By REJOICE ILLEYA

Billionaire businessman, Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, says he could not secure a job after he completed the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

Iyiegbu graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1998, with a degree in Political Science.

In an interview with BBC Pidgin, he said despite not getting a job, he was able to make his first N1 million through entrepreneurial venture.

“After undergoing my compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Abuja, I started searching for a job all to no avail.”

“That made me start some small jobs and from there I became a real estate agent. I usually get five percent of every task that is successfully executed. It was along the line that I and my colleagues met a man who asked us to help him furnish his house.

“We did it very well that he gave me N500,000 separately from the profit of N600,000 which I also made from the deal. That made it N1.1 million in total. It was after my NYSC that I made my first one million naira,” he said.

Extravagant burial

Iyiegbu, who has been the talk of the town over the extravagant burial of his mother, also spoke on why he and his siblings organised an elaborate ceremony.

He also defended his friends who displayed wealth at the funeral, saying they had the right to spend their money the way they wanted to.

“How would I have arranged for people to come to the event and spray money. Is it to bathe with it? The money belongs to them, so it is their choice to spend it anyhow they like.”

“All those that came for the burial are bigwigs across various industries, so they’re basically there to show love for my family. Some of them were my friends and colleagues from school several years back.

“Therefore, the burial offered them the platform to come and show their love and support. That’s what happened that day,” he said.

Birthday that never was

He said he and his siblings were looking forward to organising a unique carnival for their mother on her 80th birthday.

But since she did not live up to that age, they opted to give her a befitting burial.

“My mother’s burial was like that because we had already promised her that whenever she clocks 80, we’ll organise a unique carnival, which is the first of its kind in the world, to celebrate her.”

“We joked about it and agreed. But thereafter, she died before she clocked 80. Due to that, we dissipated all our energy and initial plans to celebrate her 80th birthday into organising a befitting burial for her. That’s why it is the talk of the town.

“This year (2021) makes it 15 years that our father passed away. After my father’s death, we gave our mother all the love because she was always there for us. She was the one playing the role of a father and mother for us before her death.

“Whenever you visit her, she must pray for you before leaving. Even in your absence, she still prays for you, so when she died, it was as if they collected part of my energy.” (Text excluding headline from Daily Trust)

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