves but they don’t know. So many things have been happening to them.”
Traffickers ruin victims’ education
By trafficking their naïve victims and exposing them to money early in life, many of the preys have lost interest in education.
Speaking on this, Chief Onda said: “It affects their education because those that are going to do house help and those that are going to the farm will not be in school when they are supposed to be there. It automatically affects their education.
“This is not good for the future of the community, the child, the family and the nation.
“Those traffickers get people, including students, and give them peanuts and carry them without the knowledge of their parents.
“Some parents connive with the traffickers by collecting some money and sending their children to go with them because of poverty.
“I have told them that they cannot be giving birth and leave the children who do not know what life is all about to suffer.
“I have told them that any parent that I catch like that will be handed over to the government. I have done that to so many of the parents.
“In Oyo State, because of the step that I took, some of them are now running away from here to other states.
“You don’t know what any of these children can become in the future.”
Ejeh also lamented low enrolment in schools in Igede.
He said: “My organisation is involved in monitoring school feeding project. The enrolment in schools that my staff have visited is too low.
“As pupils are completing their primary school education, they travel to the Southwest to go and work and pay their school fees for those interested in going to school.
“Some of them as young as five, six or seven years are taken to the urban areas to work as house maids or house helps in brothels, beer parlours and all sorts of places.
“It is such a big market for the traffickers here in Abuja. Some of the children are attached to some madams who are trading. The traffickers continually supply these young ones to industries, small scale markets, etc.”
Returnees take to cultism in Igede
After completing their contract, some of the victims take to cultism and other criminal activities when they return home, Brr. Ejeh noted.
According to him, “Once you crave for that early independence, a lot of things follow. When you go to public squares and drinking joints, you will see a lot of young men into drugs, and promiscuity.
“Those who came back indulge in hard core drugs. You will see them joining cult gangs, snatching motorcycles, robbing people’s houses.
“Because of that early exposure staying in those states with no parental guidance, they form alliances and cult groups.
“Cultism is very high in Benue State and with the influence of the college of education where they do a lot of recruitment, it negatively affected secondary schools. Secondary school pupils form brotherhood. Politicians also recruit cultists during elections.
“But we have many individuals from Igede who have made huge successes in life. But if we cannot translate all this success and education into helping people back at home, that disparity will continue to grow. We’ll continue to have children who will continue to be a menace to the society.”
Concern over exploitation, modern slavery
The unbridled exploitation of the victims in the words of Chief Onda is worrisome. “I have a case where the farm owner did not pay the workers. When I asked him, he said the produce did not come out well. I asked if that was the problem of the labourer? If the produce didn’t come out well why not go and hold God responsible?
“It is never done anywhere in the world. The labourer must be paid immediately he finishes his work.”
Brr. Ejeh said: “Exploitation is what makes it modern slavery. Do they have the capacity to transport themselves to the urban areas? The answer is no. They depend on intermediaries.
“We view this in two ways. there is the trafficking effect and the migration aspect and the smuggling aspect that is within the country.
“Trafficking is when somebody moves to the village either as an intermediary or an agent. Some natives of the Southwest go to our villages to source for people by themselves. Some still go through professional agents, or relatives. Some have platforms where they advertise that if you need children you should contact them.
“These agents go to the villages and reach out to them. When they take these children to the urban areas, they will start distributing them across board.
“We have rescued a number of them and so we have firsthand information from these children.”
Our efforts at tackling menace
Explaining his efforts at tackling the menace, Chief Onda said: “When I assumed office, I went to the communities back at home and told them that any child that is not above 18 years should not be allowed to leave the community without the parents’ consent.
“I even set up a task force at the motor park so that they can always check the vehicles for underage travellers and if the parent is there, they will ask him or her for where the child is going to and the purpose of such a trip. Are they staying there, or going for business or relocating? They have to know what they are going there for.”
The people in Igede, the monarch said, “are aware of the activities that I am doing here and they are happy about it.
“I have told them at the motor parks that they should stop it.
“A good number of the drivers move in the night so that security operatives will not stop them on the way. At night when people are sleeping, they carry people and go.
“Some of the drivers are still doing that and I am planning to go from one state to the other to make arrangements with commissioners of police that anyone they see with my people in the night, they should arrest the vehicle and the people.
“I have also told our people that if they are arrested, they should not come and beg. They should go and face the law so that the government can tell them the consequences of their actions.”
In Oyo State where he resides, the monarch said, “I have to do a census for them. I have to know the number of my people resident in each local government, the number of children they have including their ages, their addresses and other data.
“The state government even has a copy of this information so that if there is anything concerning my people they ask me about, I will be able to respond appropriately. It is a kind of family data. That is what I call it.
“Since they have given me the position of chairman of traditional heads in the Southwest, I have to mandate each state to do the same thing and register with their state governments so that if anything happens they could invite security agencies to arrest such people.
“I have a day that I meet with leaders of our various states every month. They pass whatever we discuss to the people.
“A day is also set aside for each local government to meet. I have presidents and secretaries all over the state levels.
“Even here in Oyo State, I took some of the erring people and sent them back to the local government chairman in my state.”
Factors responsible for trafficking
Enumerating the factors fuelling the menae in the area, Brr Ejeh said: “The political situation in Benue does not favour us. The Tivs have 14 local governments, the Idomas have seven while Igede has two local governments in Benue State, that is Oju and Obi, and only one member of the House of Representatives.
“Politically, we are not favoured. We are at the bottom of the other big ethnic groups. It takes time before crumbs of what comes to the state comes to us. That has hampered the development coming to our place.
“Over population and large family sizes is another factor. Since we are mainly an agrarian community, our men marry many wives and have many children because the farm is the only means of earning a living, because there are no industries to employ.
“The environment is hostile not because of war but because of poverty. There is no future and there is no hope for a lot of people.”
Another factor, according to him, is poverty. “Underdevelopment is pervasive in the area. If you are up to 14 or 15 years and you are still at home, and you are not contributing anything financially to your family, they look at you disdainfully. They see you as unproductive, citing other young ones who have gone to urban areas to work as house helps or gone to the Southwest to farm.”
We’re aware of it- NAPTIP
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons said it is aware of the development.
The Oyo State coordinator, Mr Augustine Akanya said: “Yes, we are aware of it, but we have not treated any case that has to do with that since I resumed.
“The Lagos State Command used to cover this place. All other information about the antecedents and all of that and cases that have been done before now is with the Lagos command. Now we have an office in Oyo State.
