Job Osazuwa
Ojuelegba roundabout is notorious, noisy and scary. Night crawlers would always say that Ojuelegba, with its hyperactive nature, knows no day or night. The noise pollution is high. The situation is further compounded by urchins who mill around aimlessly, creating situations that could sometimes threaten innocent commuters, some of whom have lost valuables in skirmishes initiated by the ubiquitous area boys.
The above scenario probably explains why Ojuelegba is usually not a preferred venue for corporate events. Most organisations would rather not have anything to do with the area, except perhaps to mount their product or service billboards at strategic positions in the axis.
But Wednesday, October 23 was a different day at Ojuelegba. On that day, giant telecoms firm, Globacom, held its first prize presentation to winners of the ongoing “Recharge and Win Big” promo, popularly known as My Own Don Beta. The prizes included tricycles, sewing machines, power generators and grinding machines.
The company seeks to empower hundreds of Nigerians with entrepreneurial tools through the promo it launched on October 3.
The company said the promo would benefit the people by bringing new prosperity to the lower rung of society.
Recently, while welcoming Governor Simon Lalong to the Glo stand at the Jos International Trade Fair, the Zonal Business Coordinator, North East Zone of Globacom, Mr. Muyiwa Ogundimu, said the on-going promo would give winners tools that would help them set up their own businesses.
On Thursday October 17, 2019, the first draw in the promo was conducted at the Computer Village, Lagos, where 10 Glo subscribers won tricycles, known as Keke Marwa. Winners also emerged for all the other listed prizes.
The list of those who were at the Ojuelegba ceremony to present the prizes to winners is a Dignitaries at the event include Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs Folashade Jaji; popular actors like Ibidun Allison (Amebo), Jide Kosoko, Shola Shobowale and Patience Ozokwor, aka Mama G, comedian Samuel Perry, aka Broda Shaggi; Iyaloja of Ojuelegba, Mrs Mojisola Sanusi; and Assistant Director, Nigeria Lottery and Regulatory Commission, Mrs Joy Okunna.
At the event, another draw was conducted for a new set of 60 winners, while those who won at the first draw received their prizes with excitement.
Michael Stanley, a truck driver who won a Keke, said, “I was sleeping when Desmond from Glo called and said I had won a Keke. It was like a dream. I feel super excited because I never believed something like this can happen. I live at Ikorodu and work at Apapa. The keke is empowerment. I will give it to someone to be driving and be paying me on a daily basis.”
Oyewoga Adewale, a 39-year-old teacher at Abusi Edumare Academy, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, won a generator. She said: “I feel very happy. The generator will be useful in these days of epileptic power supply.”
Halima Yekeen, 24-year-old winner of industrial sewing machine, is a student at Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade. She expressed gratitude to Glo, just like 19-year-old Akinyode Oladimeji Sunday who won a sewing machine. Akinyode said he would learn how to sew clothes, noting that one stream of income was not enough. The teenager, who resides at Orile Agege in Lagos is also an apprentice barber.
Michael Kayode, who won a grinding machine, said he would give the machine to his mother, a trader at Imota.
Joel Ndifreka Kufre said he was excited to become a tricycle owner, courtesy of the promo. Also in the winners’ list was Mrs Hafeez Aminat, a foodstuff trader at Agbede, Ikorodu. She won a tricycle, which she said she would use for business.
Akinbowale Adewale Babatunde, another tricycle winner, said she graduated two weeks ago with a B.Sc. in Architecture from Caleb University.
“God just sent Glo to give me a means of investment. I will hand it over to my parents to use it as business for me,” she said.
Alfred Emmanuel Ejike, who hails from Enugu, won a grinding machine. He said he didn’t recharge his Glo line for some months but he decided to recharge with N200 and he won the prize.
The regulatory body in charge of promos in Nigeria attested to the veracity of the winning process adopted by Glo. Mrs Joy Okunna, Assistant Director, Nigeria Lottery and Regulatory Commission (NLRC), said: “The commission was set up to ensure credibility in lottery business. We are here to ensure that things are creditably done. I want to commend Globacom for following due process.”
Iyaloja of Ojuelegba, Mrs Mojisola Sanusi, commended Glo for always putting Nigerians first in what it does. She prayed that God would continue to prosper the company.
Globacom’s Regional Manager (Primary), Lagos, Mr. Ande Abdulrazaq said that it was the tradition of the company to periodically empower Nigerians. He said the gifts won by the subscribers would not only add value to their lives but could make them employers of labour.
“Today, hundred people are going home with awards. But we are moving from one location or city to another where more than a thousand Nigerians are expected to win different prizes. What we are doing is a confirmation of our resolve to add value to the lives of our subscribers. And this is a fulfilment of our promise to our customers that by recharging just N200 and above, their lives could be transformed.
“At Globacom, we believe that instead of giving people free gifts that they can easily use and forget, we should create more employment by empowering people.”
The draw done at Ojuelegba was the second live draws to be held to pick winners in the promo. According to Globacom, the lucky subscribers that emerged from the second draw would receive their prizes in Abuja this week.
Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Jaji said: “Congratulations to all winners and to Globacom for coming up with this initiative. I urge other firms to emulate this gesture.”