‘Please Nigerians, Help Save My Property, And My Life’

BY CAMI EZENWA & MARY OMOKHAGBOR

When two years ago, 56-year-old Omiwole Olushola, a native of ikirun in Osun State, decided to relocate to Lagos from his Ibadan abode, he was enthusiastic about life and success.

He had paid his stewardship dues, serving his master in Ibadan, and thus decided to try an own business in kerosene dealership in Lagos.

His choice of Lagos, was not without reasons. For one, he had been coming to the leading cosmopolitan city before now, and could easily move about. Also, he knew that so much potentials lay in Lagos, especially in the area of fuel dealership

Besides, while at Ibadan, he once worked with an Oando filling station at Eleyele, and knew one or two things about the business.

All of these convinced him to go into the dealership, but he lacked something crucial in the business – capital.

For this reason, he approached the Finatrust Microfinance Bank located in the Ikeja area of Lagos, which was willing to finance the business.

-Please Nigerians-

With a property in the Asese Maba village area of Ogun state as collateral, he was able to access the sum of Five million naira (N5, 000, 000.00), to start the business.

“At this point, I was so happy that at least, I could now be able to plan my life and my future”, he told The Eagle

What he never bargained for however happened, just three months into the commencement of the business.

It was the EndSARS protests, which rocked many areas in the country, including Lagos.

That period was perilous for many Lagos residents, as it was a nightmare for Olushola, who resides on Fadeyi street, in Ogba.

Neither at his residence nor at his business outlet, at the O.M.I Filling Station, located at 59,Olabua Market Power line bus- stop, Oko Oba, Orile Agege Lagos was there peace.

-Please Nigerians-

“I could not sleep well, because I was afraid that something would happen to the business, although there was fear also around where I live”.

True to his fears, by the time the air had cleared following that week of destruction, his business had gone.

A full container load of product had been burst open by the vandals, much siphoned because he said, he met the tanker left open, without a litre of product remaining. It was a a worse nightmare for him as the Hoodlums who descended on it, not only syphoned the products, but also damaged the equipment.

“ I ran from pillar to post, because it was my whole life but there was nothing to do, nobody to cry to”.

While he was trying to get to terms with the whole thing, the microfinance bank began knocking on his doors.

Now, the knocking has become more intense, and Omiwole has no where yet to find succour.

As a matter of fact, he is appealing to the government and the public to come to rescue him before thing gets out of hand.

 “Apart from the principal sum of N5million, there is an interest of 1.7 million naira making 6.7 million Naira from Fina Trust Microfinance to start the kerosene business having his life.

This one is not easy for a man of my age”, he lamented in the interview with The Eagle.

“As you are looking at me, I am confused. I started the Kerosene business July 2020 as O.M.I Filling Station, located at 59,Olabua Market Power line bus- stop, Oko Oba, Orile Agege Lagos, hoping to find good fortune from it and to raise my family, but now, see what has happened”.

-Please Nigerians-

‘Since the vandalisation, I have not been able to sell kerosene, feed my family and to pay my 1.3 million Naira month instalment payment to the bank I borrowed money from, apart from the first instalment I paid September 2020 before the ENDSARS Protest.

“Failing to redeem the payment will cost me my only house that I used for collateral.

“Aside that, I have been having health challenges like my blood pressure that is constantly high.  My children are still young, I am helpless, I beg the country people and the Nigerian government to come for my aid.

“To make matters worse, an embargo has been placed on my Biometric Verification Number (BVN), making it impossible to access any kind of credit.”

-Please Nigerians-

Unfortunately, Omiwole had hoped that the ENDSARS Judicial Panel of Enquiry would hear his case and help him out; even that now appears to be a pipe dream.

Now, if he has any single plea, it is ‘Please, help save my property, and my life”.

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He is singing it like a song, to anyone that happens by, hoping that one of those would be the hope he had been waiting for.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr Olushola could be contacted via 07081052200