The Nation Newspaper

Category: Tribute

  • Reflections on Bamidele Aturu – a pure spirit

    Reflections on Bamidele Aturu – a pure spirit

    I was at the Abuja Airport on my way to Gombe for a matter when a journalist from AIT called to find out whether anything was wrong with BamideleAturu as he needed to verify the information he had just received from Abuja that the fire brand lawyer may have passed on. I was too frightened to contemplate my next move as I preferred to see the news as a dream far from possible reality. But I also know that considering the enormous respect I have for the person of Aturu and the personal relationship we had shared, I needed to verify the information quickly especially having assured the journalist that I will get back if I found any useful information concerning this extraordinary Nigerian. I quickly put a call through to my contacts that were in a position to know and the response was not quite helpful. With trembling fingers I summoned courage to call Aturu’s private line to make enquiries about the safety of my friend. The unfamiliar voice on the other end simply informed me that BamideleAturu had been rushed to the hospital and that he was asked by Aturu’s wife to retain the mobile phone pending further developments.

    I was left with no other alternative than to wait in prayers that it should turn out that the journalist who earlier called for verification may have been misinformed afterall. My worst fears were confirmed when credible sources later confirmed to me that indeed our own BamideleAturu had passed on. I was devastated, shocked and traumatised by this unpleasant news the reason being that BamideleAturu was one of the finest spirits of my generation. The rest of my journey to Gombe was a disaster as I nursed throughout the journey a very heavy burden in my heart.

    Further investigations revealed his last moments. A day previously, BamideleAturu was said to have worked up till 7 p.m. in his chambers putting finishing touches to a Notice of Appeal which he personally drafted. Billed to travel the next day for an assignment at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State he had suddenly complained of body weakness and was promptly rushed to LASUTH for urgent attention.  Our Aturu died within 20 minutes of arrival at the hospital. What a life! Very tragic! Very sad!

    The sadness occasioned by Aturu’s sudden passing is not however without some consolations and worthy legacies which definitely will endure forever.

    Aturu was a man of finest virtues, very unique, genuine and different and indeed a reference point in this clime where a life of commitment to principles, integrity, service delivery quality and professionalism is sadly in short supply. In this climate of corruption, uncertainty and moral degradation, Aturustood out from the crowd like a million stars and was uniquely different in terms of exemplary character and moral rectitude.

    Aturu was a visionary who had a mission to fulfill and set out to accomplish same both by a life of personal example and in the manner he organised and structured his legal practice.BamideleAturu& Co, the law firm he founded has as its motto:”Serving the people by promoting justice”.

    The vision/mission of the law firm are as follows:

    •To serve the Almighty God in all ways but in particular by defending the poor.

    •To serve the cause of social justice by effectively and competently using the law inspite of its limitations.

    •To defend the under privileged, the dispossessed, the oppressed and the abused against the rich and the powerful.

    •To be a leading voice in the struggle against all forms of discrimination and undue privileges.

    •To participate in all forms of actions aimed at social reform and change.

    Aturu said “In pursuit of this vision/mission, we will not accept a brief simply on account that it is lucrative or reject a poor prospective client simply on account of inability to pay if we are convinced that he or she is truly unable to pay our fee”.

    Clearly from the foregoing, Aturu was a forthright individual who decided early in life to build his professional practice on altruistic considerations and empathy for the poor and under privileged segment of the society. Not given to materialism, he had set out to embrace pro bono services as an integral part of his practice. This is salutary and a reflection of the degree of humanity and compassion that he had for his fellow human beings and the rest of the society.

    Aturu also led a life of personal example worthy of emulation. He was adjudged the best corps member during his NYSC programme in Niger State. However, when it was time to honour him with accolades he bluntly refused to accept the NYSC award at a time when it was not fashionable to dare any military regime in this part of the world. In rejecting the award he wrote:

    “I saw the award as an attempt to co-opt me into the bestial capitalist power structure…I cannot feel honoured by this award or any award for that matter due to the general and specific differences between the present government and myself”.

    This may have revealed Aturu as a sterling example in moral courage.