“Like I said, we’ve not had any cause to have responded to any matter that involves Benue State, especially this farm work.
“Generically, I am aware that the farming areas are always endemic – Ondo, Oyo Ogun and some other places are endemic for those kind of trafficking, but we don’t have data right now that have to do with that.
I’ve been following your articles for some time now and every one of it encourages me to remain chaste until marriage! Your advice has been helping me so dearly, I can remember many times when I want to have a second thought about keeping myself but my senses gets back to normal whenever I come across your advice. You’ve played a motherly role in my life and I’m so grateful. May God bless and keep you for me!
I’m 18years old and something has been bothering me since I knew myself! When I was around 6-9 years(can’t really remember the exact age), I was sexually abused by my father’s servant then, he was a teenager. He would come to sleep with me. Then, I never knew what he was doing as I didn’t know anything about sex. I didn’t even find it necessary to tell anyone, I was just allowing him have his way. But I can still remember that I never saw anything like blood whenever he got into the act. I don’t know if he was having the sex in the right way because he was young then and probably did not know how to do it but in every of this I never saw anything like blood and it makes me more confused as to if I’m still a virgin or not.
When I started growing into fully knowing myself, I hated me. I started regretting why such thing ever happened. I wished I was able to speak up, I wished my dad never had servants, I wished I was conscious of what I was doing then and I always wished then was now. I always cry whenever I remember such scenario because deep down I wanted to be pure from birth, I wanted to make sure that no one has ever touched me, like no one. But right now ma’am, I don’t know if my virginity is still intact, I’ve said that I will go for virginity test when I will have to. I haven’t told anyone not even my parents are aware of this till now, I promised to keep it to myself but I was persuaded to talk to you about it. Since my childhood experience, I promised never to get involved in premarital sex and I haven’t engaged in it up till now! I’ve been keeping myself and I will continue keeping myself, I want to remain chaste but I’m only sad about my childhood experience ma’am.
Also, people tell me that it’s because I’m still young that’s why I’m still remaining chaste, that it will get to a stage where the urge is much and I will get tired and give in, that they always believe that virginity ends at 18-20 years. I always oppose their opinions and tell them how false it is but they keep on telling me that I’m just saying it because I’m yet to grow older to understand what they are saying. What do you think ma? Because sometimes I try to reason with them but later on I will refuse to be deceived, it’s giving me a double thought. In all of this, I remain chaste and God has been helping me. I actually have alot more to talk to you about, I really need your advice in other areas of my life, but first you have to reply to this one.
Joy A.
My darling Joy,
Why are you grieving over a past that has gone with the wind and allowing the devil oppress you for what you no nothing about? Why in the world would you go for a virginity test? I doubt the guy slept with you because at such a young age, you’d have felt so much pain and seen a a lot of blood except you weren’t born with a hymen. Even then your body would have reacted with a lot of pain. I take it that you’re still a virgin and most of all I believe God sees you as one! Please face your fantastic future and stay chaste till marriage! May God empower you in Jesus name!
My darling, precious, glorious, dignified, world-famous and heavenly celebrated Nigerian sisters,
I pray for you with all my heart that you will not miss the wonderful rewards that’ll fall on the laps of the sexually-pure on a platter of gold this year in Jesus mighty name! I have so much to share with you that’ll change your mind set and believe me transform your lives forever this year. However, to start with, I’d like to let you know that you should mind the type of counsels you take and the sort of people who influence you! The world gets worse by the day and i tell you if you start engaging in sex by 18, I can assure you, you’ll turn to “nonsense” before you’re 21! I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! Please stay tuned!
To be continued
•I invite you to follow me on Facebook –TEMILOLU OKEOWO Instagram @Okeowotemilolu
Bolatito Puddicombe is CEO and creative director of Fabrikana, who is proud to showcase her love for African culture any day. Her passion started from her Geography classes at Queen’s College and it grew to portray the intricate patterns promoting indigenous fabrics from the six geographical zones in Nigeria. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about how it all started, the influence of her background in chemical engineering, and Nigerian textiles being powerful tools for self-expression and empowerment.
TELL us about your love for Nigerian Culture.
Gradually, I fell in love with Geography and went on to have a distinction in my WAEC and NECO examinations. The cultural events at my graduation celebrations both at my secondary and tertiary institutions also shaped my love for Nigerian textiles and culture because I started becoming more aware of Nigerian tribes and their ways of dressing. I remember wearing a massive boubou in Adire fabric for my cultural day at Queen’s College (which I find amusing in retrospect) because of how small I looked in it even though it still fitted me in a way. Which by the way is the beauty of boubou, how one size can fit all.
When another opportunity for a cultural display showed up at my tertiary institution, I grabbed it. This time I made sure my mum took my exact size and the fit I wanted into consideration. I showed up in a skirt and blouse made with Aso Oke which was unpopular at that time. At the precipice of another opportunity to explore my growing love for Nigerian people and culture, I grabbed it willingly. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posted me to Northern Nigeria – Jigawa state. My mum almost fainted, but I refused any attempt at seeking redeployment, rather I embraced my journey across the country with everything I could pack, even a fridge, can you imagine? I have no doubt that these enthusiastic efforts to explore the Nigerian people from various works of life, cultures, and places have culminated in the love I now have for the country, Nigeria as is now expressed in my business too.
What was the experience like at the beginning?
I was bored during my NYSC days so I started looking for things to do in addition to my primary assignment of teaching and community development service activities. I wanted something more challenging, so I went for a job interview at a bank in Kano state; a 45-minute drive from my base in Jigawa. I did not get the job but the interviewer felt really bad and consoled me with N3,000. This was the seed with which I started my fabric business. I bought two fabric pieces at the market in Kano before returning to Jigawa.
Now, because I started the business out of boredom I did not give much thought to it until the proceeds from it started to make a lot of economic sense. Upon realizing this, I quickly registered for business training at Fate Foundation under their Aspiring Entrepreneurs Programme (AEP) where my business plan focused on Aso Ebi; A uniform cloth for friends and family to wear at an event and to my surprise, my business plan emerged one of the top three. On seeing this, I started to believe more in the business and continued to delve deeper. As with teething stages, the business was not so clear at the beginning so I had to spend time doing research and trading hand-in-hand with my husband’s support too especially when children started coming and business operations became tough. He also encouraged me to use technology in scaling the business which I found very confusing at first. This brought quite some misunderstanding having to imagine creating a website for selling Aso Ebi which I thought was impossible then but that’s history because I was able to do that and even more as we are seeing with the use of technology today.
