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Tag: joy

My greatest joy is helping others grow – Adeola, Nigerian South African Ph.D prodigy

26 year-old Nigerian, Romola Adeola recently broke a 30 year-old record at South Africa’s Pretoria University Centre for Human Rights, when she emerged the first person to bag a PhD in the centre’s three decades history. She is also the second youngest person to bag a PhD in the university’s 107 years existence. She spoke to Dorcas Egede about her purpose and inspirations.

A doctorate degree in Law at 26 is no mean achievement; what were your motivations?

What kept me going were prayer, purpose and perseverance.

What about the academic environment? What kind of support and encouragement did you receive from your lecturers and mates?

I was privileged to grow up in an academic environment surrounded by highly inspiring intellectuals with strong academic focus. Within the environment, I learnt to set my priorities right and engage in personal development as I watched others do.

What considerations propel you and how were you able to wade through the somewhat suffocating influences of peers to carve a niche for yourself?

Two primary considerations that drive me is the need to do something meaningful and purposeful with the life God has given me and the need to reward the energy my parents have expended on me. In handling peer pressure, I came to the realisation that it is futile to vacillate between negative peer pressure and positive parental measures and still remain focused.

What do you hope to become eventually?

That’s a good question but permit me to take a different route in answering it. What I hope to eventually become is to be useful in society by positively affecting the lives of people in whatsoever capacity I find myself. True fulfilment and satisfaction lies in helping others grow and realise their potentials.

What was your growing up like and what were those things learnt from your parents and siblings, which served as catalysts for who you are today?

My formative years were spent doing what children do growing up – going to school, studying, socialising and of course, learning about life. My parents led their lives by example. They were unwavering in instilling academic discipline, godliness and hard work, which in many ways helped me become a better person.

Are you a book warm or would you say that you are a naturally gifted talent?

I would attribute my success to God, the great work of my parents and the support of my teachers, relatives and mentors. One can be a book worm or even be naturally talented, but if the opportunities are not there or if there is no one to offer guidance, attaining success would most probably be an illusion.

Please, be honest and sincere, what was it like contending with pressures from the opposite sex?

In overcoming this pressure, it is important to be mindful of God, to control your desires and set your priorities.

What counsel would you give to younger people out there who are aspiring to academic success like you?

I’d say trust in God, stay focused, never underestimate your capabilities, run your own race and refuse to belong to the ilk of those who do not know what they want or where they’re going.

What are your regrets if any; and what will you prefer to do rightly if given the chance again?

I don’t believe in regrets because I believe it’s like clicking on the rewind button of life that is ever moving forward. My advice to anyone who seems to be harbouring regret is: let it go! Don’t remember the past that is not useful to the present or helpful for the future. Forget regrets and find new ways to forge ahead.

Can we have a glimpse of your family setting? What are your marital plans?

My parents are public servants. I am the only female child and I’m not married yet.

What are the values you hold so dear such that you are not willing to let go even in the face of grim circumstances?

There are several values I hold dear, however, principally I’d say: loyalty to God, myself and society.

You keep talking about God; how strong is your faith in him?

I’m a Christian. I grew up in a Christian family, going to church, reading the Bible and learning to be Christ-like is an integral part of my life.

How do you unwind and what are the things that tickle you?

One of the ways I unwind is through lawn tennis. Growing up, my father taught me to play.

Who are your mentors and role models?

Spiritually, I strive to emulate great men of God with integrity and truth. I greatly admire Pastor W.F Kumuyi and Pastor E.A Adeboye. They are men of strong integrity with a focus on pleasing God and helping people. They also have enviable academic legacies yet their humility is astounding. They’re great examples of godliness and success.

How ready are you to mentor young lads to become well-rounded budding stars like you?

Mentoring is a great way of impacting people positively and there is no greater pleasure than in seeing young lads achieve.

Have you been contemplating what to bequeath to posterity?

The best gift I believe I can bequeath to posterity is to give the future generation a reason to thank the current generation. If you look at the current challenges the world is facing in the area of climate change for instance, it is, in part, due to the environmental footprints of the past generation. The present is in part, the legacy of the past. With that in mind, I believe it is needful to do well now and do the right thing now for the future generation to enjoy and thank the current generation

If you’re appointed to head the Nigerian judiciary, what will be the first thing you’ll do?

Hahaha. Nice question. I’d lead by example in upholding the law without fear or favour.

