Poverty is no one’s friend. How can someone be stupendously poor while another is fantastically rich? Only God can provide an answer or should we ask Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, two Nigerians who are among the richest people in Africa.
In a recent interview she granted a national newspaper recently, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija told the world the source of her wealth and how she laboured to get to her present status, attributing her achievements to the Almighty God.
Unlike some selfish rich people, who pocket their wealth, starch them away in foreign banks, dig underground bunkers and safes to hide their money or look after only their families and friend, Mrs. Alakija is empowering the people, especially women, and educating children. She has proved to be a woman with a difference who will not extravagantly wasted her wealth on frivolous and mundane things. She is concerned as a God fearing woman and revealed that God inspires business women to help the poor and the needy. She is doing this through her philanthropic organization, the Rose of Sharon Foundation.
On Friday July 15, 2016, she clocked sixty-five (65) years on earth and celebrates four decades of marital bliss. She decided to celebrate it in a stylish manner, lavishing praises on the Almighty God for enabling her live well to accomplish the little or much she has done.
At the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, friends, relations, associates and well-wishers gathered for the celebration. It was a show of the creme de la creme from within and outside Nigeria.
From the entrance of the hotel and the hall, it was clear, a billionaire was celebrating.
This writer who, has hosted and attended many occasions, know that the decoration alone would have gulped about five (5) million naira, beside the cost of renting the big hall.
Another unique thing about the party was the class of invitees. They were captains of industries, bankers, politicians and women of substances, who dominated the population of invitees. They all enveloped inside Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island,
This writer felt proud to be an Ikorodu indigene seeing an Ikorodu daughter attaining such height of success and hosting such a galaxy of eminent personalities.
Mrs. Alakija was present with members of her nuclear and extended families.
In various interviews she had granted the press, she had always thanked God and her husband for her achievements. It was a unique experience for this reporter, who went in the company of His Majesty, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu and his wife, Olori Kudirat Shotobi to witness this one in town celebration.
Earlier that day, there was a thanksgiving service at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.
By 4:00pm, the celebrant and her husband stepped into the lavishly decorated hall. She was glittering like a diamond, radiating beauty, glamour, joy and self fulfilment. Heralded by music she danced like a star. Unless you were present, you will not believe the rich and powerful can also dance well. The party could not have be more glamorous, every around Oriental Hotel knew that a big party was going on.
Rather than bringing the like of King Sunny Ade, Mrs. Alakija invited a gospel music band from Redeemed Christian Church of God as she profusely praised and thanked God. The Faith Music band was standing by but an Evangelist performer dominated the hall most of the time. Also comedians, Koffi and Helen Paul were there to make the hall lively
From the time the programme started to the end, it was joy galore. The tune of the programme did not leave anyone in doubt about the place God occupied in this occasion. He was put first and foremost. The musical performances by a United Kingdom based vocalist, the musical performance by Mrs. Doreen Jacob and the rendition of the soloist, Elsie Otto, all pointed to tributes to the Almighty God and the celebrant’s success in life.
When kings, queens, princes and princesses wine and dine, it must be a bountiful buffet. The menu for the Chinese buffet was tantalizing. It comprised finger food, assorted appetizers, soup, main dish of various kinds, and dessert.
Can you beat the sumptuous Nigerian menu, which displayed, different dishes and combination of rice, pounded yam, amala assorted meat, etc. etc.
While the buffet lasted, Mrs. Alakija’s foundation, the Rose of Sharon gave an exciting presentation of her book, which was reviewed by Pastor Shola Adesoye. The book was later unveiled amid fireworks.
Earlier, a documentary on the life and times of the celebrant, Mrs. Alakija had been shown, detailing everything about this great lady of eminence. Alakija, with her husband, Modupe, four sons and grand children, cut her birthday cake.
One of the interesting items on the programme of that day was the Treasure Hunt which preceded the flowery dance by the celebrant and her guests.
This reporter had the first close contact with Mrs. Alakija in 2015, August during the activities marking the coronation of Oba Kabiru Shotobi. It was a great privileges see and hear this noble lady speak to Ikorodu people as she witnessed the chieftaincy ceremonies involving two of her family members. She made a notable promise to build a memorable center in the palace for Ikorodu kingdom. Everyone has been looking forward to the fulfilment of that pledge, believing that charity begins from one’s home.
At Kabiyesi’s palace last year, this writer had assumed that Folorunsho is a conservative lady but unknown to him, she is a lively personality. At sixty five (65), she is still very active and very vibrant as witnessed at her 65th birthday celebration, where the vivacious lady exploded with joy and vitality.