What were you doing before this?
After obtaining my bachelor’s degree as a Chemical Engineer from the University of Lagos and then concluding my National Youth Service, I started job hunting, my first job was with an advertising firm where my role was marketing television programs for young people. Afterward, I worked with Mr. Fela Durotoye at Eden; An organization targeted at young people in Nigerian tertiary institutions which gave me the opportunity to travel around Nigeria. My last stint in the corporate space was building capacity for a training organization that focused on empowering young people with life skills. All this time, I was still running my fabric business as a side hustle on weekends and off days. However, when I had my first child, I resigned to focus solely on my business.
You recently celebrated your birthday with 20 unique cultural outfits. What inspired this?
On the nation’s 62nd Independence anniversary celebration (October 2022), we launched the very first Fabric Map of Nigeria and I looked forward to showcasing some of the fabrics I highlighted on the map. As my birthday approached in January 2023, I remembered the fabric map and decided to seize the opportunity of my birthday to showcase Nigeria’s different cultural diversity using the fabrics. The initial plan was for 7 cultural attires but it gradually increased to 22, then we eventually settled for 20. I knew we were looking for trouble because we did not have all the fabric combinations available before D-day.
I gave no thought to impossibilities but rather focused and remained resolute on my decision as some Nigerians now say if you are familiar with social media parlance, I pin there! My husband as with every birthday always has a surprise to celebrate me but when he realized where I had pitched my tent, he asked if the 20 cultural looks were what I really wanted to do for my birthday and I told him to watch it unfold because truth be told, I only had seven days to plan. He aligned with my wishes and supported me in every way. My photographer @stormzo2_photography was contacted immediately and having shared that he had never done a photo shoot of 20 looks before, it was too creative for him to ignore. The makeup artist brought on her dexterity to create 20 different looks in a session. The resolution of the entire team I planned to work with was down with the idea and that was when I knew there was no looking back.
What are some of the things that you have done with African fabrics and how has this influenced you personally?
I like the fact that since I started trading fabrics in 2008, I have never had a brick-and-mortar shop yet the business has grossed yearly turnovers in eight figures. When I started selling fabrics in Northern Nigeria, I targeted bank workers and corps members. In fact, after I received the N3,000 I started with, I saved up my monthly allowance of N9,700 for two months so that I could buy more upon my next business trip to Kano. I must say here that saving for two months was not a small feat, I suffered as a corps member to the extent that I had to use firewood to make pap because I could not afford to buy kerosene for my stove, but that sacrifice was worth it because business boomed in Jigawa until it overwhelmed me. I came back to Lagos one month after passing out from NYSC because I needed a bit more time to wind down business operations over there. On returning to Lagos, I changed my strategy to focus on Aso Ebi concierge services instead of stocking up on fabrics and it was an instant hit! It got to a point where I started asking questions after realizing that all the fabrics I sold were imported, it was heart-breaking because I thought they were all made in my beloved country, Nigeria. Perhaps because of my background in chemical engineering, I assumed that producing fabrics was not so hard based on my understanding of industrial processes. I did not let my heartbreak go in vain, I started my research on what textiles were really made of in Nigeria and it went on for years before deciding to do more than just research. We then created Fabrikana; the arm of my business focused on promoting and distributing indigenous Nigerian and African textiles.
Tell us about Fabrikana and the things you have done in the six geographical zones of the country
Fabrikana is a word that I came up with to represent a meeting point for all the fabrics that are produced in Nigeria and by extension, Africa. May I point out here that popular fabrics such as Ankara which is usually referred to as African fabric are not owned by Africans? With Fabrikana, the spotlight is on the original fabrics that are produced within our shores and owned by Africans whether made by hand or machine. At Fabrikana, we are working with producers of our original fabrics such as Adire, Aso Oke, Akwete and so much more discovered in the South East, South West, North West, North East, North Central, and South-South areas of Nigeria where textile production is going on even though at a cottage level. These are all reflected in the Fabric Map that we talked about earlier. We work with the rural producers who are still involved in these textile crafts. We have been able to help present these fabrics to wider audiences and in so doing increase demand which has enabled them to increase their production capacities and earn more. A lot of these rural producers are struggling to maintain their livelihoods due to competition for imported fabrics. Some of these people are the last custodians of their respective cultural crafts. This knowledge and these skills are under threat of being lost and abandoned. However, the introduction of Fabrikana where these original textile crafts can be showcased to an even larger and global community has created a path to sustainability and growth for these cottage industries.
What are some of the memorable moments in your life and career?
Last year, I watched with so much joy when a Governor of Nigeria at his swearing-in ceremony wore a custom-made indigenous fabric produced by one of our fabric communities, made up of rural women. I could feel the pride in the eyes of the women when they saw the work of their hands on national television, it was so surreal. The other aspect is when I receive phone calls from fabrikana community managers asking for what job is next because they are eager to work, and need to put food on their table. I wake up every day knowing that I need to take my job seriously because there are people depending on me. There have been other memorable moments such as being recognized by organizations such as Flourish Africa (Apostle Folorunsho Alakija) and her team who spotted how my business has moved beyond trading to making a difference, especially in the lives of the rural women I work with.
What lessons has life taught you?
I have learned to make the best use of every opportunity I get. When I look back, I am convinced that everything I experienced was for a reason. I did not take my business very seriously at the beginning, but now I know better than to waste time. I am redeeming the time now. I am grateful that I can still pass for an age that is ten years less than my actual age because that in itself inspires me to try the things I was afraid to do earlier. I will never think that nothing is impossible but rather find a way to start doing instead of overthinking it. I was too careful at the beginning and wanted things to be perfect which is not bad in itself but it has a way of stealing one’s time.
What are the other things that occupy your time?
Family. I am committed to raising my three children and caring for them, especially through their developmental years. Even though business takes my time, it has made things flexible for me. I am at the forefront of operations for the business as well and I keep putting systems and structures in place. As a wife, one of the things I truly enjoy is packing lunch for my husband to work even though I don’t enjoy cooking because it takes a lot of time. It is ten years since my husband and I have been married and I am proud to say I have been a consistent lunch-box packer (laughs out loud)
What were the initial challenges in the sector? Did you feel like quitting at any point?