February 21, 2016
Joy of helping the poor

One remarkable thing about the graduation ceremony of the Rochas Foundation College, Kano was not merely the presence of dignitaries among whom were four governors, but that the graduates, being children of the poor, would probably never have made it to secondary school. OKODILI NDIDI reports

There were tears but they were of joy. If it was not for the Rochas Foundation College Kano, the 460 graduates of the school would have found it difficult getting any form of education. That was why their economically challenged parents wept for joy seeing their children applauded at the event.

•From left: Governor Okorocha; Governor Tambuwal; Alhaji Maitama Sule and a representative of Emir of Kano at the ceremony

It was an unimaginable moment for the students as they stood before the president of the College and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and his Kano, Niger and Sokoto counterparts, as well as other highly placed Nigerians as they received their graduation certificates.

Ordinarily, graduation ceremony for secondary school students is hardly remarkable but this one was special because the students were the children of the poor, who could not have had secondary education because their parents could not have afforded it.

Some of them could have ended up as motor park touts, political thugs, street hawkers and prostitutes, among others, as is often the case with children of the poor but these ones were rescued by the benevolence of the President of the College, who founded the tuition-free college to cater for them and others in their category.

So, their joy and that of their parents on that special day was understandable. For them, it was a rare privilege to acquire quality education, which is usually the exclusive preserve of children of the rich.

That is something to celebrate.

Although some of the graduating students are already undergraduates in some of the best universities in the country and abroad, the import of the ceremony was not lost because that was where their story was changed.

As they filed out in a long procession, some of their parents who could be identified by their pale looks and cheap dresses could not hold back their tears as they watched their children receiving ovation from the high and mighty. For them it was truly an unimaginable moment.

Another peculiar feature about the students was the bond they share. They related like children from the same parents, irrespective of their religious and ethnic backgrounds. This is so because they were all adopted by the president of the college.

This affinity does not even end after the secondary school years as the students continue to relate under another platform, the Rochas Foundation Old Students Association (ROFOSA).

The President of ROFOSA, Mr. Iheanetu Chukwudera, said that the association has over three thousand members currently studying in tertiary institutions within and outside the country, with over 150 university graduates in all areas of study.

He noted that the association is “a living testimony of unity in diversity and the epitome of one Nigeria despite the religious, behavioural and tribal differences”.

He said, “The association has helped the indigent people of our great nation through its reach-out-and-touch programme, like the administration of medical treatment to the people in the different parts of the country by its various branches.

“Most of our members are studying in China, Russia, Benin Republic, Ghana, USA and the UK and the association contributed immensely to their successes”.

During the six years stay in the school, the students were clothed, fed and accommodated by the college for free.

Recounting how he got the inspiration to build the tuition free college in Kano, Governor Okorocha who spoke amidst tears of emotion, said he was moved by the number and the plight of children hawking at a petrol station he stopped to refuel his car on his way to Kano.

He said, “In one of my trips to Kano, I stopped over at a filling station and a flock of children hawking various items crowded me but when I asked one of them a simple question in English language, he could not answer until I spoke Hausa language. It was then that it dawned on me that we were sitting on a keg of gunpowder and something has to be done to avert the impending disaster. That was how the idea of the Rochas Foundation College Kano started.

“For the fact that these children are poor does not mean that they should be denied the opportunity of going to school like the children of the rich.

“Children cannot choose the family they are born into and even the most gifted children cannot flourish in a world mired by poverty and hardship where education is only available to the children of the wealthy. And who knows whether one of these children hawking on the street could be the one to find the cure to HIV and other dreaded diseases. That is the idea behind the Rochas Foundation Colleges across the nation”.

“Poverty does not have to mean hopeless future. It is my vision that by 2025, one million children would have received a world class and completely free education at Rochas Foundation Colleges. There are already five colleges set up throughout Nigeria, Kano, Ibadan, Owerri, Jos and Ogboko. Each year a further one thousand children enroll. That is my joy and my reward”.

The chairman of the ceremony and elder statesman, Alhaji Maitama Sule, commended the Governor for investing in the education of the children of the poor and needy.

He compared the efforts of the Imo Governor in providing free education for the people to that of the late Obafemi Awolowo, Sarduana of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe.

The frontline northern leader noted that Okorocha, who he said is the direct successor of the late Azikiwe, through his actions is uniting the country more than any other Igbo leader.

