Sometime in 2018, along the Okene–Ajaokuta road in Kogi State, a young orphan was waiting to board a bus to a farm settlement, desperately seeking a means of earning a living and feeding himself.
Unfortunately, he was mistaken for an errand boy working for kidnappers and was arrested by men of the then Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). He was taken to their office in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State.
At the time, his situation was reportedly critical, and his life was in serious danger.
An uncle of the young man cried out for help and reached the office of the then Director-General of Protocol to the Kogi State Government, Pharm. Chief Abdulkareem Mohammed Jamiu Asuku.
Chief Asuku responded swiftly.
He intervened personally and secured the young man’s release. Seeing the critical state in which he was found, he immediately arranged for him to be taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention and resuscitation. By the grace of Almighty Allah, the young man regained consciousness.
But Chief Asuku’s intervention did not end there.
Rather than simply rescuing him from that immediate danger, he opened his home and gave the young man a new sense of belonging, hope and direction.
Chief Asuku enrolled him at Harmony international College, Lokoja, where he completed his secondary education. He subsequently gained admission into the Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, to study Business Administration.
His education was fully sponsored by Chief Asuku through the Pharm. Abdulkareem Asuku Youth Empowerment Foundation (PAAYEF), as part of the foundation’s commitment to supporting young people and creating opportunities for those who might otherwise be left behind.
In addition, PAAYEF is instrumental to the educational sponsorship of many young people in tertiary institutions both home and abroad. It is on record that the foundation is a huge blessing to Kogi youths in aspects that affect their life positively, creating a serene future that makes the youths to be independent, pursuing and attaining purposeful life.
Today, that young orphan is a university graduate—to the glory of Almighty Allah.
What began in 2018 desperate struggle for survival has become a story of hope, transformation and a new beginning.
This is the kind of impact that public service should ultimately represent: seeing people in need, reaching out to them, restoring their dignity and giving them the opportunity to become something greater than their circumstances.
The story of this young man is a reminder that sometimes, one act of compassion can completely change the trajectory of a person’s life.
May Almighty Allah continue to bless Pharm. Chief Abdulkareem Mohammed Jamiu Asuku for the lives he has touched and for his continued commitment to the empowerment and development of young people in our dear Kogi State.
May Allah grant him the wisdom, strength and resources to continue doing more for humanity.
– Lawal Ozomata James writes from Lokoja.
