Featured
My Suicide Attempt in London

By Mike Awoyinfa
My brother and friend Chief Dele Momodu, in an impromptu speech on Instagram and Facebook, uplifted a distraught lady whose world came crashing after she was denied a visa to Canada. Listening to Momodu’s homily, I was impressed enough to use it here as a piece of evangelism, as a motivational, newsworthy, mentorship speech for all our Japa-conscious youths in search of a better life abroad:
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Being denied a Canadian visa is sad but it is not the end of the world. Every disappointment has taught me that there is a blessing if you look deeper. Don’t even lose faith. Just hold on to your God. Go to church tomorrow and dance more than ever. All shall be well. Trust me, trust me.
I wanted to be a teacher as a young man. I applied everywhere after my Master’s degree in 1988, and I got denied. I wanted to be a lawyer. I applied for law at the University of Ife. I got denied. My mum broke into tears. She thought the reason I was being denied everything was because I have a first degree in Yoruba. Everything I tried failed. At a time, I was the only jobless person in our house. Everybody would go to work in the morning and I would be the only one lying down on my mattress in our Boys’ Quarters. And my brother would enter, look at me, shake his head and slam the door. He would say: “It’s good to be jobless.”
And at a time, I thought maybe witches and wizards were after me. But I didn’t know God was preparing me for a life of a journalist. I never planned to be a journalist. I never went to journalism school. When I came to Lagos, I applied to work at The Guardian newspaper, I was rejected. I have been rejected in my life so many times. I failed School Cert, I wrote School Cert three times: 1976, 1977, 1978. I did university exams three times. So we became the first set of Jambites in 1978. Three times I failed. I am telling you the story of my life. I lost my father at the age of thirteen – I was thirteen when my father died in 1973. And I was left with a poor illiterate mother. Looking at you, you are not even a village girl. I was a village boy. So, I am begging you in the name of God, don’t think that Canada is the only place you can make it in life. People are making it in Nigeria. Aliko Dangote is not in Canada. He is in Nigeria. Mike Adenuga is in Nigeria. Abdul Samad Rabiu is in Nigeria. Femi Otedola is in Nigeria. We all went to school at different times in Nigeria. And we are doing our work.
I can live anywhere I want to live today. But I am living in Nigeria. Trust me. We will make it. When you make it and you have money, no country will dare reject you for visa. In fact, they would be begging you. The Ambassador would come and visit you at home.
I am prophesying into your life today. So, trust me. For every disappointment, there is a blessing somewhere. I told you I was rejected by The Guardian newspaper. And then, my friend suggested I should go to Concord and try my luck. But I said “No, I don’t like Concord. I hear MKO Abiola is a fanatic, is this, is that. Fela sang against him.” You see, that is why you should not hold any bias against anybody. You won’t believe what happened. I didn’t know Concord was where my life was going to turn around. MKO Abiola later became my adopted father. This is a man when I was going there, people were discouraging me, saying “Don’t go there, it’s a bad place, he is a bad man.” Look, the experience of my life has shown that there is God. Yes, as a human being, you will feel pain when you are rejected once in a while. But I am telling you, I am a good example and testimony to the greatness of God, to the awesomeness of God, that when it is God’s time, all these visas you are talking about would all be yours.
When I started Ovation magazine, at a point, I got totally broke. And I was ready to kill myself. So, don’t think that it’s an easy story or easy journey. I was ready to die. And then, I entered my car in London, I was driving, I didn’t know where I was going. I was telling God: “Just take me away. This shame will be too much. I have failed.”
From my experience, what makes people disappointed sometimes is the shame of failing. There is nothing wrong with failing. When you fail, you rise up again. And God will lead you to your destination. I was ready to die. And then, my godfather called. My phone rang. Chief Alex Duduyemi was on the line. Someone had told him that the way they are watching me, I would go and injure myself. And he called. And I reluctantly picked the call. He said: “Dele, where are you?” And I replied: “I don’t know, Daddy.”
“Why won’t you know where you are?”
“I just don’t know, Sir. I am just in the car driving.”
“Please, don’t injure yourself. Turn back wherever you are. Turn back and come to my office.”
And I went to his office and he lectured me that day. He told me: “What is not enough today would become so plenty it would be overflowing tomorrow.”
And that is what I am prophesying into your life. I don’t know why I am doing this today. I have not done this on Instagram in a long time: chatting with people and bringing them on my programme. So maybe God wanted me to speak to you. I left my food just to be able to talk to you, to encourage you and to tell you that don’t let the devil make you unhappy. The job of the devil is to make you unhappy. Don’t let anything in this life make you unhappy. Going to America or Canada or wherever, it’s not the end of the world. There is so much you can do. Even the money you are going to spend to buy a ticket to Canada would probably cost you three to four million naira. Trust me, and I am not just making mouth, three or four million naira will take you far in Nigeria today. You can set up a business that would turn you into a billionaire in Nigeria today, if you think of something original.
When we started Ovation, we didn’t have all the money we needed. We needed one hundred and fifty thousand pounds when we did our business plan. We were able to raise only twenty thousand pounds. And that twenty thousand pounds was what we sowed. Against all odds, we were just trying this and that. And we turned it into a multibillion naira business. So in life, I am telling you, nothing is impossible, if you don’t give up. Only if you give up. So, that money for your ticket, if you already have it in a bank, keep it very well. And go and tell experts what your passion is. If it is food, if it is cooking, if it is trading, whatever it is, they would do a business plan for you and with that four million naira, you will become a billionaire by the grace of Almighty God. God doesn’t want you to go and burn money, maybe to go and be washing plates or whatever. It doesn’t mean you won’t get a better job abroad but I am telling you, maybe God has a better plan for you. So don’t close your eyes, don’t close your heart, don’t close you mind to what God wants to do for you. God will be with you.
Featured
70th Birthday: Davido Gifts Timi of Ede Brand New Luxurious GAC Car

