"I DIDN'T GO TO THE UNIVERSITY, YET I'VE SUCCEEDED"
~ Chief Folorunsho Alakija, supposed Africa's richest woman, addressing young, university students.
AUTHOR's TAKE:
"Wrong impression, madam. And not a very concise representation of your story.
Yes, you do not have a university degree but you also failed to let the kids know you were for a very long time, one of the zillions of fashion designers (i.e. tailors) dotting the Nigerian landscape. I remember your shop, Rose of Sharon, on Adeniran Ogunsanya Drive in Surulere, Lagos. That is, until your chance meeting with former President Ibrahim Babangida, who after being very impressed with your 'work', showed you his deepest appreciation by 'dashing' you 3 OPLs (commonly referred to as oil blocs).
With a daily return of a million dollars from each of the oil blocs, which President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to retrieve for the Nigerian state when he came on stream because the oil blocs were improperly given out. You, of course, took the Nigerian state to court and somehow got 'justice'- with a cool one million dollars DAILY each from 3 oil blocs, anyone would become stupendously wealthy.
But how many people get to have a chance meeting with an obscenely corrupt President of an oil-rich state whose payment in return for very personal services was gifting away the national commonwealth?
Do not mislead our children, madam. Your story is not an everyday kind of thing. There are tens of millions toiling away in abject poverty across the land because they were unfortunate enough to lack university education.
Agreed, education doesn't guarantee a life of riches, and lack of it doesn't mean you'll live in penury. But no one can or should diminish the importance of a solid education in the moulding of a complete human being - least of all people like you who use the commonwealth of the people to give their own offsprings the very best education the world can give.
FINAL THOUGHT.
These nonentities who live big and grow fat on what should otherwise be the commonwealth of all citizens should just keep quiet and enjoy their loot in obscurity, instead of running their mouths and misleading young, impressionable kids with their distorted stories."
Story culled on social media
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