I had lots of issues with getting access to information about Nigerian fabrics, it was really tough because there was really no organized information to work with. I had to take chances by traveling to unknown places outside of Lagos, where I reside to get the right information which really drained and discouraged me. In the process of trying to get information, I was taken advantage of. In fact, it got to a point where those I asked for information were the ones learning from me. I was open to their proposals and became obliged to do things for them because I was in a dark place and I needed light for where I needed to go in the textile industry. For the times I felt this way, God always showed up to hold me. I must say that I am a child of God and I depend a lot on what God shows and tells me, it was not easy at the beginning but I have developed better staying power.
What are the new areas you are looking at?
I really want to upscale production to ensure that our hubs in at least ten Nigerian states spread around the six geographical areas in Nigeria are constantly producing and funding is a major player here. As a business, we still sell imported fabric products because they are fast-moving and they keep the business running so part of that inflow is channeled towards boosting our local production in Nigeria but it is not enough. I am looking at getting more funding to boost local production to a good degree so that we
can meet up with demand per time and do not keep customers waiting for long because most of our indigenous textiles are what is referred to as slow fabrics since they are mostly made by hand.
Kemi Oloidi is the author of Up and About – Memoir of an Expatriate Spouse, who tells her experiences traversing the world with her husband. Married to an expatriate, Oloidi who recently turned 60 in this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde shares her journey in over two decades of living across countries, with tips for younger women who are likely to find themselves in her shoes.
LET’S talk about your growing-up years and how they influenced who you are today.
I had my secondary school education at Saint Timothy College, Onike Yaba, that was after attending Federal Government School, which didn’t work for me, as I could not stay in a boarding school. After my secondary education, I worked with the Federal Audit Department for about three years. And then I decided to go back to school where I had my National Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1988 before I got married.
What advice will you give to a young expatriate wife?
There are a couple of advice for a young expatriate wife; if you are in your 30s before you leave as an expatriate wife, I will say count your costs, and do your cost analysis. Find out if you will be able to get a job where you are going, if you are not sure you will get a job, discuss with your husband, what the allowances will be.
In my own case, I just got promoted with an increment when we had to move. I told him, ‘Oga, if I am going to leave my job, how do I live? I can’t be asking for money for matches all the time. And he said, how much is your salary, I told him, and he said, I will pay you at the end of the month, and he was paying me my salary.
You need to be honest with your income, a woman without financial power is not good. And when I think I need an increment, I let him know and he plays his part. My sister told me that even if her husband decides to pay her all the money in the world, she cannot stay without working, hence you need contentment to thread my path. That is why I said, do your cost analysis and know if you can be a stay-at-home mum, because in some countries you are not allowed to work without proper documentation as it will require cost implications for the company. You will also consider what kind of schools your children will be attending and what is the company’s contribution to it, including cars, and housing. Don’t let the euphoria of going abroad overshadow the reality.
In Nigeria, you have your support system, your friends, family, and all the rest. Abroad, you will be alone until you can settle and make friends, but the initial stage is usually hard. After you have passed that stage, you start thinking, about how you can improve yourself.
Share with us some experiences living outside the country.
Our first assignment was in Uzbekistan, it was a socialist country; it is a controlled economy. I heard that there used to be black students in the past, but to be honest, a lot of people would see me then and scream. So, it was difficult to make friends. One day, someone approached me and said she had a weird question to ask, she inquired if we wear clothes in my country, and I just told her no, that I came to their country naked and I got my first dress at the airport. She believed me and even pitied me. Then I offered to invite her for tea when she came, I brought out my photo album and didn’t tell her anything. As she flipped the pages, she saw me in my beautiful dresses, pictures of my family, and my wedding dress. She looked up and asked if this was me in my country and I said yes.
And she went, ‘Africa is beautiful.’ And guess what, she became my ambassador and told everybody she knew about me. Suddenly, everybody wanted to be my friend. They will wave at me. They will offer to give me tomatoes. Tomato is like fruit for them. That was how I became a superstar in the small city. So it would be best if you found a way to break whatever bias. I don’t think it will be that bad in this era, of technology.
How were you able to deal with culture shock and being in a different environment?
That killed me and sometimes I will break down. We spent three and half years in the first country we lived in, Uzbekistan. At some point, I wasn’t going out anymore, people wanted to see what I am buying, hear me talk and so I told my husband I didn’t want to go shopping anymore. He took over with the aid of our driver and housemaid at the time.
By the time we moved to Kenya, I thought, this was also an African country like ours, but then I realized that East Africa and West Africa are poles apart. I discovered that other than plantains and Ewedu, the Kenyans eat like Europeans. They have their maize and beans that they cook together, no oil, no pepper, nothing they just cook maize, beans and they enjoy it, they serve it at parties. We don’t dress alike either, but we were able to manage as a sizable Nigerian population in Kenya and we made it worth the while for each other.
What has been your highest point as you turn 60?
I remember when I turned 50, I tell you, I cried the whole time, because I just looked at myself. My children and my husband organized a dinner for me, and I sat at the table and I just started crying. My husband and kids were shocked, and I looked at myself and said I haven’t achieved anything other than following their dad. I have nothing to my name. I think I just wasted my life and now I am 50.
And my daughter said mum, how can you say this? Look at us. Look at my brother. You have raised us. Are you not proud of us? Look at your husband, you have supported him; he is a success. How can you say you have not gained anything? How can you say you have wasted your life? Please don’t do this to yourself. You have achieved everything. My husband couldn’t say anything. He was shocked. Then later in the day he called me and said if you continue to think like this, then you won’t know how to be grateful.
What is it that we don’t have? We are healthy above all. What do you want? Do you want to be the CEO of a company? And to be honest, I was carrying that idea before he voiced it out that day. I have been thinking, why am I jobless? I realize that as humans, we seem to focus on what we don’t have. So, for my 60th my husband said I must have a party, even though I am not a party person.
So how long did it take to put your thoughts into a book?
I started thinking about it in 2012 when my daughter told me I should consider putting my thoughts in a book. In 2017 I decided to sit down and write. Because at that time, we already knew when we were retiring. So, I just picked the countries one after the other and penned them down.
You have been married for over 30 years, in an age where marriages are failing, what has kept yours?
To be honest, the first thing is God, the Bible says the people that know their God will carry out great exploits. Then you try and find your own, know your limits. So first of all, you have to be confident in yourself to have a stable home. A lot of us allow our society to shape who we are. Be yourself. Don’t allow anybody to push you, and don’t listen to what people say. Please know what works best for you. People will tease my husband saying he doesn’t womanize or drink. He is a good man, he is listening, but he does drive me crazy because he is a very strict person. For me, I will say prayer is what made my marriage or what makes it still standing because we talked of divorce, I will not lie. There are times I said listen, I don’t think this is working for me, especially in the early stages – the first five years. I am still praying for my family.
