Why People Are Afraid To Clock Forty Years – Alawiye Federation

The eloquent, multi-talented and ever-dynamic broadcaster, who have received many awards within and outside the broadcasting industry across Nigeria, Comrade Akinyemi Titus Olatoye says many people of today were always afraid to clock the age of forty years due to the dos and don’ts people said about that age. He also said his growing up was very challenging and would not like people around him to pass through those stage. Akinyemi Olatoye popularly known as Alawiye Federation who is also the immediate past Chairman of Freelance and Independent Broadcasters' Association of Nigeria, FIBAN, in Ogun state disclosed this while speaking with TRENDING METRO in preparation to his coming event tagged “AN EVENING WITH ALAWIYE FEDERATION” in commemoration of his 43rd birthday on March 30th. Enjoy yourself with this interesting interview.

Alawiye Federation

TRENDINGMETRO: For record purpose, may we meet you?

ALAWIYE: Yeah, my name is Akinyemi Titus Olatoye, but people preferred to call my Alawiye Federation.

TRENDINGMETRO: We learnt that you are planning an event in which you want to empower some widows, how true about this, and what brought the idea?

ALAWIYE: Well, let me first of all say, it’s not something one can do one its own because if the Lord does not build a house, labourers build in vain. It is not me; God is just using me to do that. About three years ago when I did my 40th birthday, I proposed in my mind that after that event, every year, I would have to do something for the less-privilege in the society. The reason is not far fetch because the society we live in has made us, and we need to give back to that society, especially when you live in the society where there is hunger, lack and want, and you have empathy for people that are lacking. Like I do tell people that there is no condition you find yourself, they are still better off some people, so why don’t you do something to those people you’re better off? That is just the basis. If the Lord has blessed you, you have to give back to the society. My own definition of being comfortable is when you’re okay, and you can eat what you like, not what you see. I may decide to drink garri and groundnut; it is not because I don’t have the money to buy better food. You will see some people drinking garri and they will tell you they are suffering, No! It is not suffering, it is what they want to eat. I decided that every 30^th of March of the year which is my birthday, I will be doing something for the less-privilege. This year, I have chosen to give whatever I have to the widows, that is the selected widows

TRENDINGMETRO: Like how many widows were you intending to empower this year?

ALAWIYE: Initially, when I looked at what I have in my capacity, I proposed in my heart for just ten (10) widows, but when I started giving people invitation card, especially those that understood the importance of what I’m trying to do, they have been contributing to my mission and pledging to support me. And I want to assure you that as we speak now, I will be empowering twenty (20) widows. When people have given me some of what I wanted to give out, I don’t have to hold them back than to give them out. No one can tell, the number may increase tomorrow but as we speak now that the event is just about a week to go, I have in mind just twenty widows to empower. Because just about a week ago that I am having ten widows in mind and now it has increased to twenty, so I may also decide tomorrow to increase it.

TRENDINGMETRO: Are there criterias for choosing those widows, and what are they?

ALAWIYE: It is not that we have some people in mind, but what I intend doing is that I will go on air, that is use my radio programme on Monday which is about 5days to the event and call for them. There are questions they are going to answer on the programme which will make those who get those question right qualify for the selection. If anyone who is not a widow qualifies, maybe such person is praying for the husband to die. It is going to be based on first come and first serve, because immediately we get to the number we needed, we will stop. We can’t just be selecting widows from the neighbourhood that is why we want to make it public. It is my fans, those that listen to my programme will benefit first.

TRENDINGMETRO: Do you have this idea from the childhood or after your 40th birthday?

ALAWIYE: Well, while growing up, my growing up was very funny and very challenging. You see, I have had this in mind long time ago, that I used to tell people that when I have the opportunity, I would do something for people that are not okay and well-to-do. I do pray to God to bless me so I can be a blessing to people. I know if you interview people around me like my colleagues and my workers, they will tell you that Alawiye is passionate about people that don’t have anything. I have to hear ‘I am hungry’, I don’t like people lamenting on hunger. When I see you in a moody way and ask what the problem is, and you tell me you’re hungry, I hate to hear the language and I do felt bad. There is a Yoruba saying that ‘Eni t’ebi o pa ri, ko le mo iyi ayo’ which simply means whoever that has never felt hunger before, will not know the importance of been fed. I have it mind while growing up, and it all started in 2009 when I was celebrating my tenth (10th) year in broadcasting industry. I had to visit about two-three less privilege homes. Immediately after the celebration, I called some of my friends and tell them my mind about helping the less privilege and some of them buy the idea which led to establishing a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), we call it TRAILBLAZERS CLUB. Our major objective is to give to the less privilege. As we speak now, we have over twenty members in that club and what we do regularly is to visit less privilege homes and give them what we have. At times, we sponsor people, and give some people scholarship. It is not a social club, it is a humanitarian club, and if you don’t have passion for that, you can’t do it. The club is almost ten years now. When I clocked forty, I now decided that it must be regular and I know what I did when I clocked forty-one and forty-two. Now, it is the widows turn. Next year by God grace, it will be another peoples’ turn, and I pray God should give me the opportunity to be doing this every year.

TRENDINGMETRO: Like how many people do you have in record, who have benefited from that club?

ALAWIYE: Many people that I don’t want to be mentioning their names now and like I told you earlier, we have visited the Lepers’ Colony, Motherless Baby Homes and Remand Homes, also Juvenile Remand Homes. I remember there was a time we visited some schools and asked of those that have not yet paid their school fees, we had to pay for them. So, I cannot just count the number of people we have blessed.

