Mere looking at 32 year old Saheed Lawal, he cuts the picture of a pitiable, low-income artisan, and that was just what he would be described until a few days ago when his levels changed and he climbed the rungs of the ladder to join the club of millionaires in Nigeria.
The change in class, levels and fortune has also become the enviable lot of Aina Williams, a stand-in for a shop owner in Ile Oluji, Ondo State.
On the 18th day of November, Saheed Lawal won the N42m-worth star prize land in an ongoing Imperial City Promo, powered by the Elegushi of Ikateland.
HRM Oba Saheed Elegushi with Saheed Lawal (winner of draw1 600 square meter plot of land at Imperial Business City, Ikate Elegushi) with his wife and kids
Clad in a faded, threadbare, blue shirt and an equally frayed striped black pair of trousers, on Tuesday this week at his bed-sitter located at Egbe Alagun Quarters, Oke Sopin, a remote area of Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, Lawal could not hide his emotions as he narrated how he almost missed buying the ticket.
Lawal told our correspondent how he had gone to the Lotto kiosk manned by his younger brother, Ahmed, to play another game. But as he was familiar with the machine, he decided to operate it himself same way he’s used to.
Oba Saheed Elegushi Oba Saheed Elegushi and other draw 1 winner of 1million and 500,000 naira respectively
As luck would have it, he pressed a button different from the one he was supposed to. Apparently contemplating about his new status, Lawal sitting on the neatly made king-sized bed which occupied a larger space in the room, which also contained a cupboard on which lay some scuffed pairs of shoes, starred at Funmilayo, his wife.
Funmilayo sat on a sofa placed before the un-plastered wall where cement blocks starred angrily at onlookers in protest of the scrawls painted on them in while chalk by children practising their writing skills. Dangling over her head was a medium-sized photo frame where the couple was smiling at each other.
Saheed a onetime house painter-turned-millionaire heaved a deep sigh and narrated his ordeal and success story, “I was not buoyant that fateful day. I only had N500 on me and I was feeling low. I decided to go to my brother’s shop to catch some fun. At the shop, I decided to use N200 out of the N500 with me to play a game. As I am familiar with the machine, I decided to operate it as I usually do. It was a mistake. I pressed the wrong button. To make matters worse, the fee for the game was N500 as against the one of N200 I intended playing. I was angry with myself. I wanted to stop playing the game but I could not anymore as I had pressed the button, so most reluctantly I continued. After the ticket came out, out of annoyance, I just kept it in a bag in the kiosk and went home angrily.
“I was very angry with myself as my plan was to spend only N200 on the game, give N200 to my wife for dinner and keep the remaining N100.”
The father of two continued in the Yoruba language heavily laced with the Ijebu accent, “Getting home, I regretfully told my wife what happened. Of course, she was livid with anger berating me for spending the money for the family upkeep on gambling.”
Funmilayo, his wife and a mother of two, who met Lawal at the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic where they were both schooled ago, said she always knew her husband would make it in life as he was hardworking and a focused goal-getter.
Asked if she knew riches would come by playing Lotto, she replied in the negative.
“I never liked gambling or game playing as they call it but I just allow my husband to do it since he likes it. But despite the fact that I knew he would be something, I never thought it would come through this way. We missed our supper the day he played the game.
“It is a way God has designed to put away my shame. I have suffered. I have really suffered. But now, I thank God that it has ended in praise”, Funmilayo, a teacher at a privately-owned primary school, said in polished Queens English.
But, how did Lawal end up being a house painter having successfully pursued a diploma in accounting?
“I attended Molusi College, Ijebu-Igbo after which I proceeded to the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic where I did a diploma course in Accounting. Due to the prevailing economic situation in the country, I felt someone should have a trade hence I learnt house painting for one and a half years. I was actually on a job in Ibadan, Oyo State when I heard the call from my wife to produce the ticket of the game I played with Golden Chance the previous week and I had to rush back to Ijebu Igbo because of it.
