Can some please scan and paste the article in here for the benefit of those of us that aren't able to buy a copy

@Menek

menek:

Hmm, na waoh! So this is how the story goes. I can remembered, I once saw this topic but never care to open it, thinkin he is one irresponsible fellow that never planned well and ended up in a mess until some one drawn my attention to it.
Hmm! Since I can feed today, I should be able to do something too. OAM4J, I will shoot u a mail later. God bless all that hav help that family

God bless you menek

Jarus, Pls, can u tell me what you wrote? I am sure it will be enlightening for we accountants.


@ Topic, wish i could pay in something but things r too tight right now. My prayers are with the family and everyone who has contributed.

menek:

Hmm, na waoh! So this is how the story goes. I can remembered, I once saw this topic but never care to open it, thinkin he is one irresponsible fellow that never planned well and ended up in a mess until some one drawn my attention to it.
Hmm! Since I can feed today, I should be able to do something too. OAM4J, I will shoot u a mail later. God bless all that hav help that family

chairman

how you dey

jay bee:

Can some please scan and paste the article in here for the benefit of those of us that aren't able to buy a copy

we are still waiting for her email

she was suppose to sent a copy to us in the email since yesterday

[img]https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=aa9366bbef&view=att&th=133fe248e8a393c3&attid=0.1&disp=thd&zw[/img]

Just sent you guys the UN edited copy of the write up. U can also get a copy of Todays paper.

blank:

Jarus, Pls, can u tell me what you wrote? I am sure it will be enlightening for we accountants.

Not on accounting actually, more of Political Economy. A knock for Pat Utomi.

Eberay:

Just sent you guys the UN edited copy of the write up. U can also get a copy of Todays paper.
 

thanx

BTW some of us don't live in naija so its difficult to get the paper

FYI


Nairaland to the Rescue of the Obuhs

“Statistics has shown about 75percent of the Nigerian population live below the poverty line of 1USD which is about N161.00 per day. So many people simply cannot afford to pay rent let alone purchase their own dwelling place at the end of the month. This was the case of Mr. Monday Obuh a factory worker who was laid off from his job, evicted from his home and was left to put up under the newly constructed Cele Bridge with his pregnant wife and kid” Ebere Nwiro writes

Homelessness in Nigeria is attributed to economic, political, and similar factors which are inter-twined with the lopsided distribution of resources and wealth among the population. It is a social scourge most evident in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding urban cities and Swarming commercial centers.
Recent reports by different human rights organizations seem to place the problem squarely at the door steps of the federal and state governments in the country; the reports states, the official real estate development policy frequently includes the forcible eviction and demolition of privately owned housing complexes. Such could be likened to the case of one Mr. Monday Obuh.

The story of Mr. Monday Obuh was first published in one of Nigeria’s dailies, there it was disclosed following the loss of his Job, eviction and demolition of their home, Monday, his pregnant wife Mrs. Dupe Obuh and their son, with no money to rent an apartment had been living under the bridge at Cele on Oshodi- Mile 2 expressway, Lagos State.

Investigations revealed they have been living there for the past two years after they were evicted from their home at Itire area. The couple could hardly feed themselves let alone being able to rent an apartment.

They cleared a section under the bridge and made use of mosquito nets as a makeshift room and parlour where they could sleep at night. Despite the challenges of living under the bridge with dangerous animals, no source of income or food, the family pledged to be supportive towards one another.

Mrs. Dupe Obuh, who was into buying and selling of Sachet water so as to make ends meet, revealed she makes a profit of between N30 to N60 daily. “Since my husband was laid off from his working place, things have been very difficult for us. I had to start this water business so we can survive” she said.

Recounting his predicament, Monday said he was an employee of a textile company which is now defunct, when the company closed down, he became jobless. He said after some years, when the construction of Cele Bridge started, he was employed as a labourer there and was sacked when he returned from his late sister’s burial. He was out of job again and his apartment was eventually demolished and since then he has been raising his family under the bridge.

Monday who hails from Edo State but has never been there stated his parents who are also in Lagos, are quite old and in need of his help but he is not in a position to assist them they have no money to assist him either to rent a house. He said he was not deformed; his problem is just to get a job which will enable him raise money to get an accommodation and raise his family properly.

After reading the story of Mr. Obuh and his family Recently on Nairaland, an online public Forum, a number of well meaning Nigerians home and abroad and members of this forum felt concerned and believed something should be done to help this man and his family.

