GYB Is My Destiny Helper: Late Prince Abubakar Audu's Relative Narrates How Gov. Bello Helped Him From Grass To Grace »

GYB TO THE RESCUE
My Tale of Hope Rekindled by
Alhaji Ibrahim Omale Mohammed

This is a tale of merciful providence for a man whose life and hopes seemingly crashed without any respite in sight. My story can best be described as the fluctuating life patterns of a man of destiny. I rose from grass to grace, fell from grace to grass, and like the phoenix, I am yet again rising from grass to grace, this time through human instruments whom, as you will see, can only have been of God Almighty.

My name is Alhaji Ibrahim Omale Mohammed and I was born in Ogbonicha, Ofu LGA of Kogi State on the 28th of September, 1959. I am married with 7 children, a retired banker with many years of experience in the banking industry, and a blood relation of the late Prince of the Niger, His Excellency, late Prince Abubakar Audu.

I worked with the Prince, popularly called Adoja for over a decade, and all Party officials and his Political Associates from across Kogi State will testify to how I dedicated my life to serving our late leader and the great party.

I was working with First Bank plc in Taraba State before I was asked to resign the appointment by the late icon. I could not turn down the directive of my brother and benefactor. So, I resigned voluntarily in April 2000 and immediately left Taraba State to join my brother, late Prince Abubakar Audu in Kogi.

While in his service, I helped all around in his political activities and permutations. Then, it was time for the formation and merger of parties that gave birth to the then All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). During the composition of the party’s executive council, late Prince Audu insisted that I stay out of the executive structure of the party and I complied.

Afterward, when frayed nerves had calmed down and the party structure already in place, he single-handedly handed me over to the party Chairman, Honourable Farouk and I was made the Administrative Officer (Secretary) of ANPP on the instruction of the late Prince Audu. That was how I became his eyes and ears and man Friday, arranging most meetings and giving him feedback.

I held that position until ANPP merged again with other political parties to form the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In ACN, I still maintained my position as Administrative Officer (Secretary) of the party serving the same purposes. Later again, when ACN merged with other political parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC) the current Governing Party.

In APC, I still continued in the same position as Administrative Officer (Secretary) till my dear brother, His Excellency, Prince Abubakar Audu, died suddenly on the very day we all expected victory and celebration. This very unfortunate demise of my benefactor marked the beginning of a season that was almost “hell on earth” for me and my household.

From that day of Prince’s untimely death, things fell apart for and within his camp. First, vicious misunderstandings over who will step into Adoja’s role as a candidate and coast the APC to her clear victory in the election resulted in serious in-fighting within Kogi APC. Our camp lost. In retrospect, we should have paid more attention to unfolding legal precedents. It would have spared the party a lot of grief over the next couple of years.

Furthermore, as providence smiled more on the present leadership of our party and state, our faction which was pitted against them became increasingly more destabilized as Adoja’s outsized shoes proved too big for all his lieutenants. Many of us foot-soldiers became grass, trampled helplessly in the bitter combat of the big elephants. I in particular was left without any fallback strategy, having left my former life totally to follow my now late leader. I suffered all forms of dehumanization with my wife and children.

For reasons best known to them, the children of my late leader and brother who also call me uncle did not inclined to any help me pick up the pieces of my life which had been dedicated to their father and were left shattered in pieces when he suddenly died. They turned deaf ears and blind eyes to my suffering and plea for help.

Left with the Hobson’s Choice, I began to make arrangements to return back to Taraba State, my former station, to start life afresh, but my efforts hit a brick wall. At almost the breaking point, I found solace by some connection to the present Government. I started to receive some help from Chief Edward David Onoja, the then Chief of Staff to the Governor and now Deputy Governor. Unfortunately, we lost contact and I was again devoid of options to rebuild my life.

At this point, and with the poverty biting even harder, I started to sell off my belongings. I used the proceeds to buy a small car for a daily taxi so I could at least feed my family and continue training my children in school. It was while doing this job that I met my destiny helper in the person of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.

I came to be connected to my Governor through the same angel in human form whom God had used earlier to sustain me for a while, His Excellency, Chief Edward Onoja, the Deputy Governor of Kogi State. These two gentlemen are truly the Siamese Twin brothers they call themselves. They think and act alike in many ways, including in the many hidden acts of benevolence to multitudes who will never be known until the day of judgment when they will get their heavenly rewards.

So, on this fateful day, I was particularly depressed by my deteriorating welfare condition, but my needs and responsibilities dictated that I keep holding on. In fact, on that day I was overwhelmed by the disturbances from my then landlord. It was not his fault too, as my rent had long expired and I could not pay.

I remember reluctantly going to the garage at Ganaja junction that day, full of destructive thoughts. While loading my turn to Ajaokuta, I saw the convoy of the Deputy Governor. I didn’t even know he was the one at first until he wound down the window glass and shouted my name. In a surprise, I ran to meet him. He asked what I was doing.
I narrated my pitiable story and how I got where I was.

His Excellency immediately directed that I be brought to his residence in the Government House and I immediately made my way to his residence, arriving there at exactly 1:35 pm that day.
It was nothing short of the miraculous as that fateful and faithful visit to his house became the moment and beginning of my restoration.

His Excellency immediately directed that I be taken to Sunny Motors as instructed by His Excellency the Executive Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, to point out any car of my choice. Just the directive alone stunned me. Everything became like a dream to me from that point on. We arrived at Sunny Motors and I chose a brand new Toyota Camry (Muscle).

I thought it ended there, and if it had, it was still more benevolence than I had ever been blessed with by anyone in my life. But no, it was just the beginning, as I was soon to find out. When I returned to appreciate Their Excellencies I was informed that the Governor had rented and furnished a 3-bedroom fully detached apartment for me behind 500 Housing Unit, Lokoja. At that point, I could hold myself no more and I dissolved into tears.

The biggest followed immediately as His Excellency, the Governor directed the Deputy Governor, acting through his Senior Special Assistant, Political Matters to go home to the village with me to ascertain the condition of my long-abandoned 4 bedrooms flat project. After assessing the structure, His Excellency the Governor through his Siamese Twins brother directed that my house in the village be completed immediately.

Not only that, these two heaven-sent twins and leaders in Kogi State sent me on a shopping spree for me and my family. Today, for the first time in longer than we can remember, my family and I had no worries about the basic human necessities of food, clothing, and shelter, with much more on top.

His Excellency, the Deputy Governor has since engaged me to work in his office and I have his promise of a job for my ward after NYSC.

My former colleagues at the park cannot still believe my story. To many of them, it still feels surreal, like something out of a movie. Though it is now my reality, I will be lying if I say I don’t still feel that way sometimes. Adoja went home to rest but God gave Kogi Adoza and he has a Siamese twins brother who is like a son to Adoja – Edward Onoja, a truly Godly politician.

Indeed, the year 2020, with the coronavirus and all of its challenges, is my year of restoration. At the moment of the biggest struggle of my life, God came to my rescue through his instruments of mercy.

I am eternally grateful to Almighty Allah and to Their Excellencies, Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, and his Siamese twins brother, His Excellency, Chief Edward David Onoja (CIK, Olimene Attah Igala-Doogaaaa), the Deputy Governor of Kogi State.

Which of Allah’s blessings can I deny?

Thank you so much Governor Yahaya Adoza Eleojo Bello for making yourself available to Allah to serve as a ladder to pull me out of degrading poverty and reproach.

Alhamdullilah!!!