Oloriegbe Celebrates 63rd Birthday With ‘Cause’ Close To His Heart… Distributes Laptops, Grinding Machines, Tricycles, Others To Kwara Central Residents

Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, who represented Kwara Central in the Senate between June 2019  and June 2023, reconfirmed his commitment to uplifting the poor and supporting the skilled workers through provision of important tools on Sunday.

Oloriegbe, who was born on November  12,1960,  was also  the majority leader of the Kwara state House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003.  He turned  63 on  Sunday,  November 12 , 2023 and he has considered it important to put a smile on people’s faces. His associates have described this as a ’cause’ that is close to his heart.

Tertiary students, skilled workers,  and petty traders were among beneficiaries of the ‘empowerment programme’ he held at the open field of the Lower Niger River Basin, Ilorin on Sunday.

The former federal lawmaker noted that the programme was facilitated as part of the year 2023 Capital Projects of the National Directorate of Employment, NDE which he however augmented to make it larger.

The event was attended by Mrs. Folashade Omobola, who is the Kwara state Coordinator of NDE.

Oloriegbe  also noted that he had done this to support the Kwara Central people following the removal of petrol subsidy and its concomitant hardships.

100 Sewing machines, 60 HP Laptops , 33 Motorcycles,  3 Tricycles, 70 Freezers, 34 Hair dressing tools and 100 Grinding machines were distributed to young people, women ,skilled workers and others at the event.

Talking to journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com , Oloriegbe, a medical doctor,  added that he came up with the idea of holding such an empowerment programme to  show appreciation to God for His Mercies.

‘It is our tradition here in Ilorin that when you are blessed the only way that you have to show appreciation to God is to continue to thank Him.  But thanking God is not only by word of mouth and saying ‘alhamdulillah’, it’s also by using what Allah has given you to show appreciation to him.

Secondly, we are aware that there is currently economic hardship in the country, and it is not   because of any fault of government but because of  the necessary hard decision that has been taken, that’s the removal of  petrol subsidy. It has resulted in increase in  prices of goods and services it has made many people not to have things easy.

 Therefore, I thought it wise that the only thing we could do is to do things that will give  people the abilities to generate more income. There are quite a number of young people, women that  do not really have  something to do. But if they have instruments or tools that they can work with, these are people that can learn one skill or the other, hairdressing, tailoring, but they don’t have the means to do it.

Their parents don’t have the means. Most importantly, they are students and young people, particularly the students that are in tertiary institutions who have to do projects, courses and things that have to do with computers. Particularly, we know these things cannot be done without understanding IT and technology and many parents cannot afford to buy computers for their children. So, I put all these together and I felt it important to pick some among them as beneficiaries  , not only that, even before this,  in addition to my own personal resources, I was able to use my influence as a former senator to get  some items through  the NDE , I  used my person money to augment it though.

Most of the motorcycles and some others are not from them , I used my personal money  but  most of the items  are from them. I only added to it.

The second thing is that I could have done this without making it an event like this but  we learned through our holy books also that when you do some good things, you can do it in such a way that the left hand will not know what the right hand has done, but you can do it also by making it known. The essence of this is to encourage people like me, people who are more than me who Allah has blessed so that they can give back to  society. So, that was the reason for what I’ve done today’ he said.

 Oloriegbe also noted that he is convinced that he has made a positive impact on the lives of others through the ’empowerment programme’ held on Sunday.

‘It will go a long way in easing things for the beneficiaries. It will enable them  to generate  more income because the simplest of it like the grinding machines, you know there’s nobody on earth that will not eat and in our community here we process our meals. So, they will generate income and when they generate  such they will feed their family, they will send their children to school. Because when you said schools are tuition fees -free, you still have certain things to buy like exercise books, school uniform. For the students, they will face their education. It means they will be able to do better in their courses and it  will be better for them. This one we are doing, we are reducing the effect of economic downturn’ he added.

The former federal lawmaker, who has promised to continue to impact lives through his DIYO Foundation, noted that ‘politicking’ or ‘political aspiration’ should be kept in abeyance for now, while submitting that  he has ‘excellent’ relationship with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq ,ditto Senator Saliu Mustapha.

‘I said it clearly that I don’t have any plan for now with respect to political office.  My plan for now is  to continue to do my work.  This is not a time to aspire for political office. Let me clarify this because people may interpret it to  mean that  ‘I’m doing  this because I want to aspire for political office’. No. I said it clearly that what we need to do is what I’m doing, to work with, cooperate and collaborate with those who are current public office holders.

 And I’m doing this, the current senator, the person that took over from me, we have a very cordial relationship, we work together very well. The constituency project  that I put in 2023 project is being implemented in conjunction with him and I do offer advice. I have asked my aides and others  to relate with his aides. Also, with the governor of Kwara state, we are working together very well . I have some projects, like yesterday my wife inaugurated some health facilities established in the state it was sequel to   the approval of the state government and with the knowledge of the state governor. In addition to that, I am engaged in my professional work as a medical doctor. Of course, based on what I’ve done in the senate, so many NGOs both international and national are engaging me to be  an advocate for them, with respect to  cancer and others.

There is an NGO that I am doing something for them on Healthcare finance. That’s what I’m doing now. Just like I said earlier that, it’s not time for one to aspire for a political office.  You have to work with those that are there now, pray for them, collaborate with them for them to be successful while whatever it is that will be political will be in 2026/27, and what that will be, God will guide us’ he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Abdulganiyu Ganiyat Olayinka, a law student at the University of Ilorin, thanked the former federal lawmaker for the gesture of goodwill while noting that being an orphan, it will go a long way in easing things for her.

‘Yes. I’m actually a final year student. It will be useful for me in my department, Iam a  law student. 

Well, I’m so grateful to him because he has actually helped me. I’m an orphan, I don’t have parents. So, I can’t afford this. With his help I now have a laptop, I’m so grateful. May almighty Allah continue to bless him’ she said. 

Asked how she plans to raise money for her  law school fees ‘ I put everything in the hand of Allah. I don’t even have any hope, but I know that almighty Allah will do it’ she submitted.

Mr. Ahmad Isa, who is the  President of  Ilorin Emirate Students’ Union, University of Ilorin , commended Dr Oloriegbe for coming up with such a programme which is according to him more beneficial and preferable to giving students money during elections, while Mrs.  Rukayat Suleiman , who got a deep freezer , noted that what the former federal lawmaker has done for her is ‘unforgettable’.

‘I  have a container where I sell ice water, and soft drinks but for the past seven years now I do buy  big blocks of ice every day  and I do use a cooler but now I own a freezer, I thank him for easing things for me’ she said-Team@orientactualmags.com
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