Former Spokesman of the National Association of Aircraft, Pilots and Engineer, and the Deputy National Campaign Manager of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign in the just concluded national election, Mr Isaac David Balami has said that at 39, God has given him the greatest gifts he cherishes after doing menial jobs for years.
According to Balami, he had done all kinds of menial jobs as soakaway evacuator, labourer and others just to survive. According to him, God has been able to bring him this far.
Balami made this known on the sideline of his 39th birthday anniversary which held this weekend at Chida Hotels in Abuja.
Speaking with journalists, he said with those experiences, he sees himself as a balanced person compared to those born with silver spoons, stating that God did him a great favour by raising him from grass to grace.
“My best gift ever is the experience with regard to what I have to go through as a young person doing jobs like bus conductor, soakaway evacuation, spending four weeks in the bush to raise money to be able to go back to school.
“Despite those experiences, God has been able to bring me this far. But with those experiences, I see myself as a balanced person compared to those born with silver spoons. I believe God did me a great favour by raising me from grass to grace.
“A lot of people have invested their time, prayers and have showed me love. I have in turns displayed that love and extended that light shone upon me to others. And today, the 513 dependants and orphan that I have raised; some of them are here.
“Today, some of them are now graduates, some in school, some are now working. Some are still young and some lost their parents to insurgents’ attacks. we are happy that they are here. God has given me the grace to put a school for them with my team. Our focus is to continue to touch lives positively.
Responding to how he was able to gather funds to invest in others, the popular aviator said:
“To me, the question of wealth is not how much you have in your bank account. It is rather how much lives you are able to touch with the little you have acquired. If you have only a N100,000 a month, and you are able to spare half of it to help others, you are a philanthropist and you are wealthy as well.
“Most times, I give not because I have in surplus, but because I came from having nothing. I used to stand on Maiduguri road, by Barga to be precise with shovel, digger and others, hoping that I would be picked to go and work in the bush to earn a living. There were days I won’t even see such a job. I know how I felt growing up, and the best thing to do is to help people not to go through the same experience.”
At the event was the Labour Party presidential candidate in the last election, Peter Obi represented by Aisha Yesufu and other prominent personalities across the country.