By Balogun Omeiza David (BOD) Media Aide to the DG Government House Administration, Lokoja.
There is this Ebira proverb that says, “when your masquerade is dancing well in public to the beat of the drums, you as a supporter will be proud to be more associated with the masquerade.” Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu, the Director General Government House Administration has become that big and famous masquerade that everyone is now interested in watching his next dancing steps that brings out joy and fulfillment to people.
Abdufatah el-Okene is a tailor from Okene Local Government Area, Kogi State. He applied to break the Guinness World Record in ironing of clothes, a record set by Gareth Sanders from the United Kingdom in 2015. From a remote area in Kogi State known as Nyama-Nyama Street along Ganaja Village Road leading to Ajaokuta where Abdulfatah el-Okene has his tailoring shop, he has been able to iron clothes more than one hundred hours to break Gareth Sanders record and pressing on to set his own record.
The feat of this young man was narrated to Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu by his Media Team and as characteristics of him he took interest and ready to be of help to the young man of this young man. He sent the sum of one million naira (₦1,000,000.00) as part of his contribution to the record Abdulfatah el-Okene has broken and striving harder to set his own. Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu was stunned when he heard that a human being could stand for 100+ hours to be ironing clothes with little or no time to rest.
By the time the Media Team of Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha got to the shop of Abdulfatah el-Okene his manager made us to understand that apart from Hajia Asmau Ogogo (a former Special Adviser to the Governor of Kogi State on Women Affairs) nobody has stepped in to be of help to this young man ready and willing to bring Ebira land, Kogi State and Nigeria at large to limelight through the Guinness World Record in Ironing he has already broken and already on his way to set a new record. They however said many people have pledged to support Abdulfatah el-Okene of which they are still expecting them to redeem their pledge. They were so grateful for the contribution of Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu towards a positive venture as this.
Before releasing the funds to support Abdulfatah el-Okene, Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu said, “Apart from the fact that this young man is about setting a record that will make his name ring a bell round the globe, it is good we encourage young men and women who are willing to excel in their different endeavours. When we as leaders support morally, financially and even through prayers the good steps taken by the people we are to lead the whole world will gradually be moving towards the utopian state we have always wanted it to be.”
Many of the spectators we met at the shop of Abdulfatah el-Okene where he was going about setting his own fresh record in the long standing of hours by any man in the world to iron clothes showered praises on Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu. This has made the name “ODA-YOZA-RI” (The one who gives others to eat) to stick much more to him as a positive addendum to his name.