From no where yday, I got two clips on this very prominent Nigerian, Mr Femi Otedola. The sender said, Edgar watch this and I watched.
The clips where of two clergy men telling the same story about Mr Otedola and his gift of wheel chairs to a group of young people.
What first struck me was the contradiction of the Asian clergy man who looked more like a Bhudist monk in his long robes than the Catholic priest that he was and the boisterous almost drama like presentation of the Nigerian clergy man in the second clip.
The monk like Catholic priest was calm and methodical in his presentation as he reeled out Mr Otedola’s answer to a question asked him about the four stages of life. He was calm and angelic not making the message about himself and there by not distracting us
But our Nigerian brother was In a performance as he said, ‘ I’m not sure Mr Otedola is here and then it looked like he got a positive affirmation and he went into a full Oscar winning performance complete with voice modulation, aggressive and punchy gesticulations and a faux admonition to his listeners as if he was warning us that if we were not like Mr Otedola we would have ourselves to blame.
Now this was certainly not the Femi Otedola we all know that he was talking about. Very far from the noisy presentation is the Mr Otedola the public knows.
The first preacher reminded us more of Mr Otedola who carries along with his philanthropic activities in a noiseless but massively impactful manner.
So I went back to the ‘monk’ and listened very carefully to the story.
Mr Otedola had stated in response to a question, the four stages of his life all leading to the pursuit of true happiness.
The first being the wealth creation stage, then the value acquisition stage, then the big budget stage where according to the clergy man, Femi controlled 95% of Africa’s diesel import and then lastly, he told us the story of the wheel chairs
Apparently, a friend had asked Femi to buy 200 wheel chairs for some young people and he decided to personally go present them. It was here he met thru happiness, the joy in giving and the warm and pleasant feel that cascades thru your soul as God leads you to impact lives
He also now told us the part where as he was leaving, a young man held on to his feet and he stopped to ask if he needed any more things and that one said, no I just want to look at your face so that when I see it in heaven I will remember you.
What a lot of people don’t know especially the big moguls who create a media frenzy when giving is the studendously calming effect of righteous giving. Many will not feel it cos they ‘give for a purpose’ . They will never see God in the eyes of the recipient and will never shed tears as they watch God use them as vessels to touch lives.
Mr Otedola is arguably the biggest philanthropist on the continent. He once called me very late at night and said, Duke, what is the essence of wealth, if you can’t impact. Tomorow, I will be throwing a challenge…
The next day, his beautiful daughter announced the massive N5b fund which I do not think has been replicated or matched.
So for me and most watchers, it’s not as much as what he gives but the way. His push into society does not come with the sometimes obvious – look at me as I give or the annoying – I am giving now o, I am the one giving o that comes with most givings in that his social strata.
The last stage of happiness as epitomised in the story as told by this clergy men and as personified by the monk is the quiet, very simple and engaging giving which leaves the recipient and indeed society with the warm glow of cascading humanity which is very key in a period of constant rife and chicanery.
I have watched Mr Otedola’s brand of philanthropy with guided interests especially as he even struggles to make most of his impacts under the cover and with no real or deliberate media cover. I fact I have come to discover that majority if his engagements are not even announced.
For him is not the public adulation, for him it’s the silent effectiveness of the impact that drives him and the attendant effect on society that fuels his drive for good.
It is no wonder the boy held on to his feet to see his face again so he will recognise him in heaven.
For me, since we are not sure of heaven just yet, let me recognise Mr Otedola here and now for being who he is and for inspiring ‘little ‘ philanthropists like us who remain driven by his selfless, non ego and penetrative leadership in the era of impactfull giving.
Thank you sir
Duke of Shomolu
