By Ayobami Ife, Aveokuta
The Founder of Oko Opo Foundation, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, has pledged educational and financial support for the family of a late electrician, Abdul-Rasheed Sodiya, in a humanitarian gesture aimed at cushioning the impact of the death at a time his loved ones needed him most.
Adeyemo, alongside members of the foundation, visited the bereaved family at Ita Eko area of Abeokuta on Friday to commiserate with the widow and her children.
During the condolence visit, the philanthropist and real estate entrepreneur announced that the foundation would sponsor the education of the deceased’s eldest son from his current Junior Secondary School level up to university. He also gave the family some food items.
He also revealed that the widow would receive a monthly stipend of N25,000 for six months, while the foundation would take care of hospital bills for both the widow and the children within the same period.
According to him, the gesture was necessary to ease the burden of the young family following the loss of their breadwinner.
He described the late Abdul-Rasheed as a hardworking and honest man who had once carried out electrical work at Pelican Brief Estate, Kobape axis of Abeokuta.
Adeyemo recalled that although he did not know the electrician personally at first, the deceased was introduced to him by one of his engineers.
“What really amazed me about him was that while working at the estate, he was taking videos of the environment and sharing them with his friends and family abroad,” he said.
The foundation’s founder explained that the electrician later returned to inform him that some of his friends in the diaspora had developed interest in the estate after watching the videos he shared online.
According to Adeyemo, the referrals eventually translated into significant patronage for the estate, even though Abdul-Rasheed was initially unaware that such efforts could attract commission.
“He did it out of his free will without knowing there was a benefit attached to it,” Adeyemo said, describing the deceased as a peace-loving and humble man.
The philanthropist expressed shock over the electrician’s death, noting that he was a vibrant and religious personality.
“His demise is very shocking to me because he was a very lovely, agile and peace-loving person,” he said.
Adeyemo stressed that while only God can truly comfort the bereaved, individuals and organisations must also play their roles in supporting widows and vulnerable families.
“As humans, we want to do our own bit to create a better future for widows in Ogun State and Nigeria in general,” he stated.
He further called on government and well-meaning Nigerians to support charitable organisations working to assist widows and the less privileged.
Adeyemo lamented that many people spend heavily on social showmanship while neglecting the plight of widows and their children.
“Government cannot do everything. Nigerians should learn to put themselves in the shoes of widows and their children and support them,” he said.
The intervention by the foundation, he added, is meant to bridge the gap created by the absence of a father figure and ensure the children continue their education despite the family’s loss.
