News

OPINION: Between Mike Adenuga And Prometheus

Published

1 year ago

April 29, 2024

By Lasisi Olagunju

The Greek word ‘philos’ means ‘love’, and ‘anthropos’ means ‘man’ or ‘humanity.’ The Englishman came across those two words, combined them and came up with ‘philanthropy’ – ‘love of mankind.’ The Ancient Greek was a nation of great thinkers. World civilizations inherited from these great people rare knowledge preserved in myths, folktales and legends of heroes. They clothed their myths with assumptions and beliefs that have endured centuries of interrogations and reviews. One of those is their insistence that one of their titans, Prometheus, was the very first philanthropist.

And I ask how? ‘Prometheus’ as a Greek name means ‘Forethinker’. One writer says we should not be tired of celebrating him because “he loved us. He helped us. He defied the other gods and suffered for us.” To Timothy Wutrich, American Professor of Comparative Arts, Prometheus is “the polymath, creative genius, and philanthropist” who rebelled against Zeus to save humanity. What exactly is that thing he did?

The Greek in their myth say man was created naked and vulnerable in a hostile world of privileged beasts. But Prometheus, who was present during creation, took a deep look at the helpless creature, thought of what to do, fished out fire from where Zeus hid it and gifted it to Man. Classical Greek dramatist, Aeschylus (524-455 BC), in his ‘Prometheus Bound’ casts him as humanity’s “preserver” who gave us “all the arts and sciences as well as the means of survival.”

The immediate past president and chief executive officer of The Pew Charitable Trusts, Rebecca W. Rimel, on 28 April, 2001, addressed a joint meeting of the American Philosophical Society, the Royal Society and the British Academy on what she called the strategy of charity. At that proceeding, she addressed the Promethean fire philosophy. She explained ‘fire’ as that long-term solution that addressed the root of a problem: “The gift of fire,” Rimel explained, “transformed the world. Fire did not simply permit a few people to enjoy a hot meal and a warm shelter on the day it was given. It was a new tool that could be used forever to help humans make their often-hostile environment more accommodating…” She suggested that ‘fire’ could stand for education, for knowledge, skill. It could wear the dress of the master going the extra mile of teaching his protégés how to fish. She added that “philanthropy is not simply a kind attitude – it also implies a certain kind of approach” which we see in the myth of Prometheus. She proceeded to sit Prometheus with Thomas Jefferson and the American founding father’s profound belief that “a free nation could remain free only if its people were educated.” She alluded to Jefferson’s 1808 “ardent desire to see knowledge” in every man.

When Globacom chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., turned 70 last year. I wrote a column and gave reasons why I did: his patriotism; his calls of commendation to me – and his kindness across all divides. Recently when Air Peace appeared buffeted by vicious tides of competition, I wrote and likened that company’s intervention to Globacom’s epochal entry into telecoms in Nigeria. I said before Globacom, there was exploitation from outsiders and Nigerians were made victims in their own country. The Nigerian telecoms subscriber was the pre-Prometheus man – naked and helpless. Then, Mike Adenuga’s company made its grand entry in August 2003 and its Promethean fire broke the chains. It was amazing how miserably the padlocks of brutal exploitation surrendered. My triumphant people would say they’d seized the enemy’s àgádágodo – the ones clothed with tiger skin and the ones hidden in hides of alligator (aláwo ekùn, àt’aláwo agílíntí).

Adenuga and his Globacom came with a string of firsts that have been mentioned repeatedly. Someone asked why those acts of patriotism are repeatedly told as stories, I answered that Nigerians of today who are thirty years and younger were too young in August 2003 to appreciate the battle won for them by Adenuga 21 years ago. They need to be told repeatedly that it happened. Read again Thomas Jefferson’s dictum which I quoted above: A free nation can only remain free if its people are educated. I add that education includes adequate knowledge of our history.

Today again, Adenuga celebrates his 71st birthday. I read many testimonies of his unannounced public-spiritedness last year when he clocked 70. I am reading (and savouring) refreshingly new ones this year. The stories of his activities are so much like the Promethean story: philanthropy that clothes the naked and addresses the roots of people’s poverty; charity that ennobles humanity and extends the frontiers of knowledge, friendship, love and kindness. The book of his benevolence includes chapters on scholarships and endowments in arts and science. Ask universities around; ask the Alliance Francais in Lagos. Ask the rescued widow in the backwaters of Yewa whose story changed forever. Ask me: I know (and I have heard) of people he dazed with kindness whom he did not give the opportunity to say “thank you.” As he does his Godly thing his quiet way, we will keep telling the world in our own loud words that he represents the best of humanity.

I wish him a happy birthday and very many more years of sweetness as his vintage wine grows in richness.

News

Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

Published

16 minutes ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday shocked a female puff-puff seller during a rally in Osogbo by buying all her snacks with ₦50,000 and offering her employment as a chef at the Government House.

This happened when Osun public servants trooped out in their thousands in what they called an appreciation solidarity rally in support of the governor for his support and care since he took over state governance.

It was observed that the governor, who sat in the bus, had sighted the woman who was among the crowd cheering him.

He immediately beckoned to the woman carrying a plastic container filled with puff-puff on her head and asked how much it would cost to buy all the snacks.

The female hawker, who was visibly surprised and star-struck at the level of her proximity to the governor, found it difficult to even tell the governor how much she sold the snacks.

Surprisingly, Adeleke handed her a bundle of ₦50,000 to the cheers of the crowd.

The lucky woman knelt down in appreciation of the governor’s generosity.

Excited onlookers quickly rushed to share the snacks in the plastic already purchased by the governor.

The governor invited the vendor inside the vehicle where one of his officials questioned her academic background, and she revealed that she holds a Nigerian Certificate in Education.

Adeleke further asked about the dishes she could prepare and instructed his aides to take her contact details for employment as a chef in the Government House.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner II at the Osun State Civil Service Commission, Olaniyan Taofeek, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “The moment Gov. Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller into a Government House chef.”

A Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Oni Gbenga Lawrence, also corroborated the incident in a post on X, stating: “Moment Governor Ademola Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller to Government Chef… not only ₦50k but he invited her into his car and employed her as chef in the Government House.”

The Guardian correspondent, who was at the scene of the welcome rally, made efforts to interview the lucky vendor, but they did not yield as she was not allowed to alight from the bus throughout the event.
(The Guardian)

News

Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

Published

58 minutes ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licenses of all private and community schools in the state, with effect from August 13, 2025.

The announcement came through a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by Commissioner Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa.

The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, released the document in Katsina on Saturday.

According to the circular, the move is part of the government’s effort to strengthen quality assurance and standardization within the education sector.

“The withdrawal of licenses is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved standards and provide quality education to students,” Danjuma said.

The circular also outlined a review of fees for license application, registration, and annual renewal.

“Owners of affected schools are required to obtain fresh licenses by submitting proof of payment to the ministry on or before September 30, 2025.”

The statement also added that school operators have been warned not to increase tuition or other charges without government approval.

The ministry further promised to issue additional guidelines soon, including categorization of schools and the revised fee structure.

News

JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead

Published

2 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

British-born Nigerian missionary, Ruth Elton, reputed to be the oldest missionary has passed on at the age of 91.

Ruth Elton, born 7 September 1933, was a British-born Nigerian missionary whose lifelong dedication to faith, healing, and revival left an indelible mark on communities across western and central Nigeria.

It was learnt that Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.

She was the only daughter of Pa Elton and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.

Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and nationalised as a Nigerian.

At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only for a while as new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.

Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.

A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.

Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.

Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.