He said, “Our founding fathers laid the foundation for Nigeria’s unity and Okorocha is the symbol of that unity today this is so because his actions are uniting the country and he is using the best tool of uniting a people, which is education. His benevolence does not benefit on his people but the entire nation’’.

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, in his remarks, observed that the Rochas Foundation Colleges across the country has laid the foundation for free and compulsory education in Nigeria.

He commended the Imo governor for citing one of the colleges in Kano, assuring that the state government will give every available support to the College.

Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, in his speech, described Okorocha as an exemplary Nigerian who is contributing to the greatness of Nigeria through education.

He called on other Nigerians with the means to follow the example of the governor.

October 16, 2015
Sharing a teacher’s joy

Success indeed has many relatives. On Monday, when I set my eyes on Mrs Nkemdilim Roseline Obi, I thought she looked familiar. She was walking to the podium after being named the best teacher in Anambra State by the Maltina Teacher of the Year panel of judges when I caught the side of her face. She looked like one of my seniors in secondary school. I was so sure she was the senior that I approached the principal of her school, Federal Government Girls’ College, Onitsha, who happened to have taught at my alma mater, Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin while I was there, to ask if she was indeed the one. Mrs Enonnuya said no. But I was not convinced. I had to find out from her myself.

So, I moved around the grand ballroom of the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the event, looking for the delectable Nkem (She looked so young that calling her Mrs Obi makes me feel like I am piling years on her). I did not find her at first. I had to go back to my seat and watch closely to note where she sat after she was called again as one of the top 10 finalists. When I was sure of where she was, I walked up to her table and sat by her. By the time I saw her close, I knew I had been mistaken about her being my senior. Nonetheless, I did not come this far to say, ‘sorry, you are not the one’. I introduced myself, asked where she schooled, and told her of my error. With nothing more to discuss at that moment, I wished her the best and left.

As the event progressed, some journalists on my table tipped her for the prize. I did not want to be so forward but I hoped in my heart she would be. When she was announced winner, I screamed, jumped, cheered, and went close to the podium to hug my former teacher, now principal of her school. Anyone would have thought that she was my sister, or friend or colleague or former school mate. I was so happy.

Well, the confidence the journalists reposed in her was adequately rewarded when she spoke about winning the award. We were impressed that without a speech, she spoke so well.

I was also impressed by her story. She has taught for 12 years – 10 as a PTA teacher. Those who are familiar with unity schools know that because the Federal Government “can no longer do it alone”, parents in the 104 colleges now employ teachers to fill gaps in the teaching cadre. The schools have large populations but the staff strength is not commensurate with the number of pupils. In some schools, the PTA employs over 50 teachers. Since their salaries are drawn from the PTA levies paid each term, the take-home package is not fantastic compared to teachers employed by the Federal Civil Service Commission. Mrs Obi told me the highest she earned as a PTA teacher for 10 years was N24,000. Yet, she was committed and gave her best. When she spoke to journalists about her attitude to work, she said she made efforts to make Chemistry and Mathematics real to her pupils.

“If you teach without your teaching materials, you would not be able to have deep learning in the students. What they would be doing is memorization of facts. But when I teach, I bring in the teaching materials so that they would be able to see what happens in the real life,” she said.

Coming from a teacher who was not well paid yet served for 10 years, I was humbled. I went to bed with a prayer that the Almighty should grant me the grace to pay the price of diligence like Nkemdilim so I can one day be recognised like her.

October 15, 2015
Johnnie Walker launches Joy Will Take You Further campaign

Johnnie Walker, a premium Scotch Whisky from the stable of Diageo brands, has unveiled its largest-ever global marketing campaign tagged: Joy Will Take You Further.

According to the brand handler, the campaign is aimed at encouraging Nigerians to aspire for success.

The campaign, which is a global marketing activation, took place in more than 50 countries simultaneously, and it is expected to reach over 350 million consumers in the first week of its launch.

During the unveiling in Lagos, which was attended by industry leaders, chief executives, top management personnel and editors, top 100 individuals,who had demonstrated value and achieved great goals were celebrated.

The Corporate Affairs Director, Diageo Nigeria,Mr. Sesan Sobowale, said the campaign, which was based on decades of research, challenged the conventional wisdom that success guarantees happiness.