A woman should have a life even after being married, what is your advice to young women in this regard?
Find your niche. We need fun in life. You have to find what makes you happy. I have friends whose husbands are nothing to write home about. So I always tell them in life, you have to be happy. Find something that makes you happy and do it, we can’t be serious all the time. Continue to pray if you’re still together. If you are a single mother, still pray, pray for your children, pray for yourself, pray for ex. I have seen people who are divorced for years and they still come together, the marriage is fantastic. If you are single and not married, you are looking to marry a good man, keep praying, I’m sure your time will come. I was the last person to be married among my folks of friends. Commit your ways unto the Lord and He will order your steps. Trust Him with all your hearts.
The Peak Performer (TPP), a platform where African industry leaders, culture shapers, and game changers gain insights to achieve peak performance, has rolled out the drums to recognise some crème de la crème in Africa at the maiden edition of TPP 100.
The event, dedicated to celebrating highly esteemed leaders across Africa, will be held on Thursday, 23rd March 2023, at the Muson Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, on the theme, “In Pursuit of Greatness!”
Among the 100 personalities are the Head of Corporate Education Delivery, GIB, Lorraine Toni Morris; the MD, Masukumo Consulting Services, Celestin Jeftha; the Managing Director, CLM Africa, Mbulelo Clive Khoza; the Founding CEO, Awqaf, Mr. Zeinoul Abedien Cajee; Head, Corporate Education Delivery, GIBS Business School, South Africa, Lorraine Toni Morris; Founder, Esta Viviers; and the Director, Connect The Dots Training and Consulting, Noorene Sallie.
These personalities fall within 14 categories ranging from TPP Elite, Hall of Fame, and Legacy to Excellence across multiple professions, among a host of others.
According to the Editor-in-Chief of TPP, Dr Abiola Salami, “A panel of jury carefully selected these captains of industries after a rigorous process from the 1,683 entries we received across the continent.”
The convener noted that these 100 recipients are being honoured for their commitment to excellence and sterling contributions to greatness in diverse sectors on the African continent.
“In our work with leaders over the past decade, we discovered that if we genuinely want to inspire growth across the continent, we need to tell the authentic African story by spotlighting credible leaders with admirable skills on the continent.
“Therefore, in our quest to find these credible leaders, we called for nominations in 2022, leveraging the 27 Skills in exceptional Leadership TM. This led to the 1,683 entries recorded,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, TPP 100 recognition comes alongside the debut of The Peak Performer (TPP), a premium African thought-leadership platform that delivers content online and offline.
The Peak Performer magazine will be available in both print and e-version. TPP targets one million downloads for the e-version and ten million readers of the online platform within the first six months of launch. It’s called TPP Project 1+10 million.
The platform kicked off online in early 2022 with valuable content for both aspiring and exemplary industry leaders. “Based on our overall goal to have inspired 1 billion Champions by Thursday, 30th November 2026, TPP aims to be the essential provider of insights to every leader seeking growth in their pursuit of greatness,” says Salami.
According to the world-class performer strategist, leadership development and leadership branding are two strategies global leaders leverage to record outstanding results. This is what we are birthing in Africa with The Peak Performer.
The magazine features inspiring stories and experiences of leaders in sectors ranging from technology; problem-solving & change; leadership & entrepreneurship; environment, social & governance; personal growth & transformation; people, productivity & synergy, among others. All these align with our resolution to build Africa, one mind at a time.
Peak Performing Africa started unofficially in 2012 with CHAMP, a full-service consulting firm trusted by high-performing business leaders for providing workforce development, advisory services, and executive coaching for C-level executives.
While acknowledging support from various parties, Salami said, “We appreciate the visionary organisations and individuals who took a chance on us to collaborate with us and showcase their brands – personality, thought leadership, products, and services as we kick-start The Peak Performer.
We, therefore, call on everyone interested in the growth of Africa to collaborate with us in our drive to be the essential provider of insights to every leader seeking change in their pursuit of greatness.
Farmers exchange raw yams, cassava, others for cooked food from vendors
Indigent women turned down in deals lament fate
Hunger plagues families as multi- million naira farm produce rot away
Many homes in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State are ravaged by hunger following their inability to sell their farm produce and earn income. The challenge stems from the naira scarcity that is plaguing the country from the poor implementation of the naira redesigning policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Farm produce worth millions of naira are rotting away, and to survive each day, the people have returned to the antiquated practice of trade by barter. Unfortunately, many of the people, especially women, have have had the items they have to offer in barter arrangements rejected. They are consequently ravaged by hunger and frustration, INNOCENT DURU reports
EMUNAT Simon, a widow based in Odugbehon community in Agatu area of Benue State, looked miserable and dejected as she fruitlessly walked round the village market in search of someone she could give her food item in order to get some fish to cook soup for her hungry children.
She had shouted herself hoarse from seeking the attention of anyone interested in what she had to offer.
“Nobody has looked in my direction since morning. They are all avoiding me like a plague because all I can offer is beans,” she said in an emotion laden voice.
“My throat has grown hoarse because I have been shouting for anybody that has fish to take my beans. Nobody seems to be interested. If it was yam or cassava, I would have seen someone to take it from me,”
she said.
Following her inability to sell her farm produce to earn income that she could use to cater for her children, Memunat agonisingly said her family has been helplessly in the face of ravaging hunger.
Her words: “My children and I dying silently from hunger. I am a widow and I have nobody to support me. I have no money to buy anything. I brought beans to the market but nobody bought it and nobody is willing to accept it in exchange for yam or fish.
“People who have fish bluntly refused to give me attention, not to talk of collecting my beans in exchange for their fish.
“Last night, I cooked the beans and served it with soaked garri for my children to eat. We had eaten the same thing before then.
“I can’t continue to serve them the same thing every time. They are tired of eating beans and garri.
“That is why I came out today to look for someone who would take my beans and give me something else. But because it is beans, nobody wants to come close to me.”
Like many other Nigerians, the embattled widow is also suffering from the challenge of getting back all or part of the old notes she had deposited in the bank.
She said: “I went and deposited the small quantity of old notes that I had in the bank. They have refused to give the money back to us since then.
“Oga, you people should pity us. You people should pity us. Please pity us,” she cried, mistaking our correspondent for a government official.
