Joy in Ibadan as Glo promo winners cart away prizes

The train of Globacom’s My Own Don Beta campaign hit Ibadan last week where new winners emerged. Akin Adewakun reports.

 

Bodija, the ever bustling retail market located in the heart of Ibadan, Oyo State, came alive on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, as the Globacom train landed in the area to reward the fourth set of winners of its on-going Recharge and Win BIG promo, popularly known as My Own Don Beta.

The promo was launched recently by Globacom with the sole aim of empowering thousands of Nigerians and making them employers of labour.

The venue of the presentation, a popular open-space market is located in Bodija, a district in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State. The location of the market is close to the Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin interstate road network which allows produce farmers from Northern parts of the country and from the Northern axis of Oyo State easy access to transport their produce to the market.

Bodija was therefore a strategic choice by Globacom for its prize presentation. The crowd started gathering for the event as early as 8.00 a.m. By 10.0 a.m., the venue became a beehive of activities as different people in and around the market started converging on the venue to witness the event of the day. They were obviously attracted by Globacom’s decorations, banners and general ambience of the venue as well as trucks offloading different prizes including tricycles, generators, industrial sewing machines and grinding mills.

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Next, the VIPs and other guests started to arrive at the venue. The Oyo State Commissioner for Environment, Honourable Kehinde Ayoola, the Iyalode of Ibadanland, Chief Mrs Theresa Oyekanmi, the Chairman of Bodija Market Traders Association, Alhaji Lamidi Musedeeq, Nollywood actors, Yemi Solade and Odunlade Adekola came in one after the other. By this time, no other iota of doubt existed about the pre-eminence of a remarkable thunderbolt that was about to strike.

They were joined by the promo winners from different parts of the country who had been notified by Glo after the fourth draw was held at Mile 1 Market, Port Harcourt, penultimate week. The winners, who were mostly accompanied by their relatives and friends, were bubbling with enthusiasm to claim their prizes amidst pomp and pageantry.

About 11.00 a.m, the M.C, Nollywood Star, Yemi Solade, who was resplendent in green traditional outfit, kicked off the event with the crowd and guests responding to his questions and posers in unison. This further added excitement to the atmosphere.

He gave details of how the day’s event would proceed, and explained that winners of the draw held in Port Harcourt would receive their prizes at the Ibadan presentation, while draws would be conducted for new winners who would then be given their prizes at the next presentation ceremony in Kano.

In his speech, the Oyo State Commissioner for Environment, Honourable Kehinde Ayoola, hailed Globacom for the well thought out gesture which he noted complements what government is doing.  “This largesse from Globacom shows that the company appreciates the fact that people are using the network and you are giving back to the society. It is a good thing”, he said, while urging Nigerians to patronise Globacom to enable the company to do more.

Still toeing the path of gratitude, the Iyalode of Ibadanland, Chief Mrs Theresa Oyekanmi, prayed for continuous prosperity for Globacom, adding that “the company is empowering a lot of Nigerians”.

The prize presentation commenced subsequently and the excited winners came forward, one after the other to receive their prizes, amidst dancing and celebrations by friends and associates.

Olusina Emmanuel, a 500-level student of Crop Production and Soil Science at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, who won a generator had this to say: “I was surprised but very happy when I got a call from Glo. I was told that I was one of the lucky winners of generator. I was not aware that a promo was going on, I just recharged my line normally, and after a few days, I got a call from Glo notifying me that I won a generator. The generator will be very useful to me, I intend to start a business centre soon and it will help to power the business when there’s no electricity supply from the DisCo. I am very grateful to Glo”.

Also a winner of an industrial sewing machine, Babatunde Agbebaku, a serving corps member in Ibadan, Oyo State, expressed joy and happiness for winning the machine. He said, “I was very happy and elated when I got a call from Glo telling me that I won an industrial sewing machine in ‘My Own Don Beta’ promo by Globacom. I still can’t believe it.  I will make good use of the machine, especially for business.  I want Glo to keep empowering Nigerians”.