They began making donations so as to raise funds to help rent an apartment and get them off from under the bridge. Relating on what prompted them to act on behalf of this family, OAM4J one of the moderators who begged to be identified by his online ID for security reasons said, “We came to an agreement within the forum, that the family be visited first to confirm if their story was indeed true, we appointed two of our members who goes by the online name Ifyalways and OlowoTee to go confirm their story.

“They came back confirming their story to be true, that was how we decided amongst ourselves in the Forum to help raise funds so as to help this family get an accommodation and also help them start a trade of their choice so that they can continue to take care of themselves afterwards”.
He disclosed shortly after they agreed on making contributions, that they started getting conflicting stories of how some people had offered to help and the Obuhs Rejected all offers.

“We got a lot of conflicting stories of how other people offered to help and the Obuhs rejected all the offers on Nov. 16th and 17th, we then requested Ifyalways and OlowoTee to pay them another visit. They confirmed to us that most of the conflicting stories were not true, some were exaggerated and the said accommodation gotten for then was not in any way better than under the bridge they were living. On hearing this, we decided to resume the goal of helping this family as earlier intended”. He said.

He revealed with the amount realized the group has been able to secure a decent one room accommodation with some furnishings for the family, but more he said is still yet to be done as it is only proper not just to get them an apartment but to also help set them up in business. On this regard we still seek contributions of more Nairalanders and the general public as a whole”. He said.

“We believe we should not just give a man fish but teach and equip him to fish so he can look after himself and family. Because of this we wish to get a small shop for the family and buy them some items they can trade with. Also we hope to put the little boy in school”.

“We say a big thank you for the generous contributions so far, we feel we should not just lament bad leadership in our country; we can also do our own quota in the absence of social services programme for the economically disadvantaged”. Jarius a member of the Forum stated, also calling on Nigerians to help in every way they can to bring more people off the streets, he said. “Our little efforts can go a long way in bringing smiles to their faces. We cannot continue to pontificate; we should start by walking our talks”.

The feat of the members of the forum is one that is very rare, especially in a society where corruption and selfishness is predominant. It should serve as a wakeup call to other well meaning Nigerians to lend a hand to our fellow citizens in need to make a better society.
Amnesty International says that over 1.5 million people have been ejected from their homes and driven into street life following the wave of ejections and demolition that began all over the country in 1995

Also findings by Compassionate Outreach in Lagos give details about the condition of living and profile of the homeless in general: all of Nigeria’s dislocated people live like rats and cockroaches in makeshift facilities under bridges and at abandoned buildings; some engage in petty trading for their survival, earning roughly N6, 450 per month, which hardly guarantees a decent meal even for a couple of days.

Others are regular employees in government or in the commercial sectors, but are homeless because they were forced out of their homes and cannot afford rent for apartments that are steadily on the rise, due to high demand and real estate speculation. The story about educated and employed persons who also are homeless is frequently told in the context of the country’s oil producing cities, such as Warri, Sapele, and Port-
Harcourt even in Lagos. In these places landlords are inclined to solicit or court those in big companies who can afford to pay inflated rents from their high salaries. Yet others are forced into criminal activities such as prostitution, pimping, drug running, robbery, and just about any additional things that can ensure existence on a day to day basis.

The findings show also that roughly two hundred and fifty thousand (250, 000) homeless persons are deeply involved in crime; and that this population consists of males, females, young boys and girls scattered over the fifty-two development areas of Lagos, among which the marked danger zones are under bridge sections in Ojeulegba, Ijora, Alaba, Ajegunle, Badagry, Ojota, and Ikorodu, Cele inclusive.

A few organized groups and civic minded people are currently attempting to seriously confront the problem of homelessness in Nigeria, this should not be left to them alone, and the government should also help in making available programs to help rehabilitate, liberate and rescue dozens from homelessness. Also quit the eviction and demolition of homes without providing alternative living areas for its citizens.

God is Good

Jarus:

Not on accounting actually, more of Political Economy. A knock for Pat Utomi.

So you wrote that article Hmmm

The Obuhs - A Series of Unlikely Events

In a world where millions live in abject poverty, what are the possible routes from slum to basic comfort?  The Obuh story showcases one.

Call it the Nigerian dream if you will; it is a story of the human condition; of chaos and order; it is a case study in sociology; a Nairaland story, indeed.

