By Emeka Amaefula
BOLAJI ABDULLAHI NIGERIA’S FORMER SPORTS MINISTER TELLS HIS LIFE STORY-HOW I OVERCOME POVERTY THROUGH EDUCATION
“I AM THE SON OF A TAILOR AND MY MOTHER WAS A COMMON TRADER” –BOLAJI ABDULLAHI TWO TERMS MINISTER OF YOUTHS AND SPORTS REVEALED
The Journalist turned politician, administrator and Author whose popular book “Sweet Sixteen” got recommended for use by Joint Admission and Matriculation Board JAMB for Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination-UTME as Literature in 2019/2020 recently authored a political history book about President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan titled “On A Platter Of Gold-How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria”. The setting of Port Harcourt Club on a morning period of Friday 22nd of March, 2024 got all invited guests well prepared for the day’s reading of a Book written about a President who left office more than 8 years ago in 2015. Bolaji Abdullahi is not a strange name among the guests as those who got the invitation came because they love reading and their generation were not used to electronic devices of modern era when they attended university some 40 years ago like Mrs Ifeoma OCJ Okocha who graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in English language studies from University of Nigeria Nsukka UNN The demographic class of the guests apart from the few invited students from Secondary schools in Rivers state were done by Education Champions League, the organizer of the event being a group of serious minded people who want to change the narrative that the present generation do not read books whether hardcopies or electronic copies.
Among the special guests were former Director General of Nigeria Maritime, Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA Dr. Adol Dakuku Peterside who was the Chairman of the occasion, High Chief Barrister Dumo O.B Lulu-Briggs who was the Patron of Education Champions League but represented by Hon. Iyke Orji, others included Eugene Abels, Sir. Adokiye Tombomieye known as the Role Model, Mrs. Ifeoma OCJ Okocha, Barrister Joi Nunieh former Interim manager NDDC, Engr. Dr. Ndubuisi Nwankwo,
Highlight of the occasion was the review of the book “On A Platter Of Gold “written by Bolaji Abdullahi and the book reviewer Dr. Robinson Tombari Sibe did a fantastic job going from chapter by chapter of the 12 chapters of the book and in most cases moved away to real live situations in explaining why certain political situations took place such as why whenever any person from South-South geo-political zone mounts the place of leadership in the country they will always be visited with rejection by the powers that be at the centre. He stated that in 2007 former Governor of Rivers State Sir Dr. Peter Odili was stopped by Nuhu Ribadu’s EFCC report and he was stopped from being the President of Nigeria. Former minister of Transportation Mrs. Diezieani Allison Madueke’s probe by EFCC, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and Nyesom Wike’s rose to political power in Nigeria all are being resisted by the power at the centre and the only way for them to survive and stay in power is by agitation and struggle for survival. In one of the extracts of the book it was quoted thus “The Presidency is an opportunity that fell into us on a Platter of Gold, we did not fight. We didn’t pay. God willed it to us”-Dame Patience Jonathan.
In what was tagged First Quarter of August Meeting but held in the month of March, 2024 the organizer of the vent Barrister Kingsley Wenenda Wali said one way of getting people back to reading and writing is to create an atmosphere of competition through quiz competition centred on books written by Nigerian and about Nigeria. He said that first prize money of ten Million naira (N10m) will go for First winner. The money will be split with 50% going to the students, 25% going to the school another 25% goes to the equipping of the School Library. He emphasized that the competition will kick start by the month of April or May depending on the school calendar. The Competition will pay more attention to schools located around Port Harcourt for logistics consideration.
The Chairman of the Occasion Dr. Adol Dakuku Peterside praised the author of the book On A Platter of Gold-How President Jonathan won and lost Nigeria.” He also applauded other writers whose books were read at the occasion including Ms Chioma Ezenweafor and Mr. China Acheru. He described the author Bolaji Abdullahi for writing the book about President Jonathan as he said “One of the analytical Journalists and writers of Nigeria print Media for finding time to honour the event despite the Ramadan fast as his courageous efforts in writing a book that gives insights into the power play that led to the Jonathan’s emergence to power and his eventual loss.”
The Author Bolaji Abdullahi in his speech during the Book presentation said “education is a leveller in social strata as himself despite his lower family ranking being that President Jonathan told Nigerians how he went to school without wearing shoes to school depicting his poor family background but he rose to the highest political office in the land because he went to school through reading of books. Himself started speaking English until he was 11 years old as he was taught in Hausa Language in his early years at school. He told the audience “My father was a tailor and my mother was an ordinary trader” On what motivated him to write the book he said “I saw everything in government from a News angle, but soon realized that I wouldn’t report all that I saw in government. I saw myself mainly as a journalist and technocrat not as a politician and realized that I was excluding myself from the mainstream but the journalistic instinct in me took a better part, so the book came forth.”
Answering questions from the side-line of the event he told journalists at the occasion that “former President Jonathan meant every word he says whenever he says that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. He wasn’t a desperate typical Nigerian politician and he does all he can to defend his friends. The Peoples Democratic party-PDP argues that it won the election but Jonathan lost Nigeria. Some party members point out that Jonathan was too quick to concede defeat to All Progressives Congress APC and Muhammadu Buhari. But that action phone call conceding defeat has made him both a national and international hero.”
Explaining the reasons for embarking on the Education Champions League project the organizer of the event Barrister Kindsley Wenenda Wali told his audience that “A society that doesn’t read dwells in ignorance, and ignorance is a very dangerous tool.”
——————Emeka Amaefula———-+234(0)8111813069———————