As she went round the tables in the hall to appreciate her guests, we saw simplicity, humility and modesty in exhibition. There was no air of importance or superiority around her. Surrounded by her faithful friend and close associates, she thanked everyone, who came to rejoice with her, taking photos with guests including this reporter, who had a memorable shot with her, and Oba Shotobi and wife. When she came to the kabiyesi’s table, she paid due respect to the king and his wife.
It was indeed a wonderful and beautiful outing. This reporter was proud to come from Ikorodu because this lady of substance had made every Ikorodu indigene highly exalted by her achievements especially Kabiyesi Shotobi.
X-raying the life of Mrs. Alakija as displayed in the documentary film showed on that day as well as the press interview he granted on her 65th birthday, Oriwu Sun picked out some striking features of this distinguished lady.
One would normally see every rich woman as a flamboyant person, who will have a retinue of paid maids to do her manicure and pedicure or a costly salon, where she goes for daily make up. But Mrs. Alakija said she is looking her natural self, exercising when she is opportuned. She says she is not a selective eater, or the type that goes for special foods. She told journalists that she eats everything and anything she likes without discrimination. She has not gone for any special treatments to alter her natural looking including massaging. She is not a big eater, not fussy about her foods but likes things that taste nice.
Amazingly, she confessed that apart from two weeks to her 65th birthday, she had her facials done, which she had not indulged in for almost two years. She attributes her present looks to God’s grace.
Saying more about her life style, she admitted she had been doing some of the things she ought not to including liking chocolates and some sweet things. Today, she prefers drinking water on daily basis to fizz drinks.
Mrs. Alakija confessed that she starts her day with God. It is her cup of tea. After consultation with her creator, she faces her home looking after her husband, whom she says she greets each morning with a kiss; then making notes for her staff on the day’s business activities.
She explained how she balanced her vast businesses with her domestic obligation saying that she prioritizes assignment. Sometimes she sits alone till early hours of the day downloading issues, jotting down assignment, choosing the staff, who are best suited to handle each, setting out daily task, and carrying over the ones she is not able to accomplish.
Commenting on life at sixty five (65), she said that these days, the goal post of life has shifted from forty (40) when people used to say life begins, to fifty (50). Due to economic realities, many are not be able to achieve in forty (40) years their goals. Hence, the shift to fifty (50) years.
Mrs. Alakija, at sixty-five (65), still feel like forty (40) and believes she has the zeal and strength to go extra mile because she is yet to achieve a lot of goals.
She spoke on her passion for the less privileged, lamenting over children who look like skeletons, women impoverished and the need to take care of them through a foundation. Discussing her business and its genesis, she said her fashion outfit drove her to Taiwan to procure machines for her own textiles and fabrics, how she started sourcing material locally because of high cost of the machines, how she went into sourcing monogram machines, then to screen printing. When volumes of souvenir requests increased, she moved to China to source for different kinds of souvenirs to give out to companies for end of year gifts and other programmes.
Transiting between Fashion Designing and monograming and oil business, God spoke to Mrs. Alakija to delve into philanthropy. A lot of people would walk into her shop to ask for different helps and she would minister to them. That was when she was 40 years she had been born again for twenty five (25) years and she preached Jesus to them. They in turn would tell others, who came for similar help. God had spoken to her through the bible to help widows and others in need. She started the rise of Sharon Foundation with some of her friends to teach people how to fish and not to provide fish. It was launched May 23, 2008 and since then, it has helped assisted 1,322 children with scholarships and 88 orphans on scholarship.
This lady comes for a polygamous family. Her father, Alhaji Lamidi Ogbara, had eight wives and fifty two (52) children. She is a child raised in the muslim family background. She was sent abroad with her half-sister at age six and seven as a great privilege, showing she came from an affluent family because at such an age of seven, it was not common to go abroad. Both sisters made news headlines in newspapers. They travelled by sea for fourteen (14) days to get to England.
When they came back to Nigeria four years later to a secondary school (Our Lady or Apostles in Yaba), they became celebrities in that environment.
She remembers her late father who traded in textiles and sandals and made money out of everything he touched. He read only up to standard six (6). By the time he died, there were forty six (46) of his children alive out of the fifty two (52) and he left buildings for each of them.
She recalls with nostalgia how she learnt the textile business from her mum and dad, how the Ogbara children cherished coming home for Ileya festivals, how all the children remain close to one another.
She has been married for forty (40) years and still cherishes her husband and adores him. She says both are very close to each other and hardly stay apart from the other.
