Encomium
For those who do not know or have never heard of this humble, quiet and amiable Ogoni son, Deemor Gideon Barileela is a one-time Caretaker Committee Chairman of Tai LGA in Rivers State; a businessman, and currently the Chairman and CEO of Deemor Gideon Digital Foundation.
In this part of the world, where the winner takes all, and the rich can only go to dinner with the poor and down-trodden on the condition of having a kilometer-long spoon, his philanthropic gestures, simplicity and show of kindness and love for the next man can only be described as out-of-this-world.
Space and time will not allow his full story to be told; but the most recent is that he has taken on his tiny shoulders the responsibility of paying the school fees of all law students of Tai extraction throughout the duration of their academic programmes. It is as simple as get admission anywhere in Nigeria to read law, and Barileela, through his foundation eases the burden of funding the academic pursuit by paying your fees. Period.
In the past, the man of courage and ‘philanthropist per excellence’ who values education and also demonstrates his deep commitment to the cause, in keeping ‘an open hand’ consistently as part of his efforts at reducing illiteracy in Ogoniland. He annually purchases JAMB forms for over 480 Ogoni sons and daughters who are willing to further their education.
And in sustaining the sacrificial gesture for the education advancement of the Ogoni people, the foundation which is about three years old has so far paid school fees for 128 Ogoni students including all Tai LGA law students for the 2013/2014 academic session.