He said: “Johnnie Walker has always stood for progress, it’s been the story of our whisky since our founder John Walker started it all nearly 200 years ago. What two centuries of experience have taught us is that progress doesn’t have to be an endless uphill journey, we can enjoy the steps we take and the more happiness we find in them, the more likely we are to achieve our goal. Evidence is confirming a conviction that sits at the heart of our brand: Joy Will Take You Further.

“Joy Will Take You Further campaign is a step further on the evolution of the brand’s famous ‘Keep Walking’ campaign and represents a new perspective on personal progress, which has defined the brand’s philosophy for more than 15 years, helping Johnnie Walker become the most valuable spirits brand in the world,” he added.

Based on new insights into how success is viewed by consumers today, he stated further that the campaign brings to life the concept that “joy can be a catalyst to the progress they seek, and aims to generate a positive culture shift by promoting and encouraging the idea that finding joy in the journey is part of the recipe for success.”

Guests at the event shared their personal perspective on the impact of a joyful walk. They noted that the true way to success is not just hard work and determination but also taking time to enjoy the simple moments of the journey.

Founder/Group Chairman, Dunn Loren Merrifield, an investment house, Mr Sonnie Ayere, while sharing his experience in the business world said: “It is joy that has been propelling me to do more and achieve greatness and I pray for a tribe-less Nigeria where everybody can be one irrespective of tribe.

Other activities at the event included the unveiling of top music artiste, producer and CEO of Mavins Records, Michael Collins Ajereh aka Don Jazzy as the Joy Ambassador for the Campaign.

Explaining the rationale behind the choice of Joy Ambassador, Head of Marketing, Diageo Brands, Adenike Adebola, said: “Don Jazzy has experienced different phases of success in his career up till now.

‘’He is a true achiever, a game changer and a model to emulate. He is passionate about what he does and it is that passion we celebrate. We believe he will be instrumental in propagating the message of and inspiring the rest of Nigeria with our core message that Joy Will Take You Further.’’

September 25, 2015
Sharing the joy of gospel

Members of the Nigerian Federation of Catholic Students (NFCS) have organised free medical service for members of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) to mark their annual Week. EDDY UWOGHIREN (300-Level Medicine and Surgery) reports.

The University of Benin (UNIBEN) chapter of the Nigerian Federation of Catholic Students (NFCS) has held its Week. Members of the fellowship suspended their academic engagement to participate in the week-long event with the theme: Evangeli Guadum, which mean “the joy of the gospel” in English.

The event started with a rally that had the Catholic students moved round the campus to sensitise members of the university community on the week.

Reverend Father Joseph Edia of St Patricks Catholic Church in Ugbowo, while declaring the event open last week Monday, urged the students to share the benefits of Christ’s gospel with unbelievers. Giving the distinction between a missionary and a preacher, Edia called on the students to live their lives in line with the dictate of the Holy Bible.

The cleric revealed that the theme of the week was the message of the first encyclical of Pope Francis upon assumption of office.

On the next day, members of D’Reperio theatre, NFCS’ troupe, acted a drama titled Eda (The wasted life). The drama, which was staged at St Albert Catholic Church in UNIBEN, featured choreographic display, poetry and musical rendition.

•A NFSC member (right) prescribing drug to a student

On Wednesday, the students held a medical outreach at Hall 3 Car Park on the campus, where no fewer than 200 students benefited from the gesture. The beneficiaries got free medical counselling, eye screening, dental check-up and free drugs distribution. There was also blood donation exercise.

Emmanuel Uchechukwu, the NFCS president, while speaking during the medical outreach, said the association deemed it important to bring free healthcare to the students, because of their busy academic schedules that prevented from going for regular check-up at the school health centre.

He said the aim was to make students fit to write the upcoming examination. He added that NFCS members had a mandate to touch lives their immediate community.

The outreach was followed by a visit to the Benin Medium Prison on Sapele Road, Benin City, where they were received by the officers, who conducted them round the facilities. The visit provided opportunity for the prison warden to share some of the challenges being faced at the penitentiary. “We have a school here for the inmates but the school lacks teachers to teach them. We would be glad if you can create time during your holidays to teach the inmate,” said one of the officials, who refused to give his name.

The students later held a fellowship session within the prison premises. Addressing the inmates, Godwin Abhulimhen, a 400-Level Medical Laboratory Sciences student, told them not to feel condemned because of their present predicament. “Being free is a thing of the mind,” Godwin said.