Alawiye

TRENDINGMETRO: What are the challenges facing this club, or are there no challenges at all?

ALAWIYE: Yeah, there are many challenges. You see the first challenge is that before you can get people of like-minds that will share the vision, it is a bit difficult. Some people have joined, while some have left when they see that it is not a legbelegbe club. It is not a club of buying Aso-Ebi or party club, maybe that was what some of those who left were having in mind, so when they joined, they noticed that their own ideas was different from ours. Funding is another thing, there is a contribution we used to make in that club, and we call it widows-might and there is nothing too small for members to drop there. We hold our meeting every last Sunday of every month. Again, the personal development of members is another thing, whatever you don’t have, you cannot give. In the club, we have the idea of developing our club first, before giving out to others. So, if any member is having challenges, we seek to it. We thank God that none of the members of the club is having challenges of what to wear or what to eat.

TRENDINGMETRO: Is the government aware of the club, and what are the impacts of government on the club?

ALAWIYE: Well, I want to say the government is not yet aware except when we register the club that is when we can say that we have contact with the government. As far as we are concerned, our idea is that we don’t just think of what the government can do for us, but what we can do for the society or the government itself. The government, especially in this part of the world, the government of this country is not ready to assist any individual anywhere, because they have enormous task before them. When you ask the clubs that has been existing for over hundred years the same question, I am sure they won’t tell you government has been doing anything for them. They have been doing things within themselves with the level of their capacity. I would rather say the government is nowhere to be found here.

TRENDINGMETRO: Let’s come back to the event. What are other packages in the coming event that people particularly your fans should be expecting?

ALAWIYE: Aside of the widows empowerment, we are going to be having a kind of interactive session with my humble self. I discovered that some of our fans listening to us on radios and watching us on televisions have never have the opportunity of meeting us one-on-one to ask us whatever question they wanted to ask from us. At times when we are on air, and you ask people to be calling-in on the particular topic we’re talking about, you will see some people digressing, asking you the questions that are not supposed to be asked on air. I have now created that opportunity that the event will give them the privilege of asking whatever questions. They will ask any question which I will be ready to answer them one after the other. Again there is going birthday talk; sincerely it is going to be health-talk. These days, people are afraid to clock forty, because when they clock forty, they will be telling them what to do and what not to do. They will be telling some dos and don’ts like these are what should eat, and you must stay away from eating these foods. We want to have a kind of health talk for the benefit of people that are above forty and people who are looking forward to that age. What are the challenges of being forty and above? How do you take care of your health? People do challenge me whenever they see me eating meat and I asked them ‘do you want to kill us?’ there will be medical practitioner in the house that will lecture us on that. Also we will cut cake and also have action sales. The event, I promised, it will be fun-filled, though it will be 2-hours. And it is strictly by invitation card.

Invitation Card

TRENDINGMETRO: Who and who should people be expecting on that day?

ALAWIYE: Well, I don’t want to assume, you understand? I have given IV to people and we should expect that they will turn-up. The chairman of the event is one of the professors in FUNAAB, Professor Agboola, he is the president of my alma-matter, the special adviser on information to Governor of Ogun state, Mr Yemisi Fadairo is going to be one the special guests. We have the likes of the national president of FIBAN, Comrade Desmond Nwachukwu; Ogun state FIBAN chairman; Ogun state NUJ chairman. Also broadcasters and journalists will be at the event. Hon Kunle Adegboyega Texaco who is the special adviser to Governor Amosun on Youth will be there. Eminent comedians like Dr Smile, Koye, Oluso Agba Group among others.

TRENDINGMETRO: How is life since you’ve left the post as Ogun state FIBAN Chairman?

ALAWIYE: (Laughs) Well, without mincing words, life has just been the same. Why did I say this? Because when I was a chairman, I did not live an extra-ordinary life. To lead our kind of association, you see, like we used to call it, our association is an exceptional association; it is different from other kinds of association. The only difference is that, when I was a chairman, I live a public life and now that I am no more the chairman, I withdrawn back to my shore as a private person. No one to call me at midnight for attention because I remember the day I was called upon at 12a.m. by one of the members who had issues with police. My wife was even challenging me that by this time of the day, she won’t allowed me to go, I had to calm her down that it is my responsibility, and I have to do it. Nobody to call me for that again. So now, when they are calling on elders statesmen, I’m already part of them. There is nothing much about been the chairman of FIBAN, because there is no allocation every month and now there is no allocation too, nothing changes. Even that time, you spend more of your money to run the association than now that my money used to be with me except when they need my assistance, and I have to render it, which is different from been the chairman because the whole responsibility lies on you.

TRENDINGMETRO: Any message to the general public, particularly your fans out there?

ALAWIYE: The message is very simple, just do the best of today because you don’t know what lies in tomorrow for you. Wherever you are today, no matter what you are doing today, make sure that you impact a life so that people will be able to say when this person is here, he did this and that. You see, when you are alive, people have started saying things about you, not even when you’re dead. Let somebody wake up one day and say ‘if not for you, I wouldn’t be this’. It is not until I have all the monies in this life that I would have to help people. My philosophy about life is that if I have money to build house, I would rather help people, because you might not know what who you help today will do for you tomorrow. When you help somebody, you’re doing it to help your own future. Like my late boss used to say, what you do to people today, you do it to yourself for tomorrow, because that which you have done will either speak for you or speak against you in future.