In the same vein, Chief Egbelade Abiola, who won Keke (tricycle) said, “It was just like a dream. I could not believe it when I was invited for verification. I was skeptical when I got a call from 121, because most times calls do come from fake promo agents calling to tell you to pay money to claim prizes in non-existing promos. However, after the number called me a couple of times, I decided to pick the call. A lady from Glo in Lagos asked for my name, but I asked her if she wanted to register me again and she said it wasn’t for registration. She then informed me that I won a tricycle in the on-going Glo promo, ‘My Own Don Beta’.  It was just like a dream, but when I got to Glo office in Ibadan, it was confirmed and my details were recorded. I will use the tricycle personally. It will serve as remembrance of the day Glo honoured me. God bless Globacom.”

Another lucky winner, Adeleye Adeyemi, is an officer with Nigeria Police Force. Recounting his experience, Adeyemi said, “Last week, I got a call from Glo and the lady told me that I won a tricycle. I was shocked and I asked her how?  She briefed me about the promo and advised me to go to Glo office. I went and it was confirmed that I won a tricycle. I am very happy indeed! I will make good use of the tricycle. It’s a gift from God and Glo. I will continue to thank Glo for the prize”.

Also, the duo of Adelaja Mathew Alaba, a barbing salon owner, and Olasupo Gbolahan Qudus, a student, won grinding machines.  While Alaba said, “I will give the grinding machine to my wife, a caterer” Qudus stated: “I will give the grinding machine to my mother.”

Similarly, another Keke winner, Timothy Issac Wale, an ND 2 student of Business Administration, Ibadan Polytechnic, said “At first, I didn’t believe it when I got a call from Glo, but subsequent calls and invitation to the venue convinced me and I am here receiving the Keke today at Bodija Market, Ibadan. To God be glory. Glo has done well for me. I am so excited. I will use the keke for commercial purpose to make money”.

A youth corps member, Oyediran Olayemi, serving in Ekiti State, won a generating set. Beaming with infectious smiles, the graduate of Political Science narrated his experience: “When I got a call that I won a generating set, I doubted it. I was told to come to Lagos but I could not make it. I came to Ibadan about two weeks ago and filled forms at the Glo office here. I later got a call from Glo that I should come today for prize presentation, and I have just received the generator. I am very happy and I thank Glo for this, My own don beta with Glo.”

For Alimi James Adeniyi, a Pastor with Living Faith Church, Winners Chapel, Ibadan, the industrial sewing machine he won would go to his better half. “I will give it to my wife for her fashion shop. I thought it was a scam when I got a call that I won an industrial sewing machine. I decided to call Glo to confirm it, and they said it was true. It is a good prize and I thank Glo for it. Glo has done well for all winners today”.

Adelowo Victor Akinkunmi, a 300-level student of Geology at LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, who won a generator, said the set would be quite useful for his family. According to him, “I got a call from Glo a few days ago that I won a generator and it was a big surprise. I am very happy and grateful to Glo. I will take the generator home for the use of my family. This is good news indeed!”

The event then progressed to a mini carnival, with winners and their friends and relatives in joyous mood after picking their prizes amidst music and dancing everywhere. It was indeed a fun-filled atmosphere.

Earlier, Globacom conducted the fifth draw in the promo with a new set of winners of keke, generators, industrial sewing machines and grinding mills emerging. They will receive their prizes at the next presentation exercise scheduled for Kantin Kwari market in Kano.

Just like the last four draws held in Computer Village, Lagos; Ojuelegba, Lagos; Wuse Market, Abuja, and Mile 1 Market in Port Harcourt, the fifth draw at Bodija Market was also a very transparent exercise conducted before everyone present and beamed on the giant LED truck conspicuously parked at the venue. This underscored Globacom’s commitment to fairness and equity in its effort to empower Nigerians.

 

Nigerian Tribune