If there's ever a thing as thread of the year or Nairaland hero of the year, then this thread presents a few contenders.

In the world we find ourselves today, there exists insincere leaders whose true motives we may never know.  The world fails to develop.  The gap between the rich and the poor continually widens.  And our leaders pretend that they care.  What about the media?  Do they tell a true story?  In the case of the Obuhs, they certainly did not.  Why?  The answer to that question will be told another day if you believe in hope.  I do.

Chance, Destiny, Providence, Luck.  Whatever you call it, many obstacles lay in the path of the Obuh's route to comfort.  As the story unfolded, we saw the
opportunists who would rather benefit from a a fellow man's suffering so much so that you could call them evil.  Some were sceptical.  Many were condescending and quick to pass judgement.  However, a minute few would stop at nothing to render unconditional assistance to this disadvantaged family.

I was taught in school that Newton's first law, the law of inertia, states that an object will remain static unless a very powerful force is applied.  In the case of the Obuhs, and probably in many cases of poverty in our world, it would require a plethora of forces to bring a ray of hope to a seemingly hopeless situation.

A series of unlikely events.

An article in PM News.
A Nairaland post referencing the PM News story.
A Nairaland member who took the amazingly unusual step to visit the Obuhs.  Not once, but numerous times, in a matter of days.
A Nairaland member who refused to believe the numerous 'disappointing news' that developed since the story broke, begged all to seek for the truth firsthand, and insisted on showing the Obuhs unconditional love.
The Nairaland members who contributed the unquantifiable amount of coordination to the success of this project along with transparent financial accounting.
The Nairaland members who contributed financially to this cause.

If there ever is such a thing as thread of the year or nairaland hero of the year, then this thread presents a few contenders,   For you are our heroes despite your collective modesty.  You have shown the rest of us examples of how to live happily and be fulfilled.  You have once again convinced us that there is hope, that the greater good can still trump the many great evils of our world.  This may be the beginning of greater things to come.  Great things that may outlive Nairaland itself.  

Unconditional love.  Intervention in the lives of the needy without 'question'.  Honest reporting.  Transparent charities.  A highly organised system. Virtues that many would rather forget quickly.  Are these not the seeds that would grow to thwart the menace of corruption in our society?

This may be the beginning of greater things to come.

A series of unlikely events, the first being that moment in time when that young man founded a website called nairaland.com.

r231:

FYI


Nairaland to the Rescue of the Obuhs

“Statistics has shown about 75percent of the Nigerian population live below the poverty line of 1USD which is about N161.00 per day. So many people simply cannot afford to pay rent let alone purchase their own dwelling place at the end of the month. This was the case of Mr. Monday Obuh a factory worker who was laid off from his job, evicted from his home and was left to put up under the newly constructed Cele Bridge with his pregnant wife and kid” Ebere Nwiro writes.

The title was changed to 'Travails of the Obuhs under Cele Bridge' in the published newspaper edition.

2k confirmed received each from Queen and donor with initials NMO.

In all these, I see a hope , a bright future for Nigeria.
Sincerely i have started giving up on the country called Nigeria but with this without tribalism and without show off's, Nl users has really made a difference. God bless you all. he who watereth shall be watered.

^ Amen!

@r231, I'm fine sir and u?

Nice one Eberay and Bioye. Beautiful write-ups


@all

Seriously guys, this is not about honour and special recognitions, those to me are vanities, besides we may never truly know who deserves the best award because a man who gave all the N1,000 he has in his account might have given more than a man that conveniently gave N5,000 out of N200,000 he has in his account.

If there is anything I want us to take from this project, is to resolve to continue giving a helping hand to others. As we can see how much difference our little contributions can make in the life of people in need. Like chaircover said, that boy might grow up to become a doctor and treat many of us in our old age when sick and the baby in the womb might be the better version of Dangote that will create millions of jobs for many Nigerians.

Last year on this same section it was about Menek: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-446574.384.html , some of us here offered a helping hand to help him find his feet, today he is not only standing, but I was so happy reading his post this morning to see that he is able and willing to help others.

I have always believed that life fulfillment is not in how many houses we built or cars we bought or amount in our bank accounts, but in how many other people's life we affected positively. To me it worth so much more that a man will look up to God and say "God I thank you for OAM4J".

