The Nation Newspaper

Category: Society

  • Mohammed Babangida’s large donation

    Mohammed Babangida’s large donation

    Mohammed Babangida took after his famed father, Retired General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, ex-Nigeria’s military president, in so many ways. In looks, Mohammed Babangida is his father’s split image. But beyond this striking physical feature, he also shares similar idiosyncrasies with the retired General. How? Like his father, he seemed to have entered a covenant of sorts with his creator to dedicate the rest of his life to the service of humanity.

    Seeming to have been guided by the philosophy of Anatole France, ” Without genuine love towards humanity, there is no love for motherland,” nothing better explains Mohammed’s commitment to philanthropy and putting smiles on the face of people – which in recent times has been his major preoccupation.

    So to many that are aware of his dedication to humanity, it was not surprising when the scion to the Babangida dynasty responded to Niger State Government’s appeal that Nigerians – especially important stakeholders – in the state should come to their aid in battling coronavirus. Mohammed Babangida’s El Amin Foundation and the whole Babangida family last week made a presentation of kits as well as a property to be used as an isolation center to the state government.

    The event, which held in Minna, the Niger State capital, was attended by members of the State Executive Council including Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane who is the Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammed Makusidi, Chief of Staff to the Niger State Governor among others. In his speech at the presentation, the Head Coordinator, El Amin Foundation, Alhaji Yakubu Alhaji welcomed the Government team and disclosed that the foundation was reacting to the call by the State Government for help in fighting the coronavirus pandemic which was ravaging the whole world.

    He stated that El Amin Foundation was set up to help humanity battle challenges such as the one the virus poised and so they felt happy to be able to contribute their quota in helping the state. Items that were donated included hand gloves, medical face masks, biohazard bags, boots, full body kits or overalls, as well as a property to be used as an isolation center by the state.

    Receiving the items, the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane, was overwhelmed and could not hold back emotions in appreciating the foundation for coming to the aid of the state. He disclosed further that they would be moving furniture and other needed items to the structure immediately and will put it into use to treat mild cases.

  • Prince Samuel Adedoyin’s love for humanity

    Prince Samuel Adedoyin’s love for humanity

    Billionaire businessman and Chairman of Doyin Group, Prince Samuel Adedoyin, is a great achiever no doubt as bountiful dividends of his labour of so many years are abound to confirm.

    As the man, who is widely referred to as Prince of Commerce, grows older, all he gives attention to is getting closer to his creator and helping others as he believes in the age-long saying that “wealth is nothing if it cannot be used for the advancement of society and mankind.”

    The Kwara State-born octogenarian hates seeing other people languishing in penury, he tries anything possible to impact people close to him and the entire humanity. He is recognised as someone whose love for fellow human beings begs for no description.

    So, it wasn’t surprising when his top manufacturing industry, Doyin Investments, donated thousands of packs of noodles to Lagos State government as a palliative measure to cushion the effects of the economic crisis caused by the spread of the deadly COVID-19.

    The food items were delivered to Lagos State through the Managing Director of Doyin Investments. Prince Adedoyin confirmed that the relief materials are made available to assist the people in Lagos State to battle hunger caused by the lockdown, which has crippled commercial activities in Lagos State.

    “As we witness a rapidly increasing number of cases of the Coronavirus in the country, we have to work hand in hand in stemming the spread of the global pandemic. I also prayed for quick recovery of those tested positive for the coronavirus already, who are receiving treatment in our various isolation centers in Lagos and Nigeria,” he said in a recent statement.

    Adedoyin also enjoined all Nigerians to follow the stipulated health guidelines by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to keep us all safe and healthy.

    “We equally commend the efforts of our State Governors in the Southwest, and we are keen to contribute our resources as representative and individual to the collective effort that will ensure the response to the pandemic is swift and effective”, Prince Adedoyin said.

    Doyin Group for those that don’t know is one of the oldest manufacturing companies in Nigeria. It has been in existence for over 50 years.

    The company is into farming, production of seasoning cubes with variants such as chicken, fish, prime chicken and beef flavour, Dentoclean toothpaste, noodles, and pain relief balms.

  • Alaafin of Oyo’s queen Ajoke’s marriage is intact

    Alaafin of Oyo’s queen Ajoke’s marriage is intact

    Ever since  Olori Badirat Olaitan Ajoke tied nuptial knot with revered octogenarian and monarch, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo, she has not failed to show the world that she was properly trained and nurtured for royalty all her life.

