ZAIN MAKES BUTCHER, LORRY DRIVER, 10 OTHERS MILLIONAIRES
Mrs. Veronica Wuraola, Regional Sales Manager, North Central, (Left), Mr. Ikechukwu Kalu, Head of Marketing Segments, (Right) both of Zain Nigeria, presenting N2million cheque to Mr Olutunde Taiwo, a butcher.
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Providence and doggedness smiled on a butcher at the ongoing 'Wake up a millionaire 'promo' organised by Zain. The amiable butcher, Mr. Olatunde Taiwo, who sells beef at number 10 Ita Ifaaji,Lagos Island was besides himself with joy as he grinned from ear to ear when called up to pick his cheque.
In smattering English language, the butcher narrated how his doggedness made him a millionaire while his fellow butchers smiled at his 'stupidity ' for wasting call credits. Rather than heed their scorn, he became more determined to win at all cost and he started sending SMS frantically to the interactive short code. Mother luck not only shone on him to be among winners, he became two millionaires richer.
'One day I got a text message to text WIN to 222. I had N1000 credit on my phone then. After playing, I got another text to continue texting. I bought another N1000 credit, people around were laughing at me. Now they will know it is true.'
If the butcher's story was amazing, then the lorry driver, accountant and several others were also stunning.
Abiodun Muftau is a lorry driver based in Osogbo and has been a driver for the past 16 years. Little did he know that God was ready to reward his steadfastness with two million in the Zain promo.
'I do not have a lorry on my own but I drive other people's lorry. I had been sending SMS each time there was a promo from Zain but I have not won any until now.
When I was informed of my winning, I almost leapt out of the lorry, fortunately, I was not driving. I cannot quantify how much I spent to what I have now. I am two million richer,' he said.
For Mr. Oluwaseun Okunola, Head IT, Honeywell Group, Victoria Island, he was rushing home to watch the premiership league when he got stocked in traffic and out of boredom started sending text messages to the short code.
According to him, if when he got home, he continued to send the messages to the dismay of his wife, who could not comprehend why he was wasting time with the telecoms gimmicks.
Seven of the winners who are based in Lagos showed up last week at the corporate head office of Zain at Banana Island, Ikoyi, to personally collect their cheques at a presentation ceremony.
The winners include Mr. Alabi Olalekan, an accountant with Chrisland School, Idimu, Lagos and Chinonso Madueke, a footballer with El Kanemi Football Club, Maiduguri. Others are Sanni Abdullahi, an officer with the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Smith Omoruyi Justice, a chartered accountant with CICT Limited, Tin Can Island port, and Mr. Adesanya Adedeji Adeyemi, an emloyee with a petroleum firm.
Winners emerged in recent draws held for the Wake up a Millionaire promo. The draws were conducted electronically to guarantee transparency and witnessed by systems and processes consultants TC-QA Associates, the media, and other stakeholders including officials of the company.
According to Zain's Head, Product Innovation and Management, Izu Maduneme, 'Zain's 'Wake up a Millionaire', is an interactive and rewarding SMS Service which provides customers the chance to become a daily millionaire. Zain has set the target of elevating over 100 Nigerians into the millionaire cocoon as well as rewarding many others with laptops, mobile phones and generators.
'The emergence of the winners is clear proof of Zain's dedication to fulfilling its promise to empower Nigerians and help them enjoy 'a Wonderful World' in line with the company's brand promise,' he said.
Winners are selected on a daily and monthly basis throughout the duration of the offer, giving Nigerians 130 days to ride on the marketing initiative to become a millionaire. Winners in the Daily Draw will receive N2m each while winners in the Monthly Draw will be rewarded with N10m.
To participate in the programme, Nigerians are expected to send the word 'WIN' via SMS to the short code, '222'. Zain has set aside prizes worth over N230 million to be won by Nigerians in the offer that started in March 17, which would end by June 24 2010.