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‘G12 Bar is reopening with a bang after Ramadan’- Gattusso

Owner of G12 Bar, Akeem Mustapha, popularly known as Gattusso, on Tuesday, July 22, 2014, staged his annual Ramadan lecture at the Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care and Treatment Home School, Yaba, Lagos.

The Ramadan lecture, which he started since 2008, is one of his own ways of giving to the needy as he uses the occasion to provide several household materials and food items to the Home.

ENCOMIUM Weekly spoke with the popular businessman on what drives him to make the philanthropic gesture for six years now.

He also spoke on his bar which is due to reopen soon as well as how he has been surviving since closing shop.

What’s especially different about this year’s Ramadan lecture?

I think we are improving every year in terms of the people we are bringing together. The Ramadan lecture is for us to say thank you to Almighty Allah for what He has done for us. This environment is in my opinion, another world on its own because in there, there are children who are going to be on bed for the rest of their lives. We have those who are healthy and in good condition but many have one deficiency or the other. Others can move but cannot step outside so theirs is another world altogether. So we have to thank God.

What drives you to keep doing this every year?

The truth is, even if I don’t want to do it, immediately Ramadan starts, people who are used to it will start asking me when is our lecture. Besides, I have asked God to keep empowering me that I might keep doing this because it’s not by power. I even come here to do what I can when it’s not Ramadan so it’s not restricted to Ramadan.

Your business, G12 Bar has been shut for more than a year now, are you planning on reopening it?

It’s going to two years now. I believe that with God, all things are possible. After this Ramadan, any Friday, Saturday or Sunday, I will open G12. I don’t want to give a date. I don’t like to give a specific date and fail. I like having my things done perfectly so expect us to come back with a bang.

What have you been surviving on since your bar was shut down in January 2013?

I have not been doing anything really. I have people owing me that I have been collecting, I have some other properties by the beach that have been sustaining me but I know that God will help us come back stronger than we were before shutting down. I have travelled a lot within the period we shut down and I have learnt new things and acquired more experience on how to improve the bar and we are already renovating.

So what innovations are you bringing to the bar since reconstruction is ongoing already?

You’ll have to wait and see.

Within this period, your customers would have got new hangout they relax, how are you going to get them back?

I don’t have worries about them. Some of them still keep in touch and I know that with the things we are planning, they’ll come. It might take some time but they’ll come and we’ll get new customers too.

So, what lessons have you learnt during this period?

I’ve learnt a lot from people’s attitude to you. Some people even look down on you thinking you are finished but when you have faith and you have hope, you can’t be worried because it’s a challenge and I love challenges.

-DANIEL FAYEMI

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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