A
man has stunned as well as inspired a lot of people after he defied the
odds and rose from obscurity to emerge graduate lawyer.
File photo used only for illustrative purpose
Mr. Abdulsalam Idowu, a former street beggar, has emerged a lawyer.
The man heaved a sigh of fulfilment of a life ambition as he was
called to the bar to start practising as a lawyer in Nigeria on
Wednesday.
According to The Punch, Idowu, who defied all odds, to bag his law
degree from the University of Lagos in 2015, had proceeded to the
Nigerian Law School, where he emerged successful in the August/September
2016 final bar examinations conducted at the end of the one-year
programme.
The new wig, who engaged in street begging to fund his primary and
secondary education, was among the 4,225 graduates of the Nigerian Law
School called to the bar in Abuja on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Having lost his mother at about age three, crippled by a disease
that befell him thereafter and left with a father and relatives who had
no interest in his future, Idowu started begging at age eight in Erin
Ile, Kwara State, to see himself through his primary and secondary
school education.
Against all odds, the 37-year-old had earlier in 2011 obtained a degree in Political Science from the same University of Lagos.
Not satisfied without a Law degree, he struggled to secure
admission to study Law while in the final year of the first degree
programme.
Idowu spoke with The Punch on Wednesday at the International
Conference Centre in Abuja, venue of the two-day call-to-bar ceremony.
He said, “I was not satisfied when they gave me admission to study Political Science because I have always wanted to be a lawyer.
“So, I struggled to get admission to study Law. I got the
admission when I was in my final year, writing my final project for the
Political Science degree.”
He narrated how he began to beg for alms to enable him to get
education, a sojourn which he said landed him in Lagos, where he was
able to raise money to complete secondary school and later got admission
to the University of Lagos.
He said, “It was sometimes in 1987, I was about eight years old
in the public kindergarten school. All my mates were promoted to
primary one but I was not promoted.
“I asked why because I attended classes and sat for exams. I
was then told that I was not a registered pupil but they only allowed me
to attend classes and take exams.
“That day I felt very sad and on getting home I called
everybody, including my father and aged paternal grandmother, whom I was
staying with, because I was very angry.
“I told them that I wanted to be registered in school but they
said there was no money and that there was no way I could cope in school
because of my condition. But I insisted that they must register me and
that they should not bother about paying my fees.
“They registered me and as soon as they did, I took to the street begging for alms to meet some financial demands that came up.
“When I gained admission in 1993, I could not afford N520
school fees but I had been hearing the story of Lagos State that one
could make money in Lagos State. So, one day I was begging in Offa,
Kwara State, then I said why shouldn’t I join a train to Lagos and
perhaps I could make money to pay for the fees, buy a uniform and get my
locker. So, I joined the train to Ido terminus in Lagos. I started
begging. I stayed with some people under the bridge and I was begging in
some areas including Idumota.”
He said he was travelling to and fro Lagos to raise money which he
used to settle his fees till he got to the final class when he was
supposed to write his O’Level West African Senior Secondary Certificate
Examinations which he could not raise money for.
He later relocated to Lagos fully where he was able to raise enough
money through his begging business to sit for the WASSCE as a beggar
and passed after two attempts.
He subsequently gained admission to UNILAG with the intention of
continuing his alms begging business to raise money to continue his
education.
He had just N39,000 as savings from his begging business when he got admission.
But he exhausted the money after completing his first semester registration.
He was however lucky that some compassionate Nigerians and
organisations decided to sponsor him after reading his story in The
PUNCH.
Speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, he attributed the
inspiration which drove him to bagging two degrees as “God’s miracle”.
“I thank God because if not for Him and those He used to come to my aid, I can be nowhere now,” he added.
He said his immediate plan was to get a job in a law firm.
“I wish to set up my law firm later and in the nearest future I want to become a judge,” Idowu said.
He thanked The Punch and other Nigerians, such as a judge of the
Federal High Court, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, Alhaja Osonaike,
Alhaja Fowosere, Alhaja S.O Yusuf, Mrs. Comfort Obi and wife of the
Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Bukola- Saraki, for helping him to achieve
his life ambition.
He also thanked those he referred to as “responsible fathers” such
as Mr. Peace Emokaro, Pastor Adewuyi, Alhaji Olajobi, Prof. Oye
Ibidapo-Obe, Prof. Tolu Odugbemi and the late Prof. Tokunbo Sofoluwe
for the supports he received from them.
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