Celebrating A Silent Philanthropist Touching the Lives of the Less-Privileged in the Month of Ramadan
By, Abba Dukawa
AREWA AGENDA – It is an honour, well deserved, for a man who has built a reputation for quiet philanthropy, especially in the much-neglected social sector in the country. Despite all his wealth, Abdul Samad Rabiu, lives a simple life and cares for the less-privileged in the society; whereas, his silent philanthropist is touching the lives of the needy in the holy Month of Ramadan
Unknown to many, he does it as Islam enjoins one to do things for the sake of Allah, devoid of public attention from his home front, Kano state and other parts of the country. As the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the world and the country at large, Abdul Samad dug into the depth of his humanity to support every effort of the Federal Government to combat the virus, particularly, through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Coalition against COVID-19. He donated generously to the Kano and Lagos State governments, various bodies and institutions.
Concerned with the increased deaths which affected elderly people during the aftermath of the pandemic in Kano, being a proud son of the state, donations from BUA went a long way in helping Kano State fight COVID-19. At the heat of the pandemic, BUA made another donation of N2 billion to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) to help fight the disease.
Moreover, his impact were felt as his Foundation also donated 20 vehicles and 5 ambulances to Kano State Government at the heat of Covid-19 pandemic as part of its contribution towards the battle against the Coronavirus in the state.
In addition to these donations, the Foundation ordered medical supplies and equipment for the two most populated states. The Foundation also selected 7 states across all geopolitical regions in Nigeria where significant members of the BUA workforce and their families are situated to help preparedness and response to the challenges posed by the pandemic. Sometimes in 2018, BUA Group pledged to construct N7.5billion 220-bed specialist hospital in Kano State.
There seems to be a consensus of opinions that the BUA boss has created phenomenally successful businesses and changed Nigeria and Africa, significantly. The chairman achieves this with unequalled grace. He also epitomises merit and affluence with indescribable allure. He has got a heart of gold too. His forays into the business sector are richly layered and iconic. He is a peerless patriot whose commitment to national and economic stability is beyond doubt, having recorded a series of remarkable achievements in the highly competitive businesses.
Over the decades, he has contributed immensely as a businessman and an industrialist to the growth and development of our economy. He worked hard to establish BUA which provides means of livelihood to thousands of Nigerians. Virtues, according to him, should be, in the popular estimate, the rule guiding human conduct in business, social and circuits rather than the exception.
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A man is nothing without his virtues”, he argues. Thus he endeavours to do good. But his deeds are done not as an apology or extenuation of his fortune. While many rich men propagate virtues as penances for the inaction of the world’s privileged divide, AbdulSamad imbibes and perpetuates the culture of goodness out of an intrinsic part of his manliness.
It’s no longer news that Abdul Samad Rabiu had launched the ASR Africa Initiative for Education, Health and Social Development in Africa which focuses mainly on equipping facilities, researchers, healthcare practitioners and community-level service providers and also supporting the efforts of various Governments in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa in Education, Healthcare and Social Development.
The Initiative came at the right time when the nation’s educational and health sectors witness serious turmoil, this simple act of support would surely help our Education, Health and Social Development in the country and Africa at large.
While the Initiative focuses mainly on equipping facilities, researchers, healthcare practitioners and community-level service providers are also supporting the efforts of various Governments in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa Social Development. Ahmadu Bello University, University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Maiduguri; University of Ilorin; University of Ibadan, and University of Benin as beneficiaries in the first cohort of the intervention grant. In fact, the initiative will go a long way in bridging the infrastructural deficit in education within Nigeria and other African Countries.
It is remarkable that Abdul Samad Rabiu has within the past years, supporting educational and health development in the country through BUA foundation.
On the part of the government, there is need for such encouragement of this noble act of supporting public institutions by corporate bodies and individuals. There is also the need for a structure that will encourage more goodwill. That will necessitate putting in place fiscal measures in that direction by the government at all levels.
That is what other countries have done. In the Western Countries and the United States, individuals and corporate bodies rendered such assistance.
Another area the less privileged felt his impact most is in this holy Month of Ramadan, through BUA Foundation, thousands of the needy have decent iftar break distributed at major Masjids across the state packed in disposal containers. The Foundation assigned selected peoples with responsibilities of going to high density area to give out foodstuffs to poor peoples. Paid millions of naira to set free hundreds of inmates with minor offences. Patients and their bedsitters at various hospitals in the state benefited from the gesture; they are received monetary assistance which runs into several hundreds of millions as each received N10000.
He equally clears medical bills for those that cannot afford and have no way of ever repaying him. That notwithstanding does not deters him from silently funding the education of thousands of people. He is among the few men that can knead the tripartite traits of genius, modesty, and character into the moral and human centaur that remains unattainable to generations of Nigerian multibillionaires and other tycoons
Dukawa wrote in from Kano state and can be reached at: [email protected]
Arewa Agenda is a Publication of Young writers/journalist from Northern Nigeria towards Peaceful Coexistence and National Development through positive narratives