    I have a personal experience on Aturu to attest to this trait in moral rectitude. I recall a time I was briefed to handle a drug related matter for a client who later approached me for a related segment of the brief that I could not handle for conflict of interests. The client was ready to pay the sum of Two Million Naira and requested me to recommend a good lawyer since I could not handle the brief. I had no difficulty in zeroing in on the choice of BamideleAturu. I called BamideleAturu ahead and informed him that a prospective client was on his way to brief him armed with a princely sum of Two Million Naira. Aturu said he was waiting. However to my shock and utter surprise when Aturu got the details of the brief he turned the brief down together with the sum of Two Million Naira on the ground that his conscience will not permit him to accept the brief in the circumstances. He called to apologize to me while insisting that his decision was final. What a Nigerian!

    At his death I was forced to reflect on the significance of the name BamideleAturu and how the meaning of his first name and the interpretation of each of the surname may have defined the life and times of this extraordinary Nigerian. Bamidele simply means ‘Come home with me’ little wonder why this Nigerian threw his doors open to all Nigerians who desire his assistance as a reflection of his innate generosity and empathy. The okada riders in Lagos and Baba Suwe who benefited from Aturu’s generosity would attest to this trait.

    On this score as a friend of the poor, Aturu wrote:

    “Lagos State should review the way it treats the poor”.

    Each of the alphabets in the surname of Aturu is significant.

    A: Stands for Amiable/Astuteness/Activism

    T: Stands for Trustworthy

    U: Stands for untiring

    R: Stands for reliability

    U: Utility driven.

    Aturu combined all of these attributes and more – a factor responsible for his greatness and uniqueness.

    Aturu was also a scholar of immense stature. He wrote standard text books on Labour Law and Election Matters which remain reference materials for scholarship. His latest work is on the Law & Practice of Industrial Courts, a work that constitutes imperishable guide to legal practitioners and other users of Industrial Courts nationwide.

    Aturu’s scholarship was consistent with his pedigree. He read Physics at the University of Ife graduating with first class honours. In 1996 he graduated on top of his LL.M class at the University of Lagos with distinction, a feat which confirmed Aturu’s rating as a first class brain indeed.

    Aturu was also a philosopher in the mould of the philosophical king with power of ideas and power of action.  Beyond these, however, was the ability of Aturu to galvanize the elements of ideas and positive action into concrete crusade for policies and laws capable of transforming society. As a result, a fitting tribute to Aturu would be a reelection on the views he expressed on diverse issues affecting the well-being, growth and development of the country and its citizens.

    Aturu for example, was vehemently opposed to deregulation of the down-stream sector of the petroleum industry and wrote scathing articles in leading newspapers exposing the evils of deregulation and why our government ought to jettison the policy.

    Aturu’s views on politics are also instructive. He wrote:

    “The trouble with Nigerian politics contrary to the dominant public view is not the absence of issues  – based politics or lack of ideological commitment by the existing political parties but the fact that the dominant political parties are committed to the same ideology or world – view and therefore essentially not different one from the other…all the dominant parties in Nigeria are committed to privatization of public utilities and assert that the state’s only role in the economy is as regulator of the competing interests of the various factions of the ruling class”.

    Aturu may have made the point that the existing political parties owing to lack of ideological clarity may have left the Nigerian electorate with little or no choice. The difference between all of them is between 12 and half a dozen. I doubt whether anyone can fault Aturu’s thesis in this regard.

    Aturu will be remembered for his dogged pursuit of egalitarian society and his crusade against oppression and marginalisation of Nigerians. He was an activist whose struggle had a strong spiritual foundation. He was a Pastor of the Redeemed Church of God who believed in social justice and equal opportunity for all and sundry because that is the wish of Almighty God. Throughout his life, Aturu fought for democracy, rule of law, constitutionalism, due process, transparency and accountability, free, fair and credible electoral process, zero tolerance for corruption, respect for fundamental rights and good governance.  Whenever he granted interviews on print and electronic media, Aturu deployed his creative talents and energy in pursuit of these fundamentals of the democratic tradition.

    Aturu was humility personified, Integrity personified, cerebral, Courageous, principled, intellectual, non-materialistic, contented, good natured, caring, kind, supportive, friendly, accessible, business-like, serious-minded, genuine, revolutionary, radical, luminous, passionate, conscientious, selfless, intelligent, brilliant, analytical, current, relevant and deeply spiritual. What a human being!