Bose Paul, who hails from Odejo part of Agatu Local Government Area, also had a similar challenge. She had gone to the market with okro in search of someone that would be willing to give her fish in exchange. But her efforts were fruitless after combing every nook and cranny of the market.
She said: “I don’t have money to buy fish to make soup for my family so I brought okro to collect fish. I have money in the bank but I can’t access it.
“Life has never been this rough for us. People who have fish refused to collect okro in exchange. I can’t go home and start eating okro like that. I don’t even have palm oil and other ingredients that I would need to cook soup with it.
“If I put the okro that I have inside boiling water, will I not put oil, maggi, pepper, oil and fish to make it edible? Is it only okro I will be eating? This is reprehensible. Hunger has dried my children and I up.”
“In the past few days,” the embattled woman added, “we have been eating only yam. I didn’t even have ordinary palm oil and pepper to give it a better taste the children would enjoy.”
Following the scarcity of naira notes, whih has made it difficult for people to buy goods, Bose and other women in the area have watched their farm produce rot away. “All the things that we kept in the house to sell have all spoilt because there is nobody to buy them. People don’t have cash to buy anything.
“As farmers, most of our produce is highly perishable and they have really been perishing. Our investments and efforts have gone down the drain. Nobody cares for us and about us.
“Now that we have suffered all this huge losses, nobody will come and help us at the end of the day.
“The government doesn’t care about us. They don’t even know if we are existing.”
She noted with despair that their predicament had been worsened by mindless attacks from herdsmen which she said had failed to abate. “The government is so insensitive to our plight that they say or do nothing about the torments we are going through at the hands of herders.
“If you go to the farm and get caught by herders, they will beat the hell out of you and could even kill you. The problem is not abating and it seems nobody cares.
“We have been living at the mercy of herders all these years and now the challenge of naira scarcity has compounded our woes.
“I can even say that our forefathers who didn’t witness civilization are better off because they were never prey for herders, and they ate whatever they wanted from their farms and not anything they saw as it is in our case now.”
17-year-old Blessing Kilonwa, whose parents had asked to go and exchange cassava for fish, also didn’t find the exercise cheering.
“It is an arduous task,” she said, even though she had an item that many people would eagerly accept in exchange for others.
She said: “I have brought cassava to exchange with someone who has fish. If I don’t see anyone to exchange my cassava with, I will go back home and that means we would have to soak garri in water and drink for the day. If anybody in the house does not want to take soaked garri, they will roast yam and eat it like that.”
The living condition in the area, according to her, is so hard that some people, because they lack money to cook at home, would take large quantity of raw food to vendors to collect a plate of food they need to survive for the moment.
She said: ”Some food vendors accept the raw food and give cooked food to some of the people while some insist on collecting cash. When the vendor insists on cash, you will almost weep for the person as tears would well up in their eyes.
“You w ould see the children of such people wailing uncontrollably when their parents fail to get food for them.
“You can’t really understand what I am saying until you witness it. The human in us has been taken away. We are suffering in the midst of abundance.”
In a humble remark, Blessing said: “My family is not too much better than any of those people. We have all become beggars in our state which prides itself as the food basket of the nation.”
She said her parents did not have money for fish and that “is why they sent me to come and look for someone who would take cassava from me and give me fish.
“The cassava that I brought is much but the fish in the market is not much. I will accept whatever quantity of fish anybody gives me in exchange for the cassava.
“If I don’t accept it, the fish owner will walk away and before you know it, someone with even more quantity of cassava will agree to exchange it for the small quantity of fish.
“We give out cassava or yam to collect rice from anybody that has and willing to exchange with us.”
Blessing also expressed regrets about how the menace of herders has devastated their land and economy.
She sai: “My parents are farmers but the herders have vandalised their farms and ate their yams. The incident occurred last week Sunday.
“If the herders meet you on the farm, they will collect your phone and everything you have on you. You will be very lucky to escape unhurt.
“We still manage to go to the farm in spite of the attacks, but we don’t stay so long like that each time we manage to go. When we go to the farm by 6am, we must return before 9am or 10am. There is hunger in my place.”
More residents groan
For Memuma Adamu, a yam farmer and seller in the neighbourhood, life in Agatu has become a shadow of itself.
She said: “People don’t have money to buy what they want. I want to look for someone to give me fish so that I can give yam to the person.
My family and I have not eaten since yesterday because we don’t have money to buy something to eat. Before yesterday, we had been roasting yam to eat, but it has become boring. The children in particular want to eat something else.
“It has been very challenging to get someone to take my tubers of yam and give me fish. I am fagged out as you can see from walking about in search of someone to collect my tubers of yam to give me fish.
“If I don’t get anybody, I will have to go and roast yam again for the family to eat. It is so bad that we don’t even have money to buy palm oil to eat the yam.
“The action of the government is callous. They didn’t consider people like us who depend on daily income to survive.”
The community leader, Mathew Akubo, said: “Our people are surviving on trade by barter but it is not everything that can be obtained through that.
“People don’t accept beans, okro, pepper, tomatoes and a few others. The people bringing fish don’t like beans. They have pepper and okro in their place, so they will not accept it in a barter deal.
“This makes those produce we have in large quantities to rot in our houses because we can neither sell them nor exchange them for other food items.”
In spite of his position in the community, he said he also engages in trade by barter.
He said: “This morning, I gave out cassava to collect fish from another person. If you give them big cassava, they may give you two fish or three, and they are usually small. If it’s okay by you, you will agree and if it is not okay for you, you leave it and keep searching for another person as I said earlier.
“All the things we harvested to sell in the market have all spoilt. We can only eat the little we can. The rest is meant for the market in order to earn income needed to attend to family needs and expansion of our farm business. But all that is not possible now because nobody has money to buy anything. We have worked and slaved for nothing.
“The challenge of naira scarcity is affecting us badly. We don’t have money to buy anything. We go to the market with our cassava and exchange them with women who bring fish. We give them cassava or yam and they give us fish.
“We don’t measure what we give. If you put cassava or yam in a basin, they will give you fish. If you don’t like what they give to you in exchange, they will leave you and go elsewhere. That is what we have been doing all this while to survive.”
Like earlier responders, he said “herders are back to the business of unleashing terror on our people. They come in large numbers from the riverine area to our side now.
“We don’t go to farm anymore. If they catch any woman on the farm, they will rape her. If the herders are 10, they will rape the woman one after another.
“One of our men was coming home recently and unfortunately fell into the hands of the herders. The herders were 10 and they raped the woman in turns.
