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Sujimoto Company: “Olajumoke Is A Lifetime Project”

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The story keeps getting bigger and bigger for this former Agege Bread Seller who is now a renowned International Model. After initially refusing to comment, CEO of Luxury Real Estate Company, Sujimoto Construction Company, Sijibomi Ogundele, has finally decided to clear the air on his magnanimity to Olajumoke.

What stirred your interest in Olajumoke the Bread Seller?

The Olajumoke story could be any Lagosian’s story. Lagos has a population of about 21 million people. Only 15-20% of these people are the actual indigenes of Lagos.

The remaining majority left their comfort zones to come look for opportunities in Lagos. My mother came to Lagos when she was just like Olajumoke, selling Bread and Bournvita.

She realised that there was more profit in Bournvita than in Bread. So, she quickly focused on Bournvita and that little business expanded, transforming her into a Distributor for Cadbury and one of the top five Distributors for Nestle.

About 16 million people living in Lagos today can relate to Olajumoke’s story, because they are people who left their cities to look for that great opportunity Lagos has for us.

Can you tell us about the luxury accommodation you gave her?

It is very important for people not to misinterpret our true intentions. We did not buy Olajumoke an apartment. We have paid for rent for a few years.

We are in the process of furnishing it tastefully. Someone might say after furnishing it, what next? What if she cannot renew her rent? Should in three or four years the rent expire and God forbid she has no capacity to renew her rent, are we going to leave her? Of course not, we have an obligation to extend it until she finds her feet.

The Olajumoke story is a lifetime project for us at Sujimoto. It is our intention to help her discover her true potential and translate them into success.

It is our intention to give educational scholarships to her children. We will also help empower her husband to find employment. But first, we will send him for proper training to enhance his existing skills, because an aluminum fabricator in Osun state may not have the same level of expertise as the one in Lagos.

We are not going to let Olajumoke be a celebrity just in the news. She will be an empowered Celebrity. All this promises we shall achieve before the end of 2016.

What can Nigerians do for Olajumoke?

As a nation, it is our dreams that unite us and it is its opportunities that empower us. The patriotic spirit telling us we are our brothers’ keepers, is what makes this nation the greatest in Africa.

If a man is in Borno state cannot afford food, that matters to me, even if he is not my biological brother. If a lady in Enugu finds it difficult to pay for her daughter’s school fees.

It pains me because her daughter might as well be my sister. If there is a bread hawker from Osun who has no education or accommodation but has hope that the great city of Lagos can give her the opportunity to achieve her dreams, why should I not want to be the first to provide these basic needs for her?

I can’t solve all of her problems, but I will do my bit and hope society takes it up from there.

The Thomases and the Pessimists: What’s your opinion?

We need to get rid of the Thomases among us who only see the bad in every situation. In today’s world with all the need for prayer in this nation, there is no room for pessimism.

The only way this nation can move forward is to start being optimistic and have faith in the unknown; to have courage in the existing and show appreciation to the few, instead of condemnation.

People are more attracted to unrewarding conversations. What did you give her? What did you do for her? Where did you send her? It is important for us as a nation to start appreciating the good done by a few people who care enough to do them.

An average Nigerian is a giver, that is why people give so much to churches and other religious organisations.

I want to believe that the greatness of this nation derives from its peoples’ ability to be appreciative of the very little things or the kind gestures of the good Samaritans.

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FAAN shuts KFC outlet that humiliated Gbenga Daniel’s wheelchair-bound son

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has shut down a KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

This move came less than a day after the airport branch of the fast-food restaurant allegedly humiliated a wheelchair user, Adebola Daniel, the son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel.

Sharing his experience, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Daniel said he was “made to feel “less than human” because of his disability.

He said while passing the time alongside his wife and siblings, at the restaurant ahead of his flight, a manager of the restaurant told him to leave the premises because “No wheelchairs allowed.”