    I must also add that Aturu was controversial and this was in a positive sense. In the words of an American Psychologist:

    “Historydoes not record the achievements of any great man of vision and dynamism without some comments of controversy”.Aturu was a great man.

    Aturu was also a great advocate. I recall our separate and joint appearances for the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Chairman of the EFCC and EFCC in a case involving the Delta State Government at the Federal High Court Benin at the inception of President Yar’Adua’s Administration. Aturu in his elements was on his feet for nearly two hours marshaling forensic arguments in well thought out English and eloquence to the admiration of all.  At the end of the proceedings, I was one of those permanently converted by the sheer advocacy skills of this wonderful Nigerian. We shared this friendship borne out of mutual admiration until he breathed his last.

    I recall our last encounter three weeks ago on a flight from Lagos to Abuja and how characteristically Aturu expressed to me his wish for a better Nigeria and how he will not rest until that objective was achieved.

    Aturu loved Nigeria and Nigerians. He loved humanity. He was prepared to sacrifice all he had for a better Nigeria. A fitting tribute for this illustrious Nigerian would be for all of us to ensure that his sacrifices and struggles for a better society are not in vain.

    Adieu BamideleAturu! A rare breed, a pure spirit, a courageous attorney, the hero of Nigerian masses and a real human being.

    •Shittu is a lecturer at the Univesity of Lagos.

  • Segun Okeowo: A fearless students’ leader gone

    Segun Okeowo: A fearless students’ leader gone

    The death of Segun Okeowo, former President of the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) cannot but come as sad news. As NUNS President, Segun Okeowo provided courageous leadership for the decisive students’ nationwide protest against commercialization of education by the then Olusegun Obasanjo military regime.

    The 1978 students’ uprising was invariably christened ‘Ali-Mon-Go’, based on the demand that the then Federal Commissioner of Education, Col, Ahmadu Alli, (later PDP Chairman under Obasanjo’s presidency) who announced the increase in tuition and feeding fees, be removed from office.

    The protest was met with unprecedented ferocious brutality by the Nigerian state leading to the death of many students including Akintunde Ojo at the University of Lagos, Okeowo’s campus; the banning of NUNS and of course the physical assault, arrest, detention and expulsion of Segun Okeowo. In all those prosecutorial moments Okeowo did not betray the course of Nigerian students. Understandably, his legal defence was led by the late Gani Fawehinmi, whose chambers provided temporary refuge for him as a ‘worker’ before being re-admitted to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).

    At Ife and despite his earlier persecution, Okeowo did not remain silent in the face of oppression. Thus, he was one of those who condemned the police killing of four students during a funeral procession at the University in 1981. Indeed he was one of those who testified to that effect before the administrative panel of enquiry set up by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), over the incident. Even at old age when we met at a students’ union symposium at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, Lagos over ten years ago, he spoke militantly, sang solidarity songs and urged the students’ leaders to always defend the right to independent unionism.

    The political back bone of the ‘Ali-mon-go’ protest was however either students’ unions led by radical and left-wing students leaders or campuses where left wing organizations as well as radical and left-wing lecturers were also active. The Obasanjo dictatorship knew this well and therefore extended its offensive to these elements many of whom were either expelled as students or dismissed as lecturers across the campuses.

    But it was these elements and organizations that in the early 1980s invariably shook off the burning ashes of ‘Ali-mon-go’, to form the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as successor to NUNS. Yet, soon after by 1984, NANS, now armed with a Students’ Charter of Demands, would again pick the gauntlet to embark on a nationwide protests and boycott of classes, when the Buhari-Idiagbon dictatorship, similarly acting on the dictates of the World Bank and IMF like the Obasanjo regime before it, attempted to further commercialize education, via the re-introduction of tuitions fees in the Universities.

    The premise of the 1978 and 1984 struggles were that instead of commercialization, what was desired and desirable for the working masses of Nigeria, was, and still is, a functional and free educational system that ensures that the potential which lies in every Nigerian child is allowed to be realized and not extinguished by a discriminatory class educational system, which commercialization perpetuates.