“About a week ago, they held another woman around Odejo and took her into the bush and raped her.
“Three days ago, one old woman from Ugbojo went to her farm. They caught her and beat her mercilessly. They cut her with a knife on the neck and the stomach. The victim was rushed to Obagaji for treatment. The woman died yesterday (Sunday).”
As a community, he said: “We have been reporting to security agencies but nothing has been done to stop the menace. We have soldiers at Obagaji and one other places.
“Look at the distance from here to Obagaji. Because of the terrible state of the road, it will take you two and a half hours to get to Obagaji from here. From here to Okokolo, there is no road again.
“The herders blocked the road. From Odugbehon to Ikovi, they have also blocked the road. We only have one way out from Odugbehon to Osugudu. The herders have surrounded us. We don’t have anything to do again and have nobody to assist us.”
Corroborating the community leader’s remark, Peter Eigege, a prominent member of the area said: “The problems caused by naira scarcity have become something else here. There is no money in our market and as you can see, people are surviving by exchanging what they have with someone who has something else to offer.
“Because we are producers of yam, our people mainly have yam to exchange for other things with people from other places. People from riverine areas bring fish to our community to exchange them with tubers of yam and cassava.
“For you to know how bad it is, our people take raw yam to restaurants to collect plates of cooked food to eat and survive. Some of the restaurant owners are surviving through the assistance of their husbands who engage in business activities that make some quantities of cash available to them.
“Our markets are scanty. People from other communities that used to come and do business here cannot come because they don’t have money.
“Trade by barter was something that our forefathers did and it went into extinction many decades ago. It is unfortunate that such antiquated practice is coming up in this modern world in a manner that is more crude than what our forebears experienced. ”
“What to eat has become a big problem for our people.”
He added: “Our plight is compounded by the menace of herders. They have been attacking, killing and vandalizing our farms at will.
“We are entertaining fears about coming out to vote on Saturday. We don’t know what will happen next. We want to come out and vote but these herdsmen are our problem.
CBN left us out of rural cash swap programme
The troubled people of Agatu berated the Central Bank of Nigeria for leaving them out of its naira swap in rural areas programme.
The CBN, last month launched a Cash Swap Programme in partnership with Super Agents and Deposit Money Banks, DMBs, to enable rural dwellers and those with limited access to formal financial services to exchange old naira notes for the redesigned notes.
Director, Financial Markets Department of the Bank, Dr. Angela Sere-Ejembi, had disclosed this when she led a team to the popular Modern Market and North Bank Market all in Makurdi to sensitise traders and their customers on the redesigned naira notes and the urgent need to return the old notes to commercial banks for new ones.
Incidentally, the people of Agatu alleged that the programme was not extended to their area.
Decrying the development, Hon Bawa Haruna, a notable member of the area said: “We didn’t benefit from it. We only heard that they did such in places outside this area but they never deemed it fit to come here.
“If Agatu is left out of the programme, which rural community benefitted then?
“It is not too late. The CBN should extend the programme to our community so that the burden that our people are carrying will lessen.”
Council laments inability to get revenue from markets
Consequent upon the inability of traders to make sales and earn income, the local council in the area said it has not been getting revenue from the traders.
The Supervisory Councilor for Revenue, Hon Friday Anyebe, said: “We have not been able to collect revenue from the market because there is no money in the hands of the traders. We are just patrolling the market for official purposes.
“We don’t take food items in place of money as revenue. I will go back to the council and give them a report of what is happening in the market.
“The naira scarcity had crippled economic activities in our community. Our people now depend on exchange of food items to survive.”
NIGERIANS have in the build up to today’s presidential election been inundated with myriads of conflicting predictions about who would emerge the winner.
From the sanctuary of many religious houses, clerics who claim to have heard from God and could convincingly speak His mind have at various times made public their prophecies about who would succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
While some of the clerics have remained constant in their predictions, a few others have been unstable.
Today, the time has come and the stage is set to know those who really heard from God and those who spoke in favour of their preferred candidates.
Primate Ayodele: Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, is one of the clerics who have made predictions about today’s election. Last year, the Primate in what does not appear too clear as a prophecy or an advice warned Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against pursuing his presidential ambition.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele revealed that Peter Obi cannot contest the presidential election and win, advising him to resign from politics and help suffering Nigerians with his resources.
While he attested to Obi’s leadership qualities , he noted that Obi doesn’t have the backing of God for the presidential election, coupled with the fact that he was misled into joining another party to pursue his ambition.
The position of the Lagos based pastor shifted late last year, specifically, November 2022, when in his usual characteristics, he explained what Peter Obi could do to win the 2023 general elections.
He said Obi was becoming a popular candidate among the youth and riding on the crowd rather than working would cost him the election.
The clergyman’s Media Aide, Oluwatosin Osho, in a statement said, “Obi should not work on the crowd alone, he should work on the election technicality.
“He doesn’t really need to work on reports but results. He should be more diplomatic and technical. He will understand what I am saying.
“If he wants to win, he must take his focus from the crowd and work seriously on the election technically.”
Speaking on the possible run-off as envisaged by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Ayodele dismissed the claim, adding, “Let’s forget about run-off or inconclusive, the winner will win and the losers would win,” he said.
Few days ago, the seer revealed that the northern region of Nigeria will frustrate the ambition of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, just as the region would disappoint the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu in today’s election.
His words: “ If Peter Obi does not win, there will be crises. He must restrategise. Obi still needs a lot to be done in order to perfect his victory. The North will decide who will win, not the South, not the East.”
Speaking further, he stated: “I have not seen the approval of Tinubu from the North. Most of the members of the APC will be divided. Some of them don’t want Bola Tinubu. The North will frustrate Peter Obi and disappoint Tinubu. Whoever the North wants will win. Most of the votes from the South will be divided among the parties. APC will be divided.”
Oyakhilome: The General Overseer of Christ Embassy Church, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, also last Friday, joined the league of clerics who made predictions about today’s election.
The cleric distinguished between the three significant candidates in the forthcoming election and stated the name of Nigeria’s next president is in the Bible.
A Demon, A Thief, A Saint
Oyakhilome said the first candidate was under the influence of a devil.
“He is not himself. He is under the influence of a devil. This devil was mocking and laughing, scoffing at Nigerians.”
“The devil is using him. It’s a wicked spirit of darkness, a mocker. The devil’s named him a jackal.”
“A jackal is a trickster, a swindler who usually operates on behalf of another for deception. This demon is mocking Nigeria. But he’s been cut off.”
