Month: April 2019

”the meaning of Alampasu”

 

……..I didn’t know my parents

…….Meaning of Alampasu,

…..They rumoured that..

……My son ran away for 7 years

TOMI ALAMPASU AT HOME

The building has become the cynosure of all eyes as many people now point to it, to describe who the owner. The building which was not completed before had been completed, thanks for the success story of Dele Alampasu the son of the owner of the building, Tomi Alampasu , father of Nigeria Under 17 goal keeper who won the World Cup for Eaglets some years ago.

Meeting Tomi Alampasu is interesting as he was happy , jovial and was filled with praises of his son, Dele Alampasu. As the man who is in his 60s brought out drinks for visitors  , he said” I thank God that I have become a popular man now since my son became a celebrity , I thank God”, as he said  he cleaned his nose ,no thanks to catarrh, he had.  However , he used his snuff to blow it away, and said ” I am happy Oga journalist , I have been expecting you, ”

I DIDN’T KNOW MY PARENT

Tomi Alampasu said he did not pray for his children to experience the hardship he went through, he said ” I did not know my parents. I was told they died in the Nigerian Civil War, this is painful. I only knew my cousins and uncles, but I never set my two eyes on my parents for I was told they both died in the war”, as he said this be blew his nose and tears flooded on his cheeks.He continued  ”So when my son became a celebrity it was a thing of joy for me . I am happy that he is doing well in my lifetime. Suffering is not the best my brother ”.

         

I SEARCHED FOR MY SON FOR WEEKS
Tomi Alampasu said  his son left home for weeks and did not come  back home yet did not know his whereabouts .He at a time went out looking for him. ”Later I was hearing rumour that I had used him for money making ritual , they said how would I say I didn’t know where my son went for weeks. But I kept my cool until I found him and everybody knew I did not use him for money making ritual” [ he burst into laughter].
      According to Alampasu, he sent his son to school but he came back one day and said he wanted to learn welding of which he happily accepted and put him  where he could learn it ,” but for some days I didn’t see him , and I started looking for him , infact I wanted to arrest his boss.
 ”Thank God that I saw him at last , but when I saw him he was in a  football boot and I  had to  plead with  him to  come back home but he did not.I became confused .Later he ran away from home for seven years and I did not see him.He ran away from home and I began to search for him.The seven years was hell  as I was disturbed searching everywhere for him”.

    SUCCESS AT LAST
Asked how he eventually saw him , the man gave a heavy sigh and said “He left home for seven years before we  eventually set eyes on ourselves but my people used to see him in football  kit either while he was on his way  for training or was going  somewhere to lay his head .Then I was molding bricks to eke a living , in addition to my using my motorcycle for commercial purpose .When nothing was forthcoming I started on full time riding a commercial motorcycle , Okada to  make  money .One day , he (Alampasu) came to play at Odewale,( football field)and at another place called Iso(football field) he then went ahead to drop his phone number at Ajegunle Bus stop our Okada commercial terminal,  in fact  when he passed  bye   I did not recognize him again ,  and he too could not recognize me , his father again.He later called me on phone to come and sign for him.
“The day I went to meet him he asked me to come and sign some documents as his father for his visa , I asked what for? , and he said it was a thing of joy .I then packed my Okada somewhere and went to sign for him , in fact it was another man who assisted me to take my Okada home .Later he didn’t spend up to two weeks before  he went to Abuja from where he called me and said he had been invited to Abuja , I advised him to be of a good behavior .But I must confess to you that I did not regret his running away now for he  eventually brought good result!”

  I  HAVE ABANDONED OKADA

Alampasu said he has abandoned his Okada he uses for commercial purpose since his son had warned him to stop, he said ” My brother , okada business is not easy , it is a hard job and there is no money in it. I did it for many years including bricklaying  but since my son , Dele has warned me and advised me to stop Ihave put a stop to it”.

