.By Boma Nwuke
Recently,Super Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa donated N100 million to five thousand widows and less privileged women in plateau state to reduce the burden of economic hardship they are facing.
Musa is a professional footballer . He was born on October 14 1992.meaning he is only 29 years.
At 29, his net worth is said to be over a billion naira. He did not choose to spend it unwisely, frivolously drinking and clubbing,he did not invest it on gamble or in politics where many instead of channelling funds to help their fellow human beings wasted N100 million on aspiration forms, , rather he chose to put his money to save people from hunger and disease.
For cynics N100milion for five thousand widows might be small but those who are industrious would plough the little amount given into business and reap the benefits in years to come.
It is interesting to note that the category of those empowered by the footballer are vulnerable women. They are people having no one to provide for them. They are people who live below one dollar a day. They are women who are traumatised by the death of their breadwinners,tossed and trampled upon by relations. They are those who do not hold a stake in the least tier of government. They are voiceless, powerless, grief and hunger stricken, which is why Ahmed Musa’s donation to the women is highly commendable.
Besides, Musa has a history of philantrophic passion.In 2021, the footballer donated N2million to a member of Atlanta 1996 award winning team, Kingsley Obiekwu
Obiekwu had voiced out his challenging financial situation and Musa silently donated the money to him.That gesture is said to be one of the least.
Musa is reputedly known as the man with the milk of human kindness in his native home,Jos, Plateau State as his interaction in kind and cash leaves sense of fulfilment in the minds of those who encounter him
Musa who played in clubs such as VVV Venlo ,CSKA Moscow and Leicester city has 101 caps to his feat according to FIFA.
His sojourn to the world of do-gooders is another feather to his cap as history will remember and judge him fairly for his outstanding contributions directed towards uplifting the poor from the schackles of poverty and destitution.
It is expedient to honour others in the football profession who are distinguished and have also taken charity as passion and donated handsomely to uplift the less privileged .
They include Kano Nwankwo whose Heart Foundation launched in 2000 has performed free open heart surgeries for over 600 children heart across the world.
Others are Obafemi Martins,Odion Ighalo and Moses Simon.In 2017, Martins donated over 500 wheelchairs and clutches through his foundation in a ceremony at the National Stadium, Lagos in addition to other empowerment programmes, Ighalo on his part built a N500m orphanage to take care of vulnerable children in Ijegun, Lagos . The orphanage reportedly takes care of over 100 children. Also in the spirit of giving back to society, Moses Simon set up a football Academy in Kaduna to lift the spirit of young footballers to actualise their dreams.
Nigeria ‘at this point needs many with the heart of Musa and his colleagues to lift people out of poverty.
Governments at various levels are trying to float programmes to cushion the effect of economic hardship, however, such efforts are yet to impact on the lives of most Nigerians who are also living below the poverty belt. Part of the reason is corruption, forced and unforced priorities and errors resulting in half way implementation or non at all.
. A quick reminder of such programmes is the Federal Government School Feeding Programme whose appropriation is in billions. What comes to mind for this intervention is the statistics of those daily fed, their geographical location and who they are. This is important to know if indeed, the intervention is worthwhile or it is another avenue designed to force tax prayers money into conduit pipes
It is important to know the parents of the school children under the feeding program and initiate means of assisting them with loans in a manner that suggests record keeping instead of the billions currently expended on the programme. Some viral videos of the food served children under the programme do not only contradict the cost but shows the image of the country in a bad light
Nigerians are going through rough and tough times and plugging loopholes for fictitious or bogus spendings does not translate to asking too much.
It is expected that governments will step up efforts in fixing the economy, address leakages in the Oil and Gas and solid mineral sectors to arrest insecurity and poverty.
Anything other than that in the nearest future could be detrimental to the country.