    The Marketing graduate of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, oozes royalty with blue blood flowing in her veins.

    The stylish HRM logistics boss, connotes beauty, class, panache laced with alluring gait. Her fashion combination and skin colour gained her several admirers from different strata of life. Queen Ola as she is fondly called, has gained the trust of her husband and she has remained one of the most educated and loved queens in the palace.

    Palace sources confirmed that; “She is a well cultured, trained and respectful. She has never had any issues with her senior queens in the palace. She is a peace loving individual and also a religious person who does not joke with her creator through prayers”.

    The graduate of Educational Management from the University of Ibadan is not having the best of time lately. The reason is not far-fetched; traducers are looking for every possible opportunity to pull her down by rubbing her reputation in the mud; casting aspersions and flocking the media space with disparging comments by romantically linking her with an extra-marital affair with a popular Fuji musician.

    Read Also: KWAM 1 denies having an affair with Alaafin’s wife

    Sources told Society Rendezvous that, nothing of such ever happened as the NCE holder in Business Education from Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, is totally clean from the allegations being peddled against her.

    “Olori Badirat has never been disloyal to her husband and it’s a fact that can’t be contested. It’s the work of her enemies and those who want to create unrest in the palace. To be truthful, her marriage to Alaafin is still intact. There has never been a time she was sent parking as it was circulated. She will never commit such an act knowing fully well the consequences that might follow.”

    Another source further added that; “Queen Ola has remained unperturbed since the peddled rumour fuelled against her on social media went viral. It’s totally fake and should be disregarded with disdain. Those behind it are enemies of progress.”

  • Aliko Dangote remains a gem at 63

    Aliko Dangote remains a gem at 63

    Billionaire businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote does not court media attention needlessly.

    Yet, almost every move he makes, either in his business or private life, has never escaped the attention of newshounds.

    He is a delight to professional journalists and biographers across the continent.

    If you choose to write about his uncommon feats as a businessman, you will come up with volumes of work that will most likely intimidate a bibliophile.

    In the same way, if you choose to document his philanthropic acts, in black and white, your hand may grow tired.

    Although he is not given to throwing elaborate parties on his birthday, the man whose name is synonymous with success was deservedly celebrated globally on Friday, April 10, when he turned 63.

    His life in entirety is a compelling study in determination, focus, and ambition.

    Like every creature, this amiable billionaire too has his humble beginning. But his humble beginning will inspire any ambitious soul, any day and any time.

    As a young man, he had a clear vision of what he wanted to do later in life and he pursued it with unwavering doggedness.

    While growing up, the only thing that caught his fancy was business and he refused to be swayed by any other interest.

    Though he started as a trader at 21, he is today Africa’s leading businessman. His chain of companies is spread across 16 countries around the world and he has over 15,000 people on his payroll.

    As an entrepreneur, he always sees opportunities, while others are bogged down by morbid fear of failure.

    No wonder, he has always made a success of all that he has ventured into. From trading in commodity to sugar refining, cement manufacturing to petroleum product refining, it is all a success story.

    Dangote was born into a wealthy family in Kano. But rather than being pampered, he was given a chance to pursue his love for business.

    His uncle, Sanusi Abdulkadir Dantata, eventually gave him a loan of N500, 000 that has today turned into a mega fortune.

    Today, the visionary businessman has built the largest sugar factory in the whole of Africa, largest cement factory in the continent, largest flour mill in the continent while his yet- to- be-completed refinery is said to be one of the largest in the world.

    Read Also: Governors hail Dangote, Emefiele, others for anti-COVID-19 initiatives

    Apart from his business acumen, he is also a philanthropist of note. He has collaborated with the Bill Gates Foundation to invest in the provision of health, especially the eradication of polio in Africa and other parts of the world, where the disease is still prevalent.

    As if that isn’t enough, he donated a sum of N1 billion to the fight against coronavirus and spearheaded the Coalition Against Coronavirus Disease, CACOVID relief fund which has garnered over N10 billion from corporate organisation to support the Nigerian government in the fight against coronavirus.

  • Femi Akinrutan fights hunger

    Femi Akinrutan fights hunger

    When popular philosopher and theologian, Saint Augustine, said in one of his quotes, ”It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men angels,” he was not wrong.

    The above statement best describes humility personified Femi Obateru-Akinrutan, with the sobriquet ‘Omoba Pataki’, who is an angel in man’s form.

