Olajumoke Orisaguna: The Nigerian Cinderella by Reuben Abati

Olajumoke Orisaguna

About three weeks ago, 27-year old Olajumoke Orisaguna was a complete unknown on the streets of Lagos, hawking bread.  A loaf of bread is about N100, and even with a full tray such as she carried in her first public embrace of fame, her whole ware for a day may not be more than N3,000, with daily profit between N300-N700.  She had trained as a hair stylist, got married but had to leave her husband and a daughter back home in Ire, Osun state, to "hustle" as it were in Lagos. The life of a bread seller in Lagos is easily imaginable: exposure to the elements, to sundry abuse, including the possibility of being raped by unruly artisans and bachelors, who will offer to buy bread and something else along with it, if the hawker is willing. This was Olajumoke Orisaguna's reality until she ran into TY Bello and Tinie Tempah and her life changed. Today, she has been enrolled as a model. Her story has appeared in all newspapers, on CNN, Huffington Post, and virtually everywhere online.

PHOTOS: PRESIDENTIAL LAUNCH OF e-ID CARD IN ABUJA

President Goodluck Jonathan collecting money with his National Identity Card after launching the e-ID Card in Abuja on Thursday (28/8/14)

President Goodluck Jonathan collecting money with his National Identity Card after launching the e-ID Card in Abuja on Thursday (28/8/14)

FROM LEFT: PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN; DIRECTOR-GENERAL, NATIONAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION (NIMC) MR. CHRIS ONYEMENAM AND GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, ACCESS BANK, MR. HERBERT WIGWE

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN UNVEILING THE E-ID CARD  AT THE PRESIDENTIAL LAUNCH OF E-ID CARD IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY (28/8/14) WITH HIM IS THE BOARD CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, PRINCE UCHE SECONDUS

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN UNVEILING THE E-ID CARD  AT THE PRESIDENTIAL LAUNCH OF E-ID CARD IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY (28/8/14) WITH HIM IS THE BOARD CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, PRINCE UCHE SECONDUS

Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President Goodluck Jonathan, Herbert Wigwe, Uche secondus, Chris Onyemenam

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (2ND R) MAKING PURCHASE WITH HIS NATIONAL ID CARD AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL LAUNCH OF E-ID CARD IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY (28/8/14) WITH HIM ARE: DIRECTOR-GENERAL, NATIONAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION (NIMC) MR CHRIS ONYEMENAM (R) AND A STAFF OF ACCESS BANK

President Goodluck Jonathan collecting money with his National Identity Card after launching the e-ID Card in Abuja on Thursday (28/8/14)

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN UNVEILING THE E-ID CARD  AT THE PRESIDENTIAL LAUNCH OF E-ID CARD IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY (28/8/14) WITH HIM IS THE BOARD CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, PRINCE UCHE SECONDUS

Courtesy: State House Photo

60% of fuel subsidy funds smuggled abroad –Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday lamented that a number of government programmes, which ought to have been effectively implemented for the benefit of Nigerians, could not be realised owing to poor data management system.

For instance, he listed the abuse of the fuel subsidy scheme, which was meant to reduce the cost of transportation for Nigerians as well as make life more meaningful for the ordinary people, as one of the disadvantages of not having an efficient national identity management system.