    The established fact that not less than $500 billion dollars, have been looted from Nigeria’s public treasury and oil revenue sources since independence, affirms the argument of we Socialists especially, that the resources exist for the funding of free education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels; and indeed one that meets all the parameters of modern educational system.

    The obvious obstacles are the numerous ideological weaponries of successive ruling capitalist classes in Nigeria. Whether they come in the form of commercialization, privatization or private-public-partnership, they all, ultimately, translate to putting the collectively owned wealth of the society in private few pockets while the majority are left to wonder in the wilderness of poverty. Thus, the paradox of the listing of one or two Nigerians in Forbes list of 500 richest people in the world, while over 70 percent of the population, even by official acknowledgment, live below the poverty line of less than a dollar a day.

    Unfortunately, despite the heroism of Okeowo and like radically inclined students leaders, the general failure to understand the necessity of overcoming these obstacles through a focussed and consistent struggle against capitalist neo-liberal policies and conditionalities, have over-time become the bane of the students and the larger labour movement. The NANS of nowadays, has in the circumstance become a platform for self-aggrandisement, whose leaders do not mind to collaborate with any government in power no matter the level of its anti-people educational policies. State sponsored violence against and attacks on students’ activists who have tried to make students’ unionism live up to the vision of the progenitors and founders of both NUNS and NANS, has also strengthened the distasteful reign of ‘commercialists’ in the students’ movement.

    The proposition of Socialists is for a working-class formed and led government that uses its own pro-people ideological weaponry of democratic public or peoples’ ownership and management of societal resources, primarily through the nationalization of the commanding sectors of the economy. This will not only just make free and functional education possible, but also the realization of other major aspirations of the working masses including living wages that match the rate of inflation, affordable and functional health system, affordable and functional mass transport system, affordable mass housing system etc

    On the part of students and working class activists therefore, only a re-dedication to the struggle against continued commercialization of education, which has led to the explosion of expensive private schools and Universities while the public ones are left to rot; and commitment to the larger task of building a society where the commonly produced wealth is used to meet the needs of the majority and not a few elite will stand as the real vindication of the battles that the likes of Okeowo commendably fought in the Nigerian students’ movement.

    •Arogundade is a former NANS President and member of the Democratic Socialist Movement

     

  • Rotary and the unsung side of Sir Emeka Offor

    Rotary and the unsung side of Sir Emeka Offor

    History is being made today in Abuja as the Group Executive Vice-Chairman of The Chrome Group, Sir Emeka Offor, will mount the stage for induction into Arch C. Klumph Society by Rotary Foundation. In this piece, our Managing Editor, Northern Operation, YUSUF ALLI, reveals the untold story of businessman’s philanthropy.

     

     

    Far away from his misadventure into politics, the reticent Group Executive Vice-Chairman of The Chrome Group, Sir Emeka Offor, will be honoured today by both District 9125 of Rotary International and Rotary Foundation. The high point of this historic event is the induction of Offor into Arch C. Klumph Society, an exclusive society meant for those who have passed the threshold of making a single donation of over $250,000 to Rotary Foundation. He becomes the fourth Nigerian to attain the feat. Other past inductees are: a former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; a former Minister of State for Education, Rotarian Kenneth Gbagi and a past Assistant Governor Mike Omotosho.

    For Offor, the induction is the icing of the cake for a stream of silent charity works he had executed and promoted. To earn an induction nod from Rotary Foundation, the oil magnate had donated over $500,000 to Rotary Foundation to emerge as the biggest individual donor to the Foundation in Africa . The District Governor of 9125, the amiable Rotarian Felix A. E. Obadan, captures the mood of today’s historic event in Abuja as follows: “We are honouring Sir Emeka Offor as a district because he has done Africa proud by being the biggest and highest contributor to Rotary Foundation from Africa.”

    Born in Kaduna to a policeman from Oraifitte in Anambra State, Offor went through the pains and pangs of barracks life to be a stakeholder in Nigerian oil industry. Armed with only a secondary school certificate from Abbot Boys’ Secondary School, Ihiala in Anambra State in 1977, he bestrode the business sector at an early age such that by 1983( six years after leaving secondary school), he had secured a N19million contract which gave him a breakthrough into mega ventures.

