By Sunday Saanu
I fortuitously stumbled on a rather hilarious, but profoundly postulational post on a social medium, which somewhat got me thinking about the current recession-induced socio-economic condition of this country. The post lamented thus “those who are naturally stingy are now using this recession era as a justification for their parsimoniousness”.
Having sometimes failed some people who asked me for financial assistance, due to poor economy, and having, myself, been disappointed by a few perceived rich men who could not yield to my financial request, I began to interrogate the dilemma of benefaction in an era of recession. I know I am not stingy, but my salary that has refused to “grow” at a time of inflation such as this, is probably portraying me as a miserly fellow! Then in a soliloquizing manner, I asked myself “do those who refuse to assist others are really stingy or they themselves do not have enough to give?”
Every Sunday in my church, and at every Christian gathering, Pastors have never failed to remind us the injunction in the book of Proverbs 11.24 which says “there is that scattereth and yet increaseth; and there is that witholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty”. Certainly, it is good to give, for giving opens the way for receiving. Alms giving has a kind of therapeutic effect on the giver. It reduces tension and generates internal joy and happiness. But from observation, it appears this recession era is really affecting the culture of benefaction!
The current socio-economic condition, compounded by “technical” or full -blown recession is so asphyxiating and hellish to the extent that it has institutionalized the culture of begging to survive. Many families have inexorably disintegrated. Many hitherto joyous marriages have shamefully collapsed on account of poverty. Many innocent children have become orphans as some women have shamelessly commercialised their organs in order to survive. Whereas, God did not endow women with those organs for commerce!
Recession has turned workers to beggars. Unemployment, poverty, armed robbery, prostitution, scam among other social vices have become so pronounced that one begins to wonder if the society can ever retrace its steps! It seems communalism for which Africans are renowned has collapsed, for this beastly economy has probably made a majority to be so individualistic and selfish! Recession is indeed threatening benefaction. Nobody is ready to part with his little resources in recession era.
At this point in time, obviously, it is not easy to give; yet no one has ever become poor by giving. We are made to believe that the heart that gives gathers, but does it mean those who refuse to give do not want to gather? Yes, we rise by lifting others. What then happens when we fail to lift others by refusing to give?
Perhaps, this is the puzzle that an Ibadan -based group of young men under the aegis of Table 1 Social Club intends to unravel as the Club members step forward to lift the poor, give hope to the hopeless and revive the dying. Amazingly, these few men are not “millionaires”; yet, they tax themselves to be able to raise millions of naira in order to save the needy from the death.
Table 1 Social Club is a non-profit, socio-philanthropic and humanitarian club with no political, ethnic and religious sentiments. With Prince Adeniyi Oladeinde as Patron and Engineer Franklin Uwalaka as President, the Club which has contributed immensely towards the amelioration of the plight of the needy, destitute and the poor generally, believes that the relative success of each member in different life’s endeavors, is just a privilege and underserved kindness from God which they must replicate by assisting the less -privileged.
For instance in 2015, the club came to the rescue of one Mr. Dayo Enufo whose three-year old daughter; Mercy was diagnosed to have been born with a hole in her heart. Table 1 club members came together when the predicament of the family was brought to their notice, mobilized resources as the little Mercy was flown to India with her father for surgery. All expenses were paid by the philanthropic Club. Today, Mercy is living a vibrant and normal life courtesy of Table 1 Club.
Earlier, this same club had contributed N500 million towards the treatment of an Economics graduate, Miss Tosin Alade at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife. The club got the pathetic story of Tosin on Facebook and decided to assist. Unfortunately though, Tosin died after the operation.
However, to mark this year’s Independence Day, Table 1 Club members including Engr. Ojo Jimoh, Kassim Asajidigbi, Henry Owen and Dr. Kehinde Fakayode among others bought 20 bags of rice, provisions and toiletries among others items and shared it among three orphanage homes, including Juvenile Remand/Motherless Babies Home, Eleyele road, His Heritage Home, Oluyole and Chasaya Home, Ijokodo. Later in the evening, the Club, at what it called 2016 President’s Night met with the Association of Orphanage Home Operators in Ibadan and assisted them financially.
It is also on record that the Club members among whom are Dotun Odutola, Lanre Aliyu, Richard Agbedetse, Joseph Chimoku and Isiyaku Mohammed jointly put resources together and renovated the sports complex of the Nigeria Police, Oyo State Command, donated a well-furnished 10-room chalet with a lounge to the Tiger Golf Club of 2 Division of the Nigeria Army, Odogbo, Ibadan. According to the Club’s President, Engr. Uwalaka, “It is not that we have all the money in the world in our pocket or the club members don’t know what to do with their money, but we just feel when you learn, you have to teach and when you get, you must give”.
Speaking in the same vein, Table 1 Patron, Prince Adeniyi Oladeinde popularly known as Ladsom remarked “naturally, giving is not easy as an average person is selfish. But when you remember what God has done for you, you will want to assist your fellow human being. I have tasted poverty and I know how it feels. Nigerians must know that a rejected opportunity to give is a lost opportunity to receive.
Prince Oladeinde who has personally touched many lives through his bounteousness and liberality insisted that the cub would not stop assisting the needy within the limited resources because “we believe that the godly love to give”.
What a sacrificial love for humanity! It is very glaring from the story of Table 1 Social Club that irrespective of the prevailing circumstances, everyone must strive to assist the needy around . This Table 1 Club however deserves kudos for its charitableness. Paradoxically, it is convenient for anybody to use this current recession era as an excuse for minginess and selfishness.
However, it is incumbent on everyone to try his or her best in assisting the less privileged as obligated by almost every religion. Albert Einstein, a German-born theoretical physicist says, “ It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.” The question is, why is it that some of those who have, do not want those who lack to have by assisting, even when they themselves are still looking unto God for financial assistance. Perhaps this is where Table 1 Social Club of Ibadan deserves commendation for daring to assist the poor
Saanu writes from the University of Ibadan. Email: [email protected] (08059436919).