    During his formative years, the philanthropist was said to have adhered to the teachings of his father, His Imperial Majesty, The Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Fredrick Akinrutan Obateru, the ruler of Ugbonla Kingdom, Ondo state, who had always taught him to be a cheerful and benevolent giver. Despite being born with blue blood, he has not allowed the fact to cloud his sense of reasoning. He has remained humble and peace-loving. Femi is widely known as a jolly good fellow who bonds easily with people around him regardless of their pedigree, social strata, and financial background. The cerebral soft-spoken father of three sees wealth and riches as God’s blessing and which must be used to uplift humanity.

    Archetypal of some rich kids who would sit and spend their father’s stupendous wealth, Prince Femi deviated from the norm by working assiduously to make his own money. Over the years as the Managing Director of Obat Oil and Gas, his impeccable brilliance and magical touch of gold, has helped repositioned the company to an enviable height, ranking it as one of the biggest upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas conglomerate in Nigeria and Africa.

    Last Saturday, he joined the fight against the deadly COVID-19. He took to the street of Lagos Island sharing sumptuous food packs and drinks to the needy on the street. This, he did, in his way of conquering hunger, another virus eating deep into the populace as a result of the lockdown occasioned by the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

    During the process of giving out the food packs, he also used the opportunity to sensitise the general public on the need to maintain personal clean hygiene to fight the virus. To complement his efforts, he also gave out hand sanitizers.

  • Ooni of Ife’s ex-Queen to the rescue

    Ooni of Ife’s ex-Queen to the rescue

    Our Reporter

    At a time when many thought she would have faded into oblivion like a cloud of smoke without fire, Queen Zaynab Otiti has defiled the norm to remain relevant and passionate.

    After her short-lived marriage with Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi hit the rock, the extremely gorgeous Zainab Otiti Obanor, has left her cocoon to come to the aid of the needy.

    Making her impact count in the society, the former Olori to the Ooni continues to impact lives through her foundation known as the Queen Zaynab Foundation, QZF.

    Like many kind-hearted persons or better still souls who have stood up gallantly to be counted amongst the angels of mercy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Queen Zaynab is making her impact felt.

    With a belief that wealth is nothing if it cannot be used for the advancement of society and mankind, Queen Zaynab loathes the sight of people languishing in penury. She tries anything humanly possible to impact people close to her and the entire humanity.

    Read Also: Princess Ogunwusi finds love again

    The beautiful woman joined the growing number of privileged individuals in the country, who are complementing the efforts of the governments to lessen the burdens of the citizenry occasioned by the outbreak of the pandemic.

    Recently, the Queen Zaynab Foundation donated the sum of N10,000 each to 10,000 people across Nigeria to support them during the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

    While giving out the money to less privileged Nigerian families, she disclosed said, “We hope by providing the basic needs available to these individuals, the ability to stay home and not be forced to go on the street will be lessened.

    Proper hygiene, self- preservation, and isolation are important at this time to contain the spread of COVID-19. We are hopeful and prayerful that this pandemic will be over soon without more casualties.”

    On Sunday, April 19, 2020, the soft-speaking fashion enthusiast will saunter into another age in a festive mood.

     

  • Senator Folarin’s tall ambition

    Senator Folarin’s tall ambition

    If you ask Senator Teslim Folarin about his most cherished ambition as a politician, his spontaneous reply will most likely be, to govern Oyo State.

    This ambition, Society Rendezvous gathered, is what the Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District has been nurturing over the years.

    Interestingly, his heart desires might soon be granted as his influence in Oyo State politics is spreading like a wildfire.

    His political odyssey started at age 39 when he was elected to the senate chamber in 2003, becoming one of the youngest at that time to occupy a seat at the red chambers.

    Read Also: ‘Stop blaming Ajimobi for your failure’

     

    In a bid to chase his long time dream of becoming the number one citizen of Oyo state, he threw his hat in the ring by contesting in 2015 under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but he was battered in the election by Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi, who was then the incumbent governor of the state.

    Giving up easily on his dreams is not an option for the godson of the late Lamidi Adedibu, as he is currently working underground ahead of 2023.

    He is currently consulting with party members and other political heavyweights in the state and has vowed to achieve his ultimate aim this time with all dedication and determination.

    Many will still recall vividly that eight years after losing the return ticket as a two-term senator and majority leader of the Senate between 2007 and 2011, Folarin bounced back in 2019, when he won his seat back at the Senatorial election in Ibadan under the All Progressives Congress, APC platform.

