Unveiling Otedola’s new found love

Mr Femi Otedola is reputed for his exploits in oil and gas and other successful investments in Nigeria and abroad. His recent interest in restoring lost hope to the needy has, however, captured public attention. BABA MARIAM examines Otedola’s new love.

To the former Green Eagles Captain Christian Chukwu, the oil magnate, Mr Femi Otedola ranks next to God. Chukwu was not just playing on words to entertain his audience. Rather, he was being truthful to himself and expressing gratitude to Otedola for saving his life from the jaw of death.

 Naija Diaspora recalled a certain health challenge which nearly claimed the life of Chukwu and which made his family to seek financial assistance from the public.

Touched by Chukwu’s family’s appeal, Otedola did not keep them waiting as he provided a sum of N50 million being the amount required to get him right treatment in a UK hospital.  Not long afterwards, the then ailing Chukwu found himself in Wellington Hospital, Londonwhere he underwent a successful surgical operation which rescued him from the claws of death.

 On his return to Nigeria, the highly elated Chukwu on his visit to his benefactor in Lagos, was emotional pouring ointment of gratitude on Otedola whom he described as God sent.

He said, “Otedola has made me. I can play football again. If you saw me before I left for London, you won’t believe I woud be here talking to you. I won’t be making a mistake if I say after God, it is Otedola in my life. I had many complications and I could not walk. When I heard Otedola brought out money for my treatment, I marveled because in my circle, we didn’t know him before then. We have people with us but they forgot or it is not in their character (to help). I don’t know how to thank Otedola enough.”

As if he just picked interest in putting smiles on the faces of old football stars who had represented Nigeria well during their play days, Otedola also got wind of the sorry condition of Nigeria’s former goalkeeper between 1968 and 1971, Peter Fregene and came to his aid.

From the field of Football, Otedola moved his philanthropic gesture to the stage of entertainment where he found the reggae act, Majek Fashek, struggling with his failing health. The famous “rainmaker” was down because of lack of capacity to fund his medical. However, Otedola intervened and saved him just as he saved other two Nigerian actors: Sadiq Daba and Victor Olaotan.

Similarly, his foundation also looked the direction of Augustine University (AUI) in his Epe, Lagos State hometown where he donated a new Engineering Faculty worth N2 billio.

The donation was attended by his mother, Lady Doja, and His Grace, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, the Catholic archbishop of Lagos and the proprietor of the institution.

The most recent of Otedola’s charity was the N5 billion which he donated in support of the ‘Save the Children’ for the rehabilitation of displaced children who are victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the North Eastern part of Nigeria. Otedola’s eldest daughter, Tolani Otedola, stood in for her father at a gala event held in Abuja.

Incidentally, the event was organised by another daughter of Otedola, who is popularly known as DJ Cuppy and an Ambassador for the ‘Save the Children’. As solidarity to his friend’s kind heart, one of Otedola’s friends, Aliko Dangote, also donated N100 million, therefore, bringing the total donation to N5.1 billion.

After the ovation, which greeted the announcement subsided, the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo acknowledged the donation as the single largest by any philanthropist in the country

Also awed by the donation, a social commentator, Reno Omokri said Otedola had put the billionaires of the North East to shame with his donation to a geo-political zone where he has no interest.

The outspoken Omokri queried, “Where are the Indimis, the Mai Deribe family and other oil billionaires from the North East? Google their names and some of the first pictures you will see are of their children in private jets marrying President’s children and displaying obscene wealth while surrounded by extreme poverty. It took a Good Samaritan stranger to do what the natives of the North East failed to do! Shame on them and God bless the talakawa that they have refused to look after.”

Interestingly, Otedola has soul mates in Tony Elumelu, of the Union Bank of Africa (UBA) who founded the Tony Elumelu Foundation. Jim Ovia, the founder of Zenith Bank, who has invested in education with his James Hope College, a world-class, private school in Agbor, Delta and Lagos State, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, of Access Bank and Coronation Capital is also said to have Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG), annually sponsoring five students from Nigeria and Ghana to the University of Oxford, Professor Pat Utomi who supports widows, Florence Ita-Giwa who provides for the poor in Bakassi, Sir Emeka Offor, Mr. Oba Otudeko, Folorunsho Alakija, Otunba Subomi Balogun and Dr Segun Aina Foundation.

Worried by fear of Nigerian factor likely eating into the running of the above foundations, a public analyst wrote,” But it is not enough to make donations or set up a Foundation. There must be transparency and accountability in the management of funds and processes. Sustainability is important. Too many Foundations rise and fall. We hope Femi Otedola and his daughters will find every reason to sustain their new-found passion.”

A unique thing about Otedola, which is common among other philanthropists, is that he speaks less about his charity. As a matter of principle, Otedola is hardly seen making reference his previous donations.

All which Otedola has so far said is: “God has been so kind, the only way I can show my gratitude to Him is to use my resources to support those who are underprivileged. This I intend to do for the rest of my life. In a world full of conflicts, diseases, calamities and inequality, we all need to show the milk of human kindness, to reach out and comfort the sick and give a helping hand to the weak.”