| A journalist’s
large heart
By MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, Abeokuta
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
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(L-R) Gani Adams, Chief Solomon Lawal and Adedayo
• PHOTO: Sun News Publishing
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For the people of Ijebu-Ife, a sleepy community in Ijebu-East
Local Government Area of Ogun State, Saturday, March 28, 2008
would remain evergreen in their minds.
It was the day a ‘son of the soil’, Mr. Wale Adedayo,
a journalist and Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Ogun State
Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, brought smiles to the faces
of scores of people in the community.
Adedayo, former political editor with The Punch newspaper,
donated various items, including sewing machines, hairdressing
equipment and other accessories to 99 people in the area.
It was a day the indigenes, young and old, were full of encomiums
for Wale, fondly called Babalawo by his friends and admirers,
for giving back to the society that had provided him an opportunity
to serve the state government in different folds.
To the CPS, poverty eradication should not be left entirely
in the hands of just the three tiers of government.
"Individuals and corporate bodies can also help their
communities through their own small quota which will go a
long way in alleviating the suffering of our people".
Beneficiaries of the CPS gesture cut across the 11 wards of
the Ijebu-East Local Government Area of the state. And that
fact was not lost on the chairman, Hon. Tunde Oladunjoye,
who expressed gratitude to his kinsman for assisting the people.
It was not the first time ‘Babalowo,’ would give
back to the society where he was born about 42 years ago.
In the past, he has paid for the General Certificate Education
of about 70 people in Ijebu-Ode. When the results came out,
80 percent of those who sat for the examination had at least
five credits, including English and Mathematics.
Said Adedayo: "Let no one make mistakes, I’m not
doing this for any political gains. I would have done this
early last year, but I deliberately delayed it so that people
would not read political meanings to it. The thing is, whatever
little I can do now, let me just do it to the glory of God
who gave me the opportunity to do it.
"I am grateful to God and Otunba Gbenga Daniel for giving
me the opportunity to serve and impact on my people because
my working in government has given me ample opportunities
which I will continue to explore for the benefit of my people.
For me, I derive pleasure in assisting my fellow human beings
because it is through this that one helps the society at large.
Wale urged Nigerians, irrespective of their social status,
to assist their immediate communities with their wealth in
order to eradicate poverty in the country.
"Life has not been a bed of roses for me as a kid. I
have tasted poverty", he sqaid. "I know how my mum
struggled hard to raise me and my siblings particularly after
the death of my father, when I was barely six. Today, people
may see me as an achiever, but coming this far in life was
not an easy task.
I have struggled to be what I am today through the grace of
God. For somebody who grew up in Mushin, a place known for
notoriety in Lagos, and educated in Ajegunle to have come
this far is through the grace of God. I will continue to share
whatever I have with my people whether I am in government
positions or not".
This view was also shared by the National Coordinator of the
Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams who wanted
privileged Nigerians to emulate ‘Babalawo,’ who
has assisted the youths in becoming self-employed.
His words: "That Wale is giving back to the society is
highly commendable. But I must add that this is not a surprise
to me. I believe he will do more than this. Not just for the
people of his local government, but the entire Ogun State
will benefit from his Wale’s heart. He believes in the
masses. He is a humble and loyal personality. As a journalist
in The Punch, he fought through pen and paper for the country
to have this democracy. He is a lover of the people, especially
the poor".
Chairman of Ijebu-East Local Government, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye,
who lauded Adedayo’s lofty idea added that his administration
would encourage and support programmes of individuals that
would better the lots of people of the area.
Asked why most of the beneficiaries were women, Adedayo explained:
"You have a few men among them, but the women dominate
because they are the most vulnerable. Deliberately, I have
a bias for females. You see when anything negative happens,
it is the women that suffer most. In wars, they will lose
their husbands and their children. I told you my father died
when I was just six and I know what my mum went through. My
grandfather died when my father was four and I know what my
grandmother went through. My great grandfather too, he was
not up to 40 when he died.
I know what women went through in Liberia. Most of them were
not only raped, their children were killed either right before
their eyes or elsewhere. Once you empower a woman, you indirectly
empowering that society. This is why I am female biased in
this programme".
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with Daily Sun expressed
delight at what they described as Adedayo’s large heart.
Serifat Odunuga could not hide her excitement. "We would
forever be grateful to Uncle Wale for what he did for us.
He has helped me achieve one of my dreams in life. As an orphan,
I dropped out of secondary school and later became an apprentice
at a beautician’s shops in the town. It was extremely
difficult for me to be on my own after graduation. But with
this hair dressing equipment and accessories given to me free
of charge by uncle Wale, I will go places," she said.
Another beneficiary of the CPS philanthropic gesture, Mrs
Oluwaseun Adetayo, was also full of gratitude to ‘Babalawo’.
Said she: "He has done the unexpected in this town. We
would forever be grateful to him. May God continue to assist
him in what he’s doing now and in his future undertakings.
With this gesture, Uncle Wale has demonstrated that you don’t
have to own the whole world before you can assist your fellow
human beings, and my prayer is that may God reward him abundantly."
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