“I never had any hope of winning. I didn’t even know what the star prize was. I just played it.”
Married in 2009 Lawal and his wife live with his aunt, Mrs. Kuburat Ososanya and are next-door neighbours to his parents, Mr. Adekunle Lawal, a civil servant ad mother, Adenike, a teacher at a government owned primary school.
Lawal, the first of his parents’ five children, as a house painter earns about N15, 000 for a week’s job which according to him comes once in a while.
Lawal, the first of his parents’ five children, as a house painter earns about N15, 000 for a week’s job which according to him comes once in a while.
He said, “As a painter, I earn about N15, 000 for a week’s job but business has been quite dull for a while. The peak period of house painting is usually at the end of the year when people mostly move to their new houses or renovate their current ones.
“Actually, I was in Ibadan for a job when I received a call that I should produce the ticket of the game I played the previous week. My partner had insisted on paying me N1, 200 a day instead of the N3,000 we usually collect for an out-of-town job. This was even after the intervention of the owner of the house because he had initially insisted that there was no job for me.”
His aunt, Kuburat Ososanwo, described Lawal as a kind and understanding fellow, who came to live with her despite the condition of her house after she had appealed to his parents to allow him come as she needed someone as neighbour in her apartment.
“He is my nephew and a good neighbour. I pray for him every time because I know he has good leadership qualities,” she said.
As our reporter departed from his modest apartment, Lawal increased the volume of his beat-up stereo which blared a tune, “Ore ti o common”, meaning “uncommon fortune.”
To the Lawals and neighbours who had shed tears of joy with him during his chat with our media team, winning a N42m plot of land through a N500 lotto ticket was really an uncommon favour. The train of uncommon fortune also landed in Ile Oluji, in Ondo State.
Recently a lady proceeded on vacation. In order not to lose her customers, she asked someone to hold the fort for her. Little did she know that this would pave way for the proxy to become a millionaire.
Just as he settled down to business, the proxy partook in the promo and won a cash prize of N1 million.
That is the story of Mr. Aina Williams; he is the proxy for a sub agent of Winners Golden Chance Lotto, who has a franchise to sell promo tickets for the Imperial City lottery.
The concept, which is the brain child of Channeldrill Resources Ltd, is ably supported by the Elegushi royal family.
The idea is about a smart city that will be established in Elegushi.
The idea is about a smart city that will be established in Elegushi.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, Channeldrill Resources Ltd offered the public 10 plots of land in the scheme and cash prizes worth about N6 million. Williams is a beneficiary of N1m cash prize.
Tickets for the promo are available on all platforms of Winners Golden Chance Lotto and WGB.
The promo which will end on January 19, 2017, is drawn on a weekly basis.
Imperial Business City Raffle Draw
The Elegushi Royal Family (ERF) recently received approval from the Lagos State Government (LASG) for the expansion of the Ikate Kingdom by 200 hectares of land to be dredged off the Lagos Lagoon which will in effect expand the ancient Ikate city and also extend Lekki Phase 1.
His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi has agreed to give out 10 Plots of these lands over a raffle draw to the general public.
The raffle draw will hold for 12 weeks. The first draw will take place two weeks after the kick off where 1 plot of land will be won along with other cash prizes.
A plot of land will be won each week for 10 weeks. Consolation prizes include; 1million naira cash, N500, 000, N100, 000, N50, 000.
Each ticket will be sold at N500 (five hundred naira each).
Do not miss out on this Golden opportunity, what are you waiting for? Go grab your tickets at any golden Chance lotto kiosk or terminal near you or via golden chance website (www.winnersgoldenchance.com), any winners golden bet shop and winners golden bet website (www.winnersgoldenbet.com).
There will be live draws Every Thursday on TVC at 3:30pm, watch out for next draw this Thursday 1st December at 3:30pm.
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