By Razaq Bamidele
In the past two years, Block B1, Suit 13&14, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Shopping Plaza, Pen Cinema, Agege, Lagos, has been a beehive of people every last Thursday of the month. Usually, the address plays host to thousands of people from all walks of life, who throng the place on monthly basis to receive free food.
The Nigerian Xpress correspondent, wanting to know what really turns the place to a Mecca of sorts on the fateful day, was among the early callers on Thursday, August 8.
The address actually houses the office of As-Sattar ‘Food Bank’ that distributes free food to thousands of the people irrespective of their religion, tribe, political leaning or ethnic affiliation. On that Thursday, 100 bags of rice were distributed to 1000 delighted people, who were full of praises for the founder of the Foundation, Abdus-Sattar Ademola Adeola.
When our correspondent eventually cornered the tall, fair-complexioned Adeola, a University of Lagos alumnus, he said the scheme started in 2017 after the Foundation was registered on July 13 of the same year.
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He revealed that the Foundation’s objective is: “To relieve the masses that come to the office to ask for money.”
He added: “My own belief is that when you feed the people and fill their tummies constantly with food, poverty would be eliminated, at least, to some extent. And that is why we started distribution of free food since then,” Adeola informed.
Speaking further on the last outing, the Founder disclosed: “Today, we are distributing 100 bags of rice to about 1000 people. A bag is 50 kilogrammes. And we give each beneficiary 5 kilograms of the stuff. That is 10 people to a bag of rice. Now that we are distributing 100 bags, it means 1000 people will benefit today.”
When asked whether it was only rice that his Foundation gives out, Adeola, a graduate of Psychology, informed that, “At times, some of our donors would give sugar, semovita and semolina to distribute, especially during fasting. Normally, we do this thing once a month, on the last Thursday of every month.”
He, however, explained that, “during fasting, we do it weekly, which is on every Thursday during the month of Ramadan when some of our donors donate more.”
On monetary involvement, Adeola disclosed: “When we started, the first month, we expended N5.5million; in the second year that ended last June, we spent N11.1 million while this one today gulped N1.5 million. If there is need for more rice, we will buy more.”
When prodded further, he said: “In our first year, when we spent about N5.5million, we fed about 2,750 people. And as at last June when we spent about N11.1million, we fed up to about 6,000 people. As at today, in this month of August, we are feeding 1000 people. We are now talking about 9,750 people, with about the total sum of N17.7million.”
On what motivated him to embark on the philanthropic act, Adeola explained: “I am a Muslim and in Islam, we have what is called Zakatul Fitr, that is the end of Ramadan charity with which our Prophet Muhammed, may peace be unto him, said is meant to feed the poor so that they will also be happy on Sallah Day so they would not go hungry and as a result go about begging. I just thought that, with that huge benefit for the poor, it should not be for just once a year. So, I decided within myself that any time I have extra money; I will be embarking on it always. I then went ahead to register As-satar Food Foundation. We started with two bags of rice. We captured it and sent to all our contacts. And before you know it, people had started contributing voluntarily. People across board, family, friends, relatives, from America, London, Canada started contributing to the programme. Because they trust me, they will send money to my account and I will buy the food and distribute.”
Adeola also disclosed his line of business: “I am into pest control. I sell fumigation equipment, I sell sky fold. I was once a banker with Habib Bank. I resigned in 1999 to start my own company. Now, by next September, it would be 20 years that I have been on my own. I graduated in 1989. I am now 58 years old. I started this scheme when I was 56 years old. I am from Abeokuta, Ogun State.”
When asked about the challenges his new found love has been posing, he said: “Whatever the challenges, I thank God and my wife, my family, relatives and friends for their understanding and for their being supportive. They all love what I am doing. It is like people have been looking forward to having a programme like this. Maybe, they held back because they did not find someone they could trust.”
On the future of the Foundation, the elated founder said: “Even as I am talking to you now, some of our sponsors, I mean one of our donors is thinking of taking us back to our root in Idi-Oro, Mushin, Lagos. It is like we are going to get a place that would be our permanent site by the grace of God. They love us and it appears they want to build a permanent secretariat for us for the purpose of this scheme. Call it ‘Next Level,’ and you would not be wrong (general laughter).
The programme, according to him, does not discriminate against anyone. “With due respect, you can also see for yourself; this crowd you are witnessing shows the all-inclusiveness of the scheme.
“It is not for only Muslims. It is for the generality of the masses without discrimination. I have lived in America before. And when I was in America in the 1990s, I discovered that people dashed out food. When a baby was born in the hospital, for two years the baby would be collecting free food from the hospital.
“I have also been to Saudi Arabia for hajj. People would just stop by the road side and start distributing free food. They give out gifts. It is charity. Just visit any Islamic Channel and see how charity is taken seriously all day round. In Europe, people donate to those who work for victims of disasters. So, I believe that, here in Nigeria, we can do such things. So, I decided to dabble into it and thank God, it is working perfectly. I enjoy it and I have decided that if it remains only me in it, I will keep on doing it as far as I live by the grace of God. But so far, people have been supportive,” he concluded with smile of fulfilment and joy, radiating on his face.
A beneficiary, Miss Bola Oyediran, thanked the Adeola and all his staff for a job well done. According to her, the scheme is commendable, wishing that a lot of more people should emulate the Founder to reduce hunger in the land.
She, therefore, prayed God to give Adeola the long life and prosperity needed to sustain the laudable programme.