The second candidate, Oyakhilome claimed that the spiritual prophecy revealed him to be a thief and would run the country down.
“In the spirit of the second candidate, if you let him get into office, you will have no country. You would have sold your country,” he said.
On the final candidate, he revealed although his name is in the bible, he is scared of winning but doesn’t want to lose.
”Then, in the spirit, the third candidate was afraid of winning. He didn’t want to lose, but he was scared of winning. Then I prayed, Lord gives him wings to fly! His name is in the Bible.” He said
The Head Pastor of Doers Nation International Church, Akure, Reverend Shalom Kelvin Akinbo, reportedly prophesied that Peter Obi, , was revealed to him as the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Prophet Odedoyin Olawumi Ezekiel: From President of Christ for All Souls Ministry, Prophet Odedoyin Olawumi Ezekiel, was a prophecy that All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, will emerge as the next president of Nigeria.
Speaking in his church in Osogbo, Osun State, the cleric said Tinubu will defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “Tinubu will be the next president of Nigeria. God also said I should tell you that darkness and light will work together for the fulfilment of this prophecy.
“In his reign, a cabal will rise up to hijack the government from him but he will later overcome it. During his time, there will be bloodshed but it will be minimal. He will not be the saviour but he will clear the road by making an impact.
The Founder of The Royal Church of God Worldwide (Royal City) in Minna and Abuja Archbishop Polycarp Sunday also predicted Bola Tinubu’s triumph in today’s presidential election.
The archbishop declared Tinubu “shall emerge victorious as the winner of the presidential election”.
The cleric stated that the former Lagos governor will “divinely and expressly manifest rare grace”.
The General Overseer of Wisdom Church of Christ International in Ketu, Lagos Prophet Bisi Olujobi, is another cleric that foresees victory for Tinubu.
Olujobi said despite the “confusion, intrigues, suspense, uncertainties and many predictions called prophesies from diverse priests”, Tinubu will win.
Ukraine based cleric, Pastor Adelaja, is also upbeat that Tinubu will wear the victory crown at the end of the day. His 10 reasons why he believes that “Bola Ahmed Tinubu will emerge as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” has since gone viral.
Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubarkar, was predicted to win the election by Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi of King of Kings Deliverance Ministry, Gbonum Ulepa Ntezi, in Ebonyi state. The man of God reportedly said God told him Atiku would win in 2023.
According to him, the 2023 presidency belongs to no other person than Atiku.
Senior Pastor of the Awaiting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ Ministry, Akure, Ondo State, Pastor Adewale Giwa prophesied that Atiku, will win the 2023 general election.
Cleric predicts interim govt,
The Mediator of the Holy National Covenant of Divine Intervention in Nigeria’s Affairs, Prophet Godfrey Otubochi Chidi Gbujie was reported that have foreseen a bleak future for the general election.
Gbujie was reported to have said that none of the presidential candidates of the political parties, Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, would be inaugurated as an elected President at the end of the day and instead, an interim national government could be put in place.
Gbujie said that God’s divine plan was rather different from the current political programs put in place by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, stressing that the election would serve as mere formality.
The man of God said though Atiku Abubakar might win the presidential election but said neither he nor no one else might be sworn in.
He said, “God’s “plan” is that the proposed “2023 general elections” should and shall serve as mere “cannon fodder” to the judicious resolution of the very controversial “National question of Nigeria” to the satisfaction of His long-revealed “righteous judgment.”
The disappearance of a Lagos teacher on his way to work a few weeks ago has left his family in pain as his wife urges the police to quicken investigation into his whereabouts, reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.
Where is my husband? This has been the question on the lips of the distraught wife of a missing Lagos teacher, Samson Olanrewaju Akinnawo, as the police desperately seek an answer.
Akinnawo’s wife, Oluwatoyin, said her husband, a teacher in one of the public secondary schools in Ajah area of Lagos State, was last seen on February 1, 2023. According to her, when her husband was living home on the fateful day, he told their daughter that he wanted to see an unnamed person in the Abraham Adesanya axis of the community, close to where he resides.
She explained that her husband stays from Monday to Friday in Ajah where he works and only spends weekends with her and their children at their house in Ibogun area of Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State.
She said: “I had just returned from a vigil on February 1 when I called his phone and it rang without an answer.
“When I became worried that I could not reach him on his mobile phone, I contacted my daughter who lives with him and she told me that his father told her in the morning of that fateful day that he was going to work, and that he would first visit someone in Abraham Adesanya area of Ajah.
“I asked our daughter to visit the school where my husband teaches thinking that he might have been so busy that he could not answer or return my call.
“I was however shocked that his colleagues said that he had not signed the attendance register or seen in the school on that day and that January 31 was the last time he came to the school.
“My daughter explained to me that my husband actually gave her the keys to the apartment where he lives in Ajah when he was leaving home on that day.
“By the evening of the same day when he did not return home, it became clear that there was more to his whereabouts, hence, my child and one of their neighbours in Ajah reported the matter to the police at Ajiwe Police Division on February 2.”
While Akinnawo’s family was disturbed by his mysterious disappearance without a trace, some unnamed persons were said to have called his daughter on the phone, saying that they could help locate Akinnawo’s whereabouts. The callers were also said to have asked the girl to provide the sum of N25,000 for a spiritualist that would reveal his whereabouts and bring him out. They were said to have warned the girl not to tell any family member about it.
Explaining further, Akinnawo’s wife said: “The police later tracked the number of the caller and it was discovered that the person was a colleague of my husband and he was arrested by detectives.
“They were actually running a tutorial centre for students in the Ajah area where my husband teaches Basic Technology and Agricultural Science.
“The man was actually demanding a sum of N25,000 to unravel my husband’s whereabouts and I became suspicious that the man might know something about my husband’s disappearance.
“A woman, who we later discovered to be my husband’s colleague, also urged my child to comply with the other man’s demand by providing the money without informing me.
“The case was subsequently transferred from Ajiwe Police Division to the State Criminal Investigation Department(SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.
“The male suspect spent about eight days in police custody but was eventually released on the excuse that he was to complete WAEC registration for some students. He has since not shown up at SCID.
“His mobile phone number still rings, though no one picks it up. I am confused.
“I have been married to him for about 25 years now. My children and I are worried about his whereabouts and safety and we don’t know what to do anymore.
“I am urging the police to help unravel the mystery behind my husband’s disappearance by expediting action on investigation.”
The spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, was yet to respond to the calls and text messages sent to his mobile phone at press time.