Renowned musician and pop star, David Adeleke, also known as Davido, has presented a brand-new GAC GS8 4WD car to HRM Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, the Timi of Ede, in celebration of his 70th birthday.
The luxurious vehicle was presented at an eleborate ceremony by the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, on behalf of Davido.
Featured
Meet Nigeria Customs National Public Relations Officer, ACC Abdullahi Maiwada

They come as ready as they are prepared. They are the efficiency of paramilitary and security endeavours. They secure border integrity. They are the Nigeria Customs Service, and one man is at the forefront of projecting their hard earned glorious image. He is Assistant Comptroller of Police Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada.
In December 2024, Maiwada, who is the National Spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was elevated to office Assistant Comptroller of Customs. His promotion was a consequence of efficiency, doggedness, hard work and ability to exhibit all the qualities of one with an eye to details.
Maiwada was among many officers who benefitted from the recent promotion by the Customs board.
His trajectory in the Service and beyond, is captured as follows:
A prolific image manager, AC Maiwada was born on January 12, 1987 in Katsina State.
He attended his primary and secondary school education in Bayero University Kano.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education/Geography and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Bayero University Kano.
He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in mass communication from Crescent University Abeokuta. He is currently a Doctorate Researcher specialising in Internal Communication at the University of Abuja.
AC Maiwada was enlisted into the Nigeria Customs Service as Cadet ASC II in 2011. He had a long stint as the Zonal Public Relations Officer Zone ‘B’ Headquarters, Public Relations Officer Ogun Command (now Ogun I & II Area Commands).
AC Maiwada was deployed to Headquarters in 2020 as the pioneer Liaison Officer of Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network and later deputised the immediate past National Public Relations Officer from January 2022 to February 2023. He was appointed substantive spokesperson of NCS in April 2023, a position he holds to date.
To fully embrace the service of Public Relations and its dynamics, AC Abdullahi Maiwada is a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and a member of the African Public Relations Association (APRA).
He also holds full membership with the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), and the Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).
He has attended numerous courses relating to Customs Operations, Trade Facilitation, Public Relations, Strategic Communication, and Leadership.
As a consummate and seasoned Officer, he is a recipient of the 2020 World Customs Organisation (WCO) meritorious award. He recently bagged the Best Spokesperson of the Year award organised by Image Merchant Limited.
Under his watch, the Public Relations Unit recently received the WCO Meritorious Award during the 2024 International Customs Day Celebration (ICD). He also received the 2024 Best Spokesperson Award from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
He has several published conceptual and empirical papers relating to Public Relations in Customs and other areas in the field of communication.
He is happily married with three kids.
Featured
Glo Partners Samsung to Offer Customers the Exclusive Galaxy S-25

Digital solutions company, Globacom, has teamed up with Samsung, world’s leading manufacturer of electronic devices, to bring a new offer to Glo subscribers. This tantalising deal allows Glo customers to pre-order the highly sought-after Samsung Galaxy S-25 smartphone and enjoy unique benefits.
Samsung Electronics unveiled its newest flagship smartphones: the Galaxy S25 series which comes with cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and was designed to elevate user experience and set new standards in the industry on January 22, 2025.
The pre-ordering exercise kicked off on January 22 and closes on February 18, 2025 at Gloworld shops across the country. It gives customers the opportunity to select from the Galaxy S25 lineup, including the S25 Ultra, the top-tier and most sophisticated model, as well as the S25+ and the standard S25. They, however, come with different processors and storage options.
Customers who pre-order the Galaxy S25 or S25+ will receive complimentary gifts, including a Buds FE, a suit cover, and Samsung Care, while those opting for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, will receive a free Buds 3, a standing grip case, and Samsung Care.
Globacom is also delighting customers who purchase any model from the Galaxy S25 series with 18GB bonus data for 6 months under smartphone festival data plans, while they can also secure their pre-order at any Gloworld shop with an advance payment of ₦500,000. Pre-ordered phones will be delivered to customers from February 19 onwards.
“We are thrilled to bring this offer to our subscribers, who will enjoy unparalleled benefits, including innovative packaging. This partnership with Samsung reinforces our commitment to providing value-added services that cater to the evolving needs of our customers”.
The company advises other phone lovers who are yet to pre-order the new device to visit any Gloworld outlet close to them and join the list of the new owners of the Samsung S-25 phone before the expiry date.
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