The sermon was based on story of biblical Joseph, who went to prison for an offence he did not commit. Godwin told the inmates that God had better plans for them, despite their condition. He ended his sermon, telling them to acquire skills while in the prison and apply lessons learnt when they are released.

On Friday, the students held a dinner, where they presented award to some affiliate associations and some staff of the school. The awardees include the UNIBEN Public Relations Officer (PRO) Micheal Osasuyi, who was named the fellowship’s Man of the Year, and Mrs Jane Chinelo, NFCS Woman of the Year.

Also, Catholic Law Students Association (CALSA) was honoured as Most Outstanding Faculty Unit, while Catholic Science Students Association (CASA) was awarded as the fastest growing faculty unit.

On Sunday, the fellowship held a thanksgiving, which had members dressed in uniformed attires.

Reverend Father Andrew Obiyan, who presided over the thanksgiving mass, praised the students for the success of the event. He encouraged them to let the lessons they learnt during the week reflect in their behaviour. He later told the students to return back to classroom and study for their examination.

Ekure Elohor, a 400-Level Dentistry and Dental Surgery student, hailed the association for holding successful week, saying the event gave her an opportunity to relax and move close to God.

September 3, 2015
Joy in community as water project starts

The people of Abam community in Arochukwu Local Government Area have expressed their delight at the take-off of a water project in their locality which was promised them by the federal lawmaker representing the area.

For years, clean water was very difficult to find in the community, the reason the lawmaker representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon Uko Nkole promised to help.

That promise is yielding fruit. The site for the water project has been ticking with activity. Some equipment, including a giant rig, have been installed there.

Abam people including such other communities as Ndiokereke, Ndioji, Ndiokorie are happy, relieved that after years of beglect, they could smile again.

Lack of this precious liquid left them sickly and quite unkempt sometimes, for all they had to drink was not much more than stream water.

The situation necessitated an action plan by the federal legislator who mobilised contractors to commence drilling of boreholes at the various communities.

This was after a hydrological survey indicates that it is possible to bring water to these areas at the depth of 550 feet using rigging machine, which has commenced to the joy of the people.

This water project has an estimated cost of more than ten million naira considering the enormous mat erials and equipment deployed to the site that include tanks, manpower, amongst others.

According to the project supervisor Okenwa Kalu Eleanya, all the necessary logistics have been taken into consideration by the federal legislator. Hon Nkole and promised to deliver the job in the shortest time.

The traditional ruler of Ndiokereke Abam, Micah kanu and union Chairman, Chukwuma Egbuta thanked the federal legislator for the efforts and hinted that the project site would be well secured.

This is the first time in the history of Abam Community that such magnitude of water project is being installed, the nearest to water project was a hand-pump which was sunk over 50 years ago.

August 14, 2015
Joy as Total lifts orphanages in Rivers

The management of Total Exploration and Production (E&P) Nigeria Limited visited two orphanage homes in Rivers State as part of the company’s social responsibility. The orphanages visited were the Compassionate Centre at Nkpogu road Port Harcourt and Global Foundation for Orphaned located at Mercy land Estate, Nkpolu, in Rivers State.

Mr. Ikwuazom Norbert, the Manager, Public Relations in Total’s Port Harcourt district, led the team to the Compassionate Centre. The excited children and management of the home welcomed the team with a special song.

The items donated included toiletries, food items like instance noodles, canned foods, cooking oil and other essentials everyday items.

Receiving the items on behalf of other children of the home, a 10-year-old old inmate of the home, Master Barry Edora, thanked Total E &P Nigeria Limited for considering them as part of the children in the society. He said the items brought before them would go a long way in taking care of the needs of the children in the home. The young child also expressed his appreciation to the management of the home, as he told the Total team that they were well taken care of.

Appreciating the donations, Sister Pauline Butler, who is the Coordinator of the home, commended members of the public for the sacrifices they make in giving generously towards the upkeep of the needy. She however said the donation by the Total E &P Nigeria Limited showed that they are indeed an oil giant.

She said the survival of the home depends on free will donations by the members of the public and appealed to constant help and remembrance of children forced to seek succor their because they were abandoned by their own parents families.

“We have 42 children staying with us; we feed, clothe and take care of them. We also pay their school fees. Though, we expect members of the public to always come to our aid, we realized that our most challenge here is lack of constant electricity. We spend a lot on fuel powering the hostels and the entire home. We believe that God will always take care of His children.”

