Chef Tope Maggie: Salute to resilient Nigerian spirit
Femi OGUNLANA
The great Nigerian spirit of resilience and perseverance has been brought to the fore again with the heroic display by Mr. Temitope Adebayo, a chef who has zoomed into global reckoning, with his audacious attempt to break and set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) in cooking marathon otherwise known as cook-a-thon.
With the stage set in Ogbomoso (the acclaimed Land of the Valiant) in Oyo state the world challenger popularly and fondly called Chef Tope Maggie has gone more than five days (more than 136 hours) cooking frenetically with only two hours rest in every 24 hours to nick his ambitious quest.
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A new hero is born – no man or woman living (or who has ever lived) has ever gone that duration standing boldly and unabashedly churning out various delicacies which are being served to whet the appetite of fans and the less privileged.
His massive efforts – raising resources, providing logistics and bringing to bear a resilient and can-do spirit – are typical of the strength and ability of an average Nigerian.
But for leadership deficiency in the country which shrinks the enabling environment, Nigerians especially youths, would have been making greater exploits and enacting more daring wonders.
Chef Tope is showing the competence and demonstrating the talents embedded in Nigerian youths. In many fields of human endeavours you find Nigerian youths excelling. If the leadership can step up, be Nigeria-focused and jettison self-centredness this country will surely take its place and a better realm for all of us will emerge.
The indefatigable and tenacious Tope has surpassed the Alan Fisher’s GWR of 119 hours 57 minutes but it is still early to declare he has set a new record in view of the deductions often made from the final total. He still looks strong he should persist to reach an unassailable position.
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In this period of national disillusionment he is inspiring hope, he is telling the youths that with the right attitude, determination and dream, great goals can be achieved.
Let’s continue to rally round him to achieve his dream and let’s be motivated by his deed, which will rankle till eternity.
He has further deepened the character of bravery his Ogbomoso people are known for.
Let’s begin to clink the glasses.
Salute to a great spirit.