     

  • Seun Olagunju glitters at 45

    Seun Olagunju glitters at 45

    Oluseun Olagunju has always shown the traits of an individual destined for greatness. Unlike many of her peers, her heart desires were granted early in life as she grew to become one of the most celebrated broadcasters of her time. Seu

    n combines brilliant diction with pitch control, gestures and a charming smile to endear millions of television viewers in Nigeria to herself.

    After spending over two decades as a broadcaster, working at Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC), African Independent Television (AIT), and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), she moved to the Bank of Industry (BOI) as a corporate communications officer.

    In all her years as a broadcaster and now as a corporate communications manager, Seun has always infused decency, decorum, professionalism, and dedication in the discharge of her duties.

    Read Also: COVID-19: 997 Americans evacuated from Nigeria

    These, no doubt, makes her presence and absence always impactful, with indelible footprints remaining visible years after.

    For her dedication to duty and selfless service, Seun won the ‘Newscaster of the Year’ award for eight times in a row amidst other international awards to her credit.

    On April 5, the easy-going light-skinned mother of four turned 45.

    Despite hitting the milestone age amidst coronavirus pandemic, she held a private house dinner at her Abuja residence with her immediate family. He pampered them with varieties of meals while savouring exquisite red wine with her husband and children.

     

  • Siju Iluyomade’s Arise Women joins fight against COVID-19

    Siju Iluyomade’s Arise Women joins fight against COVID-19

     

    One of the few women in the country, whose passion for galvanizing and equipping women from the stereotype to living their full potentials as nation builders, is Barr. Siju Iluyomade.

    The preacher, philanthropist, fashionista and public speaker, through her Arise Women Conference, has joined the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Lagos State.

    Society Rendezvous gathered that the Lagos State Government recently took delivery of medical equipment from the stable of Arise Women in support of the battle against COVID-19 pandemic.

    Read Also: WHO inaugurates COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force

     

    The charity organization which has continued to give support to the less privileged in the country for the past ten years made the presentation of the equipment on Monday, April 6 at the Infection Disease Centre, Yaba, Lagos.

    The Convener of Arise Women, Pastor Dr. Siju Iluyomade made the official presentation on behalf of the foundation alongside Dr. Tokunbo Oluwole, Mrs. Folashade Segun Olaiya.

    Close sources further added that the equipment donated by Arise Women Foundation includes surgical masks, hand sanitizers, hand gloves, ventilators and many other safety devices needed to help the frontline health workers.

    Iluyomade’s undying passion for humanity cannot be overemphasised. Those close to her can confirm that she lives her life for others. Siju is regarded as a voice and campaigner for the improvement and empowerment of women by helping them live up to their hidden potentials, using her Arise Women Conference and foundation as a tool to reach out to the needy.

     

  • Deji Ashiru’s light hearted

    Deji Ashiru’s light hearted

     

    Despite losing his bid to represent Ogun East Senatorial District in 2019, Engr. Deji Ashiru has not stopped impacting his immediate environment outside politics. In fact, his milk of kindness is felt across the board as he has always shown up in solidarity with his people.

    Apart from his professional achievements, the Managing Director and CEO of Contec Global Energy Limited, also gives back to society by engaging in charity and humanitarian activities in his local community.

    Drawing his inspiration from the teachings of the bible most especially as a senior pastor at the Elevation Church in Lagos, Ashiru has always been showing the world that you don’t need to seek public office before you can cater for the needs of those around you.

    Read Also: Philanthropist sets up food bank in Ogun

     

    Through his EDA foundation, the Oil and Gas guru has extended his hands of love by giving succour to the good people of Ogun East Senatorial district.

    The Mechanical Engineering Graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state, collaborated with the Ogun State Government to cushion the effect of the stay-at-home occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

    Society Rendezvous gathered that; the M.Sc holder in Offshore and Ocean Technology (Pipeline & Sub-sea Engineering) from renowned Cranfield University, United Kingdom shared funds to his constituents.

    “Last Sunday, Dr. Ashiru gave five thousand Naira each to 400 vulnerable and poor beneficiaries. To support them and also pleaded with them to stay at home and take preventive measures.

    He also gave out two thousand naira cash to 1000 beneficiaries as his support to fight the deadly virus,” a close source of the politician and philanthropist disclosed.