The Total E&P team led by Mr Ikwuazom also visited the Global Foundation for Orphaned located at Mercy Land Estate, Nkpolu, in Obio/Akpor Local government area. Here the story about the home is somehow interesting and different from the Compassionate Centre. Unlike the latter where most of the children are at the infant stage, some of the children at Global Foundation for Orphaned are now adult; a couple of them have graduated from the university, and a few numbers of them are presently in universities both in Nigeria and abroad. It was also gathered that about four of them wrote the last West African Examination Council (WAEC) exam.

The Coordinator of the home, Mr. Cliff Jarrell, who like Sister Butler is a foreigner, said it was God that directed the company to take the gesture to their home despite the fact that there are many orphanage homes in Port Harcourt where they could have donated the items.

He said the items donated were just what the home used on daily basis, especially the little children among them. He said the challenge of taking care of the needy and abandoned children was growing, revealing that he had just received a call from University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) where a woman had abandoned her baby and ran away. He said that showed that they cannot relent in their service in spite of the challenges of how to take care of the needs of their wards.

“The most important thing is to thank God for directing your step here and making Total E &P to show love to us. We are trying our best, one of them is in Delta State studying Petroleum Engineering and one is at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO). Others are abroad studying too, and presently some are writing WAEC. We pray that God will continue to bless you, it could have been another home but you chose to assist us.

Jarrell used the opportunity to pay tribute to his Nigerian wife, saying, “Without my wife Nkiruka, the foundation wouldn’t have gotten to where it is today. It is just a home not like an institution. I came to Nigeria 22 years ago to work at a mission hospital.

“They called me last night that a baby was left yesterday night at UPTH, another boy has been abandoned in another hospital. So we will continue to assist. The children are more than 40. The challenges are what every family is facing, how to raise them in a way that they would be healthy, happy and productive. We want them to have their own impact in the society, how to train them in school and how to feed them. Some unique challenges we have is that we have a blind girl that is in school, she is in boarding house, we have another girl that is paralyzed she is also in school. When you lose your parents, you also lose your sense of identity.”

Responding, Ikwuazom said the gesture is part of the company’s human face policy and social responsibility. He said Total had being doing such for many years because the company is more interested in giving back to the society.

Ikwuazom said: “This is what we do in every festive time like Christmas and Easter but because of the heat of the 2015 election we decided to choose this period for it. Total as a company has a policy that promotes human lives and dignity and the motherless babies and other especial homes are not left out. It is an age-long practice of the company that gives them the opportunity to show love to others.”

May 15, 2015
Joy in Enyimba City

The joy of victory was not confined to the North or West; it coursed through the length and breadth of the country including Aba, the commercial hub of the Southeast.

Enyimba City, especially the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) went wild with joy as the party’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner of the election. Chants of Sai Buhari and APC erupted. Hands went up in the air. It was the best piece of news they had heard since the run-up to the polls.

They had been waiting for news, and finally, it came, with relief.

The chairman of the party in Abia State, Mr. Donatus Nwankpa described Gen. Buhari’s victory as a new dawn in the country.

“It is a time of rebuilding the 16 years ruin of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a time that all hands must be on deck to give the country its deserved right of place among the comity of nations,” Dr. Nwankpa told our reporter.

Continuing, he said, “The task ahead of Buhari’s administration is enormous. The economy of this country is in comatose. This is the time to change the situation that the PDP-led administration has plunged the county into. The first thing that we expect from him is to give this country a sense of direction. He should avoid wastages because one of the problems of this country is wastage arising from corruption, embezzlement, fraud and mismanagement.

“It is not a time for tea-party. They have a lot of jobs to do because this country, as far we know right now, is losing in infrastructure among others. It is a time to sit up and give Nigerians the real dividends of democracy because there are a lot of expectations on him. To defeat a sitting president among the black African countries and third world countries is a difficult thing. So, for anybody history has beckoned on with such a huge responsibility will know that he has enormous responsibility and the major thing that we Nigerians owe him is our prayers.”

He further expressed his hope that the emergence of Buhari would end insurgency and curb to the minimum, the impact of militant and militia groups that have been unleashing mayhem on innocent Nigerians which the PDP administration failed to tackle in the past four years.

