Skip to main content

DON'T LOOK DOWN ON PEOPLE

DON'T LOOK DOWN ON PEOPLE
It isn't a news again how late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo approached late chief Timothy Adeola Odutola , a business tycoon for a loan of £1,400(one thousand and four hundred pounds) in 1943 for further study in Law in England and how late chief Timothy Adeola Odutola declined to give him the loan. After a year later, out of determination, late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo was able to travel abroad in 1944 through another means. And in 1946,he became a barrister at Law and was called to the bar. In 1954, ten years later, the same late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo became the premier of the old Western Region, a premier was more or less a president, ruling over all the states under Western Region, that is, all the yoruba speaking States in Nigeria. While the same late chief Adeola Odutola who declined to give late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo a loan became a local government chairman under late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo who wasn't given the loan.

The two personalities were great sons of Ijebu Land. I respect both men, even in death. Were it not for the free education I received from the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) a party formed by late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, I don't know the state I would have been today educationally. If I can write today, I thank God,I thank my parents, I thank my guardian, I thank late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo and I thank all my teachers in life.
Late chief Timothy Adeola Odutola, the Ogbeni Oja himself was in his days as Dangote is to Africa in trading today. He was the first president of the  Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. When you talked of a man highly blessed with the chemistry of business, you needed to look for late chief Timothy Adeola Odutola. I still can remember Odutola tyres, Odutola biscuits, Odutola Trading Stores, to mention a few of his lines of businesses.
When late chief  Timothy Adeola Odutola was asked before his death the reason why he didn't give late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, the loan of £1,400 (one thousand and four hundred pounds) he answered by saying late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo was not known to him then , that he only knew him to be a   letter writer and besides, his business empire then was jointly owned by his brother and himself. That late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo only approached him for the loan, he didn't approach his brother.
How would an unknown figure in 1943 would become a premier and a world renowned leader in 1954, eleven years after he was turned back for the loan? Were it not for God who always turns the table of life the areas he likes. This to me was a mystery.

Late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo and late chief Timothy Adeola Odutola are no more today. This story is not being written to tarnish the image of late Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola, never, because late Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola before his death was of a great help to many Nigerians dead and alive. But I am presenting this write up so that we that are alive today should learn one thing or the other about how God operates in the affairs of men and women, this will allow us to align our ways to suit God's and be a channel of blessings to this generation and the generations yet unborn.
The story of Jumoke Orisaguna and late Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo easily come to memory when one is trying to look at the way God promotes people. We can all remember the story of Jumoke Orisaguna, a breads seller who hit gold by becoming a breadwinner. While she was hawking her breads, fate allowed her to walk passed along the area a team of modeling experts were taking some photo shots. By chance the lense of their camera captured this bread seller, known as Jumoke Orisaguna. The team saw in her, a beauty to use for their modelling. She was searched for some days later and she was signed as a brand name for some companies, even as an illiterate. The fame of Jumoke Orisaguna today can't be quantified. The lady worths millions of naira in term of asset. This was a hawker of breads in just January, 2016 and in February, 2016 God changed her garment of dishonour to  a garment of honour. This is what God can do.

You that still believe in your degrees, remember that when God wants to help you, your degrees are worthless. I am not saying that education is not good, don't misquote me. I am only talking about divine favour or divine help. Even with this favour I am writing about, it doesn't means that one should fold his or her arms, expecting miracles to come without working. This is out of point. Late Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo didn't relent in his efforts, it was through his efforts that God crowned him with success. Jumoke Orisaguna didn't say she wouldn't work, it was in the process of hawking breads, though in a stressful condition, God sent her helper to her. Be the best at what you do for your helper to come.

How are you treating human beings? Do you treat people with disdain? Your attitude is always who is he? Who is she? A common bricklayer! a common shoemaker! You always say. If this is your attitude towards people, then you are still operating in the past. Hnmmmmm! A bi ni lode aje ko ni ka dolowo, eni ti a bi ni isale osi n doloro. Meaning (that you were born into a rich family doesn't make you a rich man, a man given birth in a poor family can becomes rich). The house built by a rich man of yesterday, was purchased by the son of a poor man of yesterday (Ile tolowo ana ko, omo olosi ana lo ra). It's an elder's word, let's learn from this.

Some have more than enough, but for them to give out to the needy they are tight fisted. Hnmmmmm! Let's learn from Uruguay president, Mr Jose Mujica who as a president of a country humbled himself to the point of living like an ordinary person to make his country great through his using a volkswagon beetle car. You are  custodians of these earthly items, one day you leave them. God has given you, give to others or have you forgotten the adage that says givers never lack? Even with your riches, you are poor in given, then you are lacking in spiritual wealths because you don't give. Try to give today and you won't lack again in your life .

As from today let's change our attitudes towards people. That we are in a place of honour today doesn't means we should use our position to ride on the back of people as horses. God can still turn the table for better for those people you are riding on their backs as He did in the case of late chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo and Jumoke Orisaguna. Remember God says He will show mercy unto whom He will show mercy. It's not by power, it's through His grace. May grace work in the place of labour for us. Amen.
Perhaps some people Jumoke Orisaguna was selling breads to then would ridiculed her by using her situation to molest her, these people by now must have learnt their lessons in a hard way. What is our problem?(kin la n ba ka?) Are you rich today? You are controlling a lot of cars? Try to leave the fleet of cars in your garage and take a walk of life on foot. Let's see life from another angle, please.

In my days on earth, I have seen Prince who became a slave, not that they told me, I saw him. In my few years on earth, I have seen a slave who became a rich fellow. No one told me, I witnessed this. Let us know that God is in heaven doing whatsoever He likes. Whatever we have, God has given us to be a custodian of it. It's incumbent upon us to use it to help others in need. My prayer for us is that God will make out of us wonders of His greatness that will marvel the whole world. May we learn to learn!!! I rest my case.

Comments