So Today as we begin to conclude this project, I look up to God and I say with so much gratitude "God I thank you for these Wonderful Nairalanders who have contributed in cash, in kind, in labour and prayers to put a smile on the Obuhs' faces"

God bless all of you.

menek:

Hmm, na waoh! So this is how the story goes. I can remembered, I once saw this topic but never care to open it, thinkin he is one irresponsible fellow that never planned well and ended  up in a mess until some one drawn my attention to it.
Hmm! Since I can feed today, I should be able to do something too. OAM4J, I will shoot u a mail later. God bless all that hav help that family

I await you email or call bro. Am so happy for you.  

More shop update

Can someone send me the Naija account details. Someone needs it. Thanks.

Radiant:

Can someone send me the Naija account details. Someone needs it. Thanks.

sent

thanx

Ose gan

menek:

Hmm, na waoh! So this is how the story goes. I can remembered, I once saw this topic but never care to open it, thinkin he is one irresponsible fellow that never planned well and ended up in a mess until some one drawn my attention to it.
Hmm! Since I can feed today, I should be able to do something too. OAM4J, I will shoot u a mail later. God bless all that hav help that family

Menek is this you? Oh thank you God! How will God not continue to bless you? You are a star! You've been blessed to be a blessing. I'm so happy for you dear. Without saying much I can tell you are doing really well. God bless your kind heart. . Good to see you

Expenditure update.Jarus transfered 100K to me out of which 5K was carpenters balance so we were left with 95K to stock the shop with:
Half ctn 40 leaves exercise book=3080
half ctn 60 leaves=3160
1 roll green(big)my my toothpaste=800
1 ctn nunu milk=2500
1 ctn rosa satchet tomatoes=1050
1 ctn ric-giko tomatoes=1000
1 ctn April bathing soap=1900
1 ctn Lisa bathing soap=1900
3 rolls of toothbrush=450
3 packs of G.O 90 insect killer=960
1 roll red(big) my my toothpaste=930
1 roll red meduim my my toothpaste=420
1 roll olive meduim toothpaste=450
1 pack of matches=470
1 ctn of alabukun=1850
1 ctn of green okin washing soap=2550
1 ctn of MP3 washing soap=4100
12 packs of candle=1150
1 ctn of luna milk=2350
1 pack/roll of mini pampers=1450
1 pack of midi pampers=1450
1 pack/roll of ladycare sanitary pads=1230
2 packs of 2 sounds banger=1100
2 packs of 3 sounds banger=1300

@r231

Finally made it to the bank to pay my token contribution yesterday. Initials A.O.

May you and other members of the team be richly blessed for sacrificing your time apart from your financial assistance. Amen.

^^^^^Amen

God Bless

1 pack of washing/scouring powder=490
1 ctn of Izal=800
1 pack/roll of Rose toilet roll=2200
2 packs of 100 watts bulb=800
2 packs of 60 watts bulb=700
1 bag of slippers=4350
2 pkts of big tiger battery=600
2 pkts of tiger finger battrey=760
1 pkt of lion finger battery=430
2 rolls of super glue=400
1(5) Litres of groundnut oil=1600
1(5) liters of red oil=1400
1 bag of royal umbrella rice=8600
1 bag of peoples choice rice=7900
1 bag of yellow garri=3200
half bag of beans=6450
half bag of beans=5650
carrying of goods + taxi from mushin to daleko mkt to shop(yesterday and today)=7770
Total spent=f
91'800
balance with me=3,200

Morrow we'd be getting the remaining items.

God bless us all.

1 pack of washing/scouring powder=490
1 ctn of Izal=800
1 pack/roll of Rose toilet roll=2200
2 packs of 100 watts bulb=800
2 packs of 60 watts bulb=700
1 bag of slippers=4350
2 pkts of big tiger battery=600
2 pkts of tiger finger battrey=760
1 pkt of lion finger battery=430
2 rolls of super glue=400
1(5) Litres of groundnut oil=1600
1(5) liters of red oil=1400
1 bag of royal umbrella rice=8600
1 bag of peoples choice rice=7900
1 bag of yellow garri=3200
half bag of beans=6450
half bag of beans=5650
carrying of goods + taxi from mushin to daleko mkt to shop(yesterday and today)=7770
Total spent=f
91'800
balance with me=3,200

Morrow we'd be getting the remaining items.

God bless us all.

^^^^^God Bless you too madam

Nice one. . . . .

more pictures tomorrow

receipt number 0177-1561-0047-1140

please confirm!