Also speaking, Prince Chigbundu Igwe, Abia State APC House of Assembly candidate for Aba South State Constituency said Buhari’s victory would help the party in boosting its support base in the state. He expressed optimism that the APC was going to come out strong in the April 11 polls.

Explaining why he is vying for the position, he said Aba South State Constituency has been so unlucky, especially in the last eight years to have people who only think of how to enrich themselves instead of working for the interest of the people that elected them into the office, a situation he said he was going to correct.

Prince Igwe, who lamented absence of tangible infrastructure in one of the densely populated local government areas, said he was going to use his influence to attract government presence to the area, promising to give the people quality representation.

He urged the electorate to use their PVCs wisely by ensuring that they voted massively for him and other members of the party during the April 11 polls to enthrone good and quality leadership.

April 3, 2015
The joy of water

It might not mean much to those who have it in abundance but to Ugbele residents in Imo State, seeing water for the first time was enough to celebrate. OKODILI NDIDI reports

Can anyone be happier than a people with a problem solved? In Ugbele, a community in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, residents jumped for joy, sang and danced as their first water borehole was inaugurated. Their traditional rulers, in full regalia, were present to see taps run for the first time in their community.

Decades of thirst and torture had come to an end.

Before the commissioning of the project, which was single-handedly built and donated to the community by the Uzotex Foundation, funded by a renowned philanthropist, Mr. Festus Mbisiogu, Ugbele residents walked over 3km to fetch water from the Orashi River.

Apart from the fact that the water from the river was not safe for drinking and other domestic purposes, the youths who normally go to the river contended with the risk of climbing the hill through a narrow pathway that has been devastated by gully erosion.

For several decades, this community with a population over 3000, waited endlessly for government intervention, which never came until their plight, caught the attention of the China based businessman, who had already provided water in 17 other communities in the Council Area.

The traditional ruler of Ugbele community, Eze Richard Okoro, who witnessed the commissioning alongside other monarchs from neighboring communities, described the project as a “huge relief”.

He said that, “life is difficult without water and we had to live with this challenge for decades without hope at sight. It is even more difficult for the elderly, who can no longer walk the over three kilometers to the Orashi River or climb the hill. But now with this water borehole in place, our people can now have access to water at any time of the day.

“We are grateful to Uzotex Foundation for what they have done and as the traditional ruler of Ugbele community I am most grateful and happy that this historic event happened during my time. We are also appealing to other illustrious sons of the LGA to join hands and develop the communities because the government alone cannot it.”

Speaking at the event, Mbisiogu (the donor), said that he initiated the programme to provide water for all the communities in Ideato South and North Council Areas of the state, after considering the plight they go through on daily basis just to get water.

“The idea,” he said, “started during the burial ceremony of my late mother, when the water tanker that was paid to supply water broke down on the way and all the people that came to visit me where stranded because there was no water and we had to go the three kilometers to fetch water from the river. It was a difficult task and after then I told myself that this must end and that was how the whole idea started”.

He also added that, “after I got the insight that God wanted to use me to provide water for the people, I didn’t hesitate because it is proper to support the state government. This project is my way of contributing to the development of the state and it is also a call on other successful individuals to join hands and develop the communities. The essence is to stop the sufferings of our people”.

Charging the beneficiaries to ensure adequate maintenance of the borehole, Mbisiogu, disclosed that an average of N2 million was spent on each of the 18 boreholes, outside the cost of the generating sets provided to ensure constant power supply.

Octogenarians, majority of them, women who leaned on their walking sticks, danced and prayed for the donor, as water gushed out of the taps for the first time in the history of the community. Young men and women were not left out as they struggled to be the first to fetch from the borehole.

February 6, 2015
Carnival for orphans, physically challenged brings joy, hope

Children from different orphanage homes in Oyo, Ogun and Osun States and some other less privileged persons in the society, including the physically challenged, were brought together in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital recently in a carnival-like atmosphere by Care People Foundation to celebrate them and offer some forms of assistance. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU was there.

It was not the usual carnival where people gathered once in a while to celebrate, rejoice and make merry. This was a carnival with a difference to remember the needy and voiceless in the society and take care of the critical aspects of their needs.

Though not totally devoid of merry making, the carnival organised by the Care People Foundation for motherless babies and handicapped persons, essentially was meant to show love, affection and care for the less privileged in the society.