“To be disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome and unaccepted. As I’ve said before, it’s a lonely, scary and isolated place. Never has this been more true than it has ever been today where I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand, KFC at an international airport – Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – is unthinkable,” he said.

Reacting, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, announced in a statement on Thursday, March 28, 2024, that the restaurant has been shut down.

According to the statement signed by Obiageli Orah, the law clearly states, “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle, or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person.” This legislation underscores the seriousness with which the Nigerian authorities view discrimination, particularly in spaces accessible to the public.

The incident came to light after a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM) reported on social media the unfair treatment they encountered at the KFC outlet within the airport premises.

Reacting to these allegations, FAAN’s MD/CE, Olubunmi Kuku assembled a team to investigate the claims. The team included other officials of the agency such as the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, and the Regional Manager South West, Sunday Ayodele, among others.

Following the investigation, FAAN said the allegations were confirmed to be true and proceeded to close the KFC facility implicated in the discriminatory act.

As part of the corrective measures, KFC management has been instructed to issue a written apology to the affected individual and to publicly display a policy statement of non-discrimination at their facility.

This statement must be visibly placed at the entrance of the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport before the establishment is allowed to resume operations.

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FCT court discharges, acquits Adoke in OPL 245 trial

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Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the FCT high court has dismissed the charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy filed against Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation, by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ruling on the “no case” submission made by Adoke, Kutigi said the EFCC failed to prove its charges of fraud, bribery and money laundering and ruled that the defendant has no case to answer.

He discharged and acquitted the former minister on all counts.

The judge said the allegation of illegal tax waivers granted to Shell and Eni was not corroborated by the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) or any authority in government.

On the alleged N300 million bribe said to have been given to Adoke by Abubakar, the court ruled that the EFCC did not provide any evidence to prove its case.

Nigeria has now lost virtually all the cases it filed or joined in Italy, the UK and Nigeria.

This is expected to finally bring litigation over the OPL 245 saga to a close.

The EFCC had earlier conceded that it did not have sufficient evidence to oppose the applications by Adoke, who was listed as first defendant, and others — although it insisted that Rasky Gbinigie had a case to answer over the alleged forgery of company documents to remove the name of Mohammed Abacha as a director.

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DHQ declares eight wanted over murder of army personnel in Delta

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The Defence Headquarters has declared eight persons wanted in connection to the killing of army personnel in Okuama community, Delta state.

The 17 army personnel were killed on March 14 during an operation in the community.

DHQ named those declared wanted as Akeywiru Omotegbono, Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi, Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Oghenerukevwe and Reuben Baru.

The names of the deceased soldiers are A.H Ali, D.E Obi, S.D. Ashafa, U. Zakari, , Yahaya Saidu, Danbaba Yahaya, Kabir Bashir, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Bulus Haruna, Sole Opeyemi, Bello Anas, Alhaji Isah, Clement Francis, Abubakar Ali, Adamu Ibrahim, Hamman Peter, and Ibrahim Adamu.

After the killing of the army personnel, President Bola Tinubu and the military high command promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

On Wednesday, the personnel were buried at the military cemetery in Abuja and were posthumously conferred with national honours by President Tinubu.

The president also offered scholarships to children of the late officers.

Speaking during the burial ceremony of the late personnel at the military cemetery in Abuja, Taoreed Lagbaja, chief of army staff (COAS), said it was “highly demoralising” that the soldiers were killed by those they were equipped to protect.

The army chief added that it took over 72 hours of searching to recover the vital organs of some of the deceased soldiers.

He added that the Nigerian Army exercised “a lot of restraint” in the search for missing arms and body parts of the deceased soldiers.

The army chief also said some of the widows of the slain officers are pregnant.

“The Okuama killing has added to the care of the Nigerian Army and, by extension, the Nigerian state, 10 widows, three of whom are four, five, and eight months pregnant, 21 orphans, and many other dependents, which include parents,” Lagbaja said.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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