Samuel Aina.
If I am called upon to tell this story a thousand times, I will create time for it.
My name is Samuel Babatunde Aina. I come from Isanlu-Makutu, Yagba East LGA of Kogi State. My father was well known (still is) and respected, even more so in Kano State where he established a respectable and reputable private healthcare center for over 35 years. Unfortunately for me, my mother and my sisters, he passed away suddenly in 2015, leaving us with nothing. We lost everything we thought we had, and basically had to start from scratch. However, education was a big deal for him, and I was determined to finish my studies with flying colours.
At the end of the day, I managed to, after several challenges, public embarrassments and insults, graduate with First Class Honours in Petroleum Engineering at the prestigious Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo State in the year 2018. I was only able to do this because many lecturers stood in for me to write my exams from 300 Level when my Dad passed away until I graduated. In the end, I owed the school Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,500,000). The school refused to release my certificate and expunged my name from the convocation list (usual practice). Without my certificate, I was unable to also go for the mandatory National Youth Service program.
To cut the long story short, unwilling to sit at home idle, I decided to move to Lokoja where I knew no one to work and keep myself busy. One thing led to another and after working assiduously for almost two years, basically begging for help from many individuals to assist in whatever way or form they could and attempting, albeit unsuccessfully, to gather the money myself, my story got the attention of Chief Edward David Onoja a few months after he became Deputy Governor of Kogi State. This was in 2020.
Before that day, we had never uttered more than mere pleasantries to each other. He didn’t even know my name, my religious inclination or where I came from. He immediately passed a message across to me to be informed that he would give me the full sum by Friday of the same week to enable me clear my fees. I did not, for one second, believe it. This was because I found it hard to believe how a man who barely knew me would give me such a huge amount of money. Those I knew very well who had become multi-millionaires through my father’s benevolence did not, why will a stranger do so?
I told my family and we prayed about it. That Friday, he came to the office and sent for me. He then proceeded to give me a cheque for the full amount and advised me to travel the next day so that I could kickstart my school clearance the following Monday. Throughout the time I held the cheque, shook hands with him and left, I didn’t believe. I packed my bags and prepared for the journey, unbelieving. I got to the pack and joined a bus going to Benin in disbelief. It was until I got an alert of that same sum on Monday morning that I began to cry.
Chief Edward David Onoja saved my life.
I cleared my fees and was given my certificate after the school’s Senate approved my result. I brought it to him and he wouldn’t accept any extensive appreciation, advising me to channel my energy towards thanking God for everything. I went for my NYSC in 2020 (Two years after graduation), finished and when the space opened up in his office after my direct boss resigned to contest for an elective office, he nominated me to become his Director of Protocol: the youngest in Nigeria. He did it because he knew that I was capable of becoming even more than what he witnessed on a day to day basis.
I didn’t know him from Adam, and within the space of a year and a half, Chief Edward David Onoja changed my life and that of my family. He’s a father, a leader and a mentor. Many have the means, yet they look on as people languish in penury, confusion and pain.
God took away my biological father and promptly gave me another. I will remain grateful to His Excellency, Chief Edward David Onoja till the day I die.
This is my testCEDOnial.
May CEDO succeed.