    Today he presides over a chain of companies, including Chrome Oil Services, which had handled the turn-around maintenance of Port-Harcourt refinery in the past; Chrome Air, a charter airline which is on retainership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Chrome Radio; being a co-owner of the defunct African Express Bank, (Afex Bank) and a director of Niger Insurance, amongst several other companies. He is also linked to a Houston, Texas-based oil company EHRC Energy, Environmental Remediation Holding Company (ERHC) and huge oil exploration in Sao Tome . He has interests in Oil and Gas, Insurance, Power sector, Telecommunications and Logistics, both in Nigeria and overseas.Other subsidiaries of Chrome Group include Kaztec Engineering Limited, Global Scansystems Nigeria Limited, Chome Insurance Brokers Limited and Interstate Electrics- the newest subsidiary of the Chrome Group which secured the bid for Enugu DISCO.

    But the initial gains he made in business were almost lost to what turned out to be his misadventure in politics between 1998 and 2003. With huge resources at his disposal and desperate to protect his business interest, Offor had in 1997-98 formed the Movement for National Stability to join the league of those encouraging Nigeria’s foremost dark-goggled dictator, ex-Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha to transmute from a military leader to a civilian President. When the self-succession agenda failed, he became a major financier of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a political godfather through whose platform ex-Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju rode to power. But before the end of Mbadinuju’s tenure, the political son fell out of favour with Offor. It was an investment which almost cost Offor his image and ruined his business. By 2003, Offor was one of those who funded the second term campaign of Obasanjo. Except for tactical diplomacy, the strain in the relationship between Obasanjo and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar almost affected Offor’s businesses. The row led to the emergence of Chris Ubah and Andy Ubah as the new godfathers of Anambra politics.

    But Offor’s setback in politics has been recouped in philanthropy. He is Numero Uno in charity and with the way he is going, he would soon assume the status of Bill Gates of Africa . A Knight of the Catholic Church, he allegedly single-handedly funded the tarring of Oraifitte-Nnewi Road . He also believes in quality education and empowerment. He once said: “Without education, the people cannot create their own solutions. If they cannot create their own solutions, they cannot escape the poverty imposed on them”.

    According to findings, his humble background and suffering motivated him to go into philanthropy, a terrain where his charity works were hardly noticed by Nigerians. He was once quoted as saying: “I want to make my mark. Actually, I want to make two marks. One is that I have been an excellent businessman who built a group of companies that will stand the test of time. Two, that I have been as good at giving as I was in turning a profit. In my own way, I hope to set an example for the next generation of successful Nigerian businessmen. I want them to know that they can make money while also making a difference.”

    On its website, the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation(SEOF) said he has “so far committed over N750 million (USD 4.9m) to charitable projects.” Though unlettered and hardly audible, Offor has made up for his deficiencies by asking his Foundation to pursue the following schemes: Youth Empowerment Scheme ;Widows Cooperative Scheme; Education Scholarship Scheme; Health Scheme Services and Infrastructure Development Scheme.

    The Foundation’s synopsis of Offor’s Midas touch on the poor and indigent reads: “Lack of health care haunts the poor and Sir Emeka seeks to bring basic care where there is none. Nigeria is one of the few nations where polio still exists, mostly afflicting poor and distressed populations in parts of northern Nigeria . When polio is finally rendered extinct and the crippling disease’s final chapter in Nigeria is written, SEOF will be cited as a hero in this needed fight. On October 24, SEOF gave $250,000 to Rotary International to help Rotary in its role as a lead partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. In providing the funds, Offor stated: “It is unacceptable that polio continues to infect our children and cause such suffering in Nigeria . The flight against glaucoma is another important health care initiative of the Foundation. Acutely aware of the hidden danger glaucoma poses to a growing portion of the world’s population, Sir Emeka Offor established a $100,000 glaucoma research grant at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Mainz , Germany , and has established a Nigerian fellowship for Cataract Surgery and Glaucoma Management at the same university.