I WAS IN ASO ROCK
The Goal keeper’s achievement  opened doors for his father to have access to Federal and state government houses , he said , “Could you believe that  I saw the former Lagos state governor  Mr.Babatunde  Fashola (SAN) one on one and former President Ebele Goodluck Jonathan and I shook hands with them in Lagos state office and Aso Rock in Abuja ? .All through my son who won the cup .I have never met anyone of them except through the television.I was excited when  I saw my son  sitting and shaking hands with the head of State President Dr. Ebele Jonathan   and  Governor Babatunde   Fashola the   then Lagos State Governor   .Who am I to meet these people?, What qualification do I have ? .  Me , an ordinary person? . But I thank God my son  made it, and I am proud of him” .

Asked whether he too plays football, but the man who was excited said ” oh yes, my son took after me, I  used to play football when I was young and in the military but since I left several years ago I  had stopped . Infact I was acting too , I was in theater group  but all these  belonged to the past now”,

According to him , each time he sees his son on television and reads it in newspapers he feels happy  and proud of him , he said  ” sometimes  ago when he came to visit me  at Itoki , Ogun state ,he came in an entourage  ,  while you people (journalists)  were with him asking questions , I felt like carrying him  on my back like a baby .All  the Nigerian newspapers  carried  the news that he came to my house , the radio stations carried it too!”

ADVISE FOR PARENTS
The man Alampasu said “Everybody  has his own destiny ,one should not imitate anybody . what I am rejoicing for today is  another person’s  regret. Whatever our children are doing they should be allowed to do it since they are not  into  crime .We should stop controlling our children’s future . If I had known that footballing  will lead to my son’s greatness I would have encouraged him since instead of criticizing him”.

I AM NOW RECOGNIZED
Level has changed for Tomi , hear him “Before I became popular  I was the only one living  here , nobody even recognized me , but now  the way I am being greeted  has changed , those who were not greeting me before are now greeting me and  those who were not my friends before have become my friends .Before,  nobody recognized me , but now people greet me and say this is Alampasu’s  father , this is Alampasu’s father (shaking his head), when I was still riding my Okada for commercial purpose I  would come in quietly but now it is a different thing as I am seen and recognized”.

MEANING OF ALAMPASU

When asked  the meaning of Alampasu, the man laughed , and said ”you know names have meanings, deeper meanings, Everybody has names, and all names have meanings , even the Bible gave spiritual interpretations to names , I am an Egun man, I am from Badagry. My son’s name is Dele Alampasu, and Alampasu means a warrior that cannot be defeated or confronted. That is that . Names are spiritual and you know what it means . I thank God in His infinite and help me to pray also”, as he said this , he took his snuff, sneezed and shook hands with this reporter and asked ” please let me know when you publish this story o. i want to read it ”.

I am from Parakoyi family-James Lawal

 

…… Pastor T B Joshua donated to our Zoo

……When nine classrooms burnt

…….I am from Parakoyi lineage

…….I’m grateful to my wife

        The day was special. It was a bright day  as  the weather was at its best. The atmosphere was also different as the field was full of visitors and guests while the blaring of  music  took over the place. And the question was  ”what could be happening  after this school hours? ”. The answer was not  far fetched with the sight of the ”Birthday Boy”  who is  the school proprietor cum Principal whose dressing said  it all.

 

         This day he was dressed in an embroidered  Yoruba traditional Dansiki  outfit unlike other days when he would wear Caftan or Suit  during  the office hours. One  can hardly recognize him as the  School Proprietor for he dresses simply  during the school hours .But for today, his dressing was special.He is celebrating   his birthday in the land of the living!.

Popularly called Uncle Lawal  by his students .He is a man of few words, the Proprietor of Greater Tomorrow International (GTI), Arigidi Agbaluku , Ikare -Akoko speaks with our reporter.