The event which took place a couple of weeks ago at the Foundation’s centre along the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway drew children from orphanages from Oyo, Osun and Ogun States and witnessed march-past/parade by the orphans, football match featuring the physically challenged, children games and distribution of gifts and prizes.

Mr. Mojeed Olabode, who had problems standing on his feet since birth was one of the beneficiaries of the 50 brand new wheel chairs donated by the Foundation through the philanthropy of some affluent individuals in the society.

In spite of his physical challenges, Olabode is an Ewi exponent and father of five boys. Yet, his dream in life was to be able to save part of the earnings from his Ewi music and buy a wheel chair. But his pains were turned into joy when a new wheel chair was handed over to him at the carnival.

“For more than two decades, I could not buy a wheel chair because it is very expensive and I could not afford it from my earnings”, Olabode said.

Unlike Olabode , Pastor Remi Alao was not born with any disability but got one after he was involved in a ghastly auto crash on his way to Kwara state from Lagos. Alao, a preacher could not afford to buy a wheel chair which he said had been a major problem in his life.

Both Messrs Olabode and Alao were among hundreds of physically challenged persons who benefited from the 50 new wheel chairs distributed at the carnival by the Foundation as part of the annual event.

Some of the beneficiaries could not hold their emotions as they expressed joy and gratitude to the Foundation. Young children, all orphans, also received various gifts. Adorned in their best dresses, the children filled the long canopies with well prepared dishes and soft drinks to savour. It was a memorable day for them. Others were busy serving dishes to the invited guests as ushers. They were also well dressed.

On the high table was the Chairman of the occasion, Professor Isaac Adeyemi, the Vice Chancellor of Bells University, Sango Ota, Ogun state in the company with his wife.

Also present was the Chairman, Governing Council of the Foundation, Dr Abib Olamitoye, owner of Ibadan Central Hospital.

On what motivated the gesture, Dr Olamitoye told The Nation during an interview shortly after the event that:” As parents we have our own children, but the children here are not the same. They depend on strangers. They have no parents, no one to call daddy, no one to call mummy. So we want to be here and find a way to empower them”.

He explained further the need to turn the orphanage into a children village with modern facilities, stating that efforts have been made in this regard to reach out to individuals whose hearts move them to give to the needy.

“We have the vision of creating a village here. The kind of school we want to start this January, if you look to the left, Oyo state Government is building homes here; we expect that the quality of the school will be able to cater in the immediate future for the children that will come into these new homes. They will mix with these motherless children. That is why we want to focus on the quality of teachers and then the standard of the school; a school that will raise children that will be leaders of tomorrow. This is the kind of vision we have for this centre.

“Then, in the future we want to bring in more children from other orphanage homes because all these other homes do not have the kind of facility we have here. So, after we have started the school, we are going to build more dormitories for the children so that in the near future we will have children village here; in the near future we will have schools for the handicap and motherless children and for the physically challenged, the blind, deaf and less privileged.

“Other children that are on the streets, that cannot find their bearings in the society we want to incorporate them here so that we can rid the society of the horror of seeing children that carry low capacity to achieve basic education, “ Dr Olamitoye said.

The Chairman of the Foundation, Reverend Paul Tunde Tioluwani thanked all those who have brought smiles on the faces of the less privileged and the orphans in their time of need.

Since the establishment of the orphanage in 1999, several young children have been trained to become leaders in their fields. One of them, according to Tioluwani, recently graduated as a civil engineer.

“My first graduate came out last year as a civil engineer. And about two or three months ago he joined the Nigerian Army. This was a young man that we picked under the bridge as a boy, we never knew that he can become that academically brilliant because he used his academic certificate to join the Army. So, our Foundation goes beyond housing people here, we organise programmes. Last November we had a quiz competition for all secondary schools in Oyo state. We also give out scholarships to indigent students. We have given out thousands of scholarships along that line”, he said.

Reverend Tioluwani, however, urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of giving to the less privileged in their midst, and not develop apathy towards the handicapped.

He described such attitude as not only ungodly but unloving.

“In Nigeria people look at children of orphanages as people that have no tomorrow, but they have forgotten that there are people who grew up in orphanages and they are shaking the world. I have been told that the present manager of Chelsea Football Club grew up in an orphanage and so many like that. So, you don’t conclude a man’s tomorrow because you are not the one that created him.”

The highlight of the event was a football match among the handicapped which thrilled the audience.

February 4, 2015