    “Sir Emeka has also joined with Rotary International to promote conflict resolution and peace. His foundation recently provided the Rotary Peace Center at the Chulalongkorn University in Thailand another $250,000. The sum will provide an endowment for practitioners and activists from sub-Sahara Africa in disciplines such as public health, education, rule of law and social justice. The dual purposes of the fellowship is to enhance future recipients’ substantive knowledge in their respective disciplines and to encourage them to adapt this enhanced knowledge to promote social harmony and conflict resolution in their communities and nations. This contribution can be an important catalyst toward promoting peace in Nigeria with its ethno-religious and regional diversity.

    “Sir Emeka believes poverty is the harshest obstacle facing most Nigerians. He has quietly and methodically positioned the Foundation to tackle this steep challenge in many ways. One is through community-based projects for human capacity building and skills acquisition. Widows are a group particularly vulnerable to poverty. In many traditional societies, widows have scant rights to the marital property once shared with their husbands.

    “Apart from the emotional trauma of losing a loved one, widows can be cast into poverty because of this lack of legal protection. This is especially true for widows who did not work outside the home prior to their spouses’ passing. The Foundation seeks practical solutions to mitigate this inequality by forming women’s cooperatives, a pilot initiative already started in Sir Emeka’s home village in Anambra State. These women’s coops train participants to be economically self-sufficient by teaching various money-making skills and trades such as learning to process palm kernel oil for sale, acquiring tailoring and hairdressing skills and learning how to manage a small business.

    The citation added: “Working on the principle that the very poor and needy can become active and productive members of the society if properly equiped, the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation is committed to human and material capacity development; skills acquisition and transfer at the grassroots level leading to the establishment of small and medium enterprises(SME)and cooperative societies, for the less-privileged.

    “Acutely aware of the hidden danger Glaucoma poses to the growing portion of world’s population, the Sir Emeka Offor through his foundation established a $100, 000 Glaucoma research grant at the Department of Ophthalmology University of Mainz, Germany and also established a Nigerian fellowship for Cataract Surgery and Glaucoma Management at the same university.

    “Sir Emeka Offor, a member of the Rotary Foundation, who recently was elevated to the status of an Arch C. Klumph Society (AKS) member of the Foundation as a result his singular donation of $250, 000 USD for Peace Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand and another donation of $250, 000 USD for polio eradication. He has also indicated his intention to donate an additional $250, 000 USD for guinea worm eradication, and another $250, 000 USD for women empowerment programmes of the Rotary International”.

     

    What the induction is about

    The District Governor of 9125, Obadan, said the “induction is a way of acknowledging philanthropic deeds.” A brief on the honour says: “The Rotary Foundation provides special recognition to Rotarians and friends of Rotary who contribute $250,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation by inducting them into the Arch C. Klumph Society. Members may have their portraits displayed in the Arch C. Klumph Gallery at Rotary International’s World Headquarters in Evanston , Illinois , USA . Donors receive a certificate signed by the President of Rotary International and the Chairman of The Rotary Foundation, and they are invited to a special event at annual RI conventions. The society is named in honour of The Rotary Foundation’s founder, Arch C. Klumph.

    “Arch C. Klumph Society members’ photographs and statement of support for The Rotary Foundation are recorded on a touch screen kiosk at Rotary International World Headquarters. The touch screen kiosk is portable and on display at major Rotary events such as the International Convention and International Assembly.( ( Arch C. Klumph Society Members are among The Rotary Foundation’s top leaders and innovators. Members believe in the work of The Rotary Foundation and have made supporting peace, education, and humanitarian assistance part of their personal mission. They are key supporters of the Foundation, and their involvement is vital to its work.

    “Arch C. Klumph Society members support The Rotary Foundation for a variety of reasons. With their help, the Foundation is fulfilling Rotary’s promise of creating a polio-free world. Children and families are living healthier lives through the Foundation’s humanitarian grants programme. Educational and cultural exchange programmes are helping young people build lasting friendships and mutual understanding with their peers around the world. Members’ support enables tomorrow’s leaders to live and study together as Rotary World Peace Fellows and provides them the opportunity to begin building a more peaceful world.”

     

    What is next for Offor?

    Will this induction be the last word from Offor? For many years, he had disappeared from political radar and he makes less news in the social circle. But Nigerians won’t stop asking: What is he up to? Certainly, the charity works have given Offor an international leverage. The honour from Rotary Foundation and District 9125 is an abiding testimonial and a challenge to other money bags who are spend thrift.