 

He is the Proprietor and Principal of Greater Tomorrow International College Arigidi/Agbaluku  , Ikare – Akoko. The school he founded since 1992 where not only academic pursuit is being pursued  but a place where   morals are  also taught. The school where  integrity is their watchword and honesty their sing -song  no wonder parents send their children and wards  there from abroad  to study in a school built like a University. The school is equipped with a first class educational  materials and the first to be using computers in Ondo- State .His students call him Uncle  Lawal while his peer group and friends   call him Chief . Some of his friends call him Chief Lawal,all in all he answers to all these with total humility and with smile. That is Chief James Olatunbosun Lawal, the Proprietor and Principal of Greater Tomorrow International College(GTIC) , Arigidi, Ikare Akoko

BIRTHDAY DAY

On that day,  his mode of dressing was totally different  as he did not wear suit, Caftan or a ‘T’ Shirt which could have been his normal dressing for school period  and be in the class or office.While many were surprised  of what he wore that day  . Yet many were not surprised as he himself  spoke about it later that his school gave him a surprise birthday gift.

MY DAY

Asked why he dressed in native attire on that  day , but the man replied ”today is my birthday as I added another year to my age. I did’nt prepare or  plan for it but my staff said it is  compulsory for them to celebrate my age with them , I have no option than to obey them”, he laughed

Tortoise in the zoo

    MY   JOURNEY SO FAR

     Lawal confirmed that   the journey has not been easy but he however gave  thanks to God , he said ” I  thank God for everything  for what  had happened over the years ,from the date of my birth  it has  all been struggle  and we give thanks to God .we can look back and say thank you God”, he said , looking at this reporter and shaking head.

     MEANING OF MY  NAME,

   In  Yorubaland , where names have meaning the Chief said his name Olatunbosun is pregnant with meaning like other Yoruba names, he said  ” infact I am from Parakoyi family background , we are parakoyis of the  days of yore .You should know that  the parakoyis are the wealthiest families in the  Ikire town , kings of traders , and known all over , far and wide .Its natural that people from that family will bear the name ‘Ola’  and from there we have Olatunbosun.

    I AM FROM A PRIVILEGED FAMILY BUT…

        Lawal, could not hide his feelings as he dropped a bombshell,that he was from a privileged home and had seen the two sides of life,  he said   ”  I am just like any other child , having come from a privileged  home , only to fall back to be humble , and it has been two wayside , from grace to grass and grass to grace”. He counseled that  no situation is permanent in this world and one should not take ”yes” for failure and should be strong.

WHY I RESIGNED  FROM MY FIRST JOB

Lawal who was a gifted teacher had at a time quarreled not with his boss but with the style of   administration in public school where he cut his teeth in the profession. He said  ”I started my teaching career from Ondo State Basic College  after my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)   and worked for less than two years , it was a public school.  The style of administration  did not enable me to conform with most of these public schools , their style   and their ways of doing things , and I criticized my boss a lot , that was what led to Greater Tomorrow International College . I had to resign  and move to become a private teacher . By training  I am a trained teacher , I  have passion for teaching and I  know an ideal school , I knew  and saw what was going on and that was why I pulled out”.

 

In GTIC  zoological garden

    I STARTED WITH TWO PUPILS

Lawal said his beginning was not smooth as many didn’t know , the man who had passed through life said easy does it and slow and steady wins the race, he said he does not believe  to be in a hurry in life. ”My own life is a testimony  to all. I started with two pupils , Kindergarten, but thank God the Kindergarten has grown to International school where every parent is proud to bring their children and wards’‘.

         BAD MEMORY

    For Chief Lawal, he had experienced the good, bad and the ugly. The bad memory of his five classrooms that went up in flames still baffles him, he said” I cannot easily forget how I felt bad seeing  this, there was a time when  our four classrooms were burnt . Painfully  about 90 days later addition five classrooms got burnt too., these have been my nasty experiences , but we thank God nobody was in the class and unfortunately it was in the night”.

ROAD TO OUR ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN

On how he came about  the zoological garden, the Proprietor said  apart the fact that he is in love with animal especially hearing stories of morals from animal Kingdom and the stories of  Crafty and deceitful Tortoise husband of Yannibo , he said ” in addition to that when the government regulator came here and said the government has made it compulsory for all  secondary schools to  have an entrepreneur subject , then  we chose animal husbandry. Some animals were stated on the curriculum and we are lucky to get some of these animals. We were then lucky as Pastor TB Joshua  of the Synagogue Church of God in Lagos donated some animals to the school , these animals  like Donkeys, camels, monkeys, ostrich, and goats,  and many more’.

”We found it also necessary to have all these animals for students to see with their eyes how these animals look like, We don’t have zoo in Ondo State and students need to see some of these things.It is part of education, how will you feel when these children only see  elephant, goat, monkeys, camel , donkeys on books only?”

FROM UNCLE TO CHIEF

In the school, he is called Uncle by his students and he is happy as he said , ” it makes the students get closer to him ,” Yes , the students call me Uncle and makes them  to be free with me , but they have  stopped calling me Uncle , I  am no longer Uncle but  a Chief.I am now a chief.( burst into laughter). Nothing  is constant , I am now authentic Baba Ijo  of  St. Thomas Anglican Church, Ikare ”

WHY  WE HAVE CHURCH AND MOSQUE IN SCHOOL

In the GTIC  are Church and a Mosque  by each side, on this the man ,Lawal said ”We have diverse people attending the school from Christian and Moslem background .We must be able  to tolerate  these two religion and teach our children about religious tolerance  that is why we have mosque  and church in the  same school premises and by each side. We want our students to be tolerant by the time they leave this place to see their brothers and sisters that they are one and should be tolerant of each other’s religion and   we should let them know we are serving same God”.

WHY I LEFT LAGOS  FOR ARIGIDI

While  many are moving to the urban cities only few stayed behind ,But Lawal said his own choice was borne out of choice and determination, he added  ”there is nowhere you stay that is not good , and cannot conquer the world, wherever we  are we can build it to our taste. I left Lagos for Ikare  long time ago to settle and fulfill my ambition I believe  in dream and  I believe I can actualize my dream , in my setting and most preferably my environment. My leaving Lagos for Ikare  resulted to  GTIC. and I have no regret , I thank God”

WHY WE STARTED COMPUTER EARLY

The school , GTIC  is among the few   using computer for JAMB examination in Ondo state and the Principal argued that one must be among the first, he said ” I always traveled abroad to see how things are being done in both primary and secondary schools  in the civilized countries like the USA, UK, France, Japan. You see we need to be exposed and invest in research. I always traveled to know the latest and update our academic curriculum activities. Everybody should learn how to use computer and should be computer-literate , in these days if you are not  computer literate you can’t achieve anything, all over the world all primary schools in the United Kingdom, America and France where I travelled to are using computer  that was why we started  long time ago .”, he said with full confidence.

HOW I START MY DAY

While many start their  day by  jogging around the field  but Lawal says ” when I wake up   I will first of all  pray. After my prayer , I will  go to the classroom , it is our culture here  in GTI, that between 6 and 7 Mathematics should be taught. I will go and teach mathematics and also make sure our Mathematics teachers are in the class, we need to teach these children how to wake up early and do all these things, Mathematics refreshes brain especially early in the morning”

MY BEST FOOD

Lawal says his bestDodo , wear suit, to school and caftan

what makes me happy

when i see my student progresing outside and doing well, that i have contributed to hiumanity

WHAT MAKES ME SAD

Lawal describes life as a place where talents are being given and distributed willingly  by God and  should be optimally used . He bared his mind on  what makes him sad , saying  when   he sees people roaming around not using their talent God has given him , he said ”I am always sad seeing people  wasting their time and not using optimally”

 He gave reasons why he gives out , he said ”we should live a life of giving in all our obligations , not only money, but support to achieve their potentials”.