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It took Alao Ayorinde close to two days to come to Ikeja from his home at Dopemu, a Lagos suburb.

On a normal day, the transport fare from his house at Shitta Street to Oduduwa at Ikeja is less than N200.

However, raising
that amount was a task for the 30-year-old panel beater and auto
mechanic; a father of five children: four boys and a girl.

The first boy came
barely two years after Mr. Ayorinde got married to Adijat, a
seamstress, in 2002. Six years later when its seemed as if Mrs.
Ayorinde can no longer bear a child, Nature more than smiled on them,
giving them quadruplets.

The children, a
girl and three boys, delivered at the Sacred Heart Hospital Lantoro,
Abeokuta, on July 18, 2009, will be nine months old in April.

Mr. Ayorinde, who
has taken to begging on the streets of Lagos in order to feed and
clothe the children, said he can do with some help from the public.

“My sister, I am
sorry for coming late for this meeting with you. I was looking for
money to take transport and come here at Ikeja. It was one of my
friends that even borrowed me N300 to come here. This is how my life
has been since God blessed me with these four kids at the same time.
There is no money on me anymore because all the money I get goes to
feeding, clothing and medicals for these children. Life has not been
easy at all.”

Financial assistance not coming.

NEXT exclusively
reported the delivery of the babies through a caesarean section, and
the hardship the family was going through to cater for the children’s
need. “With NEXT’s assistance, we opened an Access Bank account for the
Ayorinde quadruplets but it is sad that we have no money in that
account. It was the Alake of Egbaland, who gave us, N20, 000 and two
bags of rice. The Oshile of Egbaland gave us N10, 000, also the
Olugbara of Igbaraland supported us with N5000. One Alhaji gave us
N10,000, others like Mrs. Yemisi gave N2000. I have been to several
ministries. Like the ministry of women affairs in Lagos State, but they
keep telling me to come back. I have written several letters, to no
avail. The money which we got last year is finished. I used to make
close to N3000-5000 in a day but since these children came, there is no
money again. I am appealing to people to come to our aid and provide
job for me. If I have a good job, I can take care of my family too.”

Surviving on semovita

Despite the hardship, Mr. Ayorinde is facing with catering for his kids, he said he will not give out any of them.

“Sometime last
year, I ran away when the burden became too much, but the love for my
wife and children brought me back. I said, whatever it is, we should
suffer together, no matter the hardship. I will never give out any of
the children. Right now, we are so broke that the children are eating
semovita and milk. In a week, they can eat food up to N15,000. My rent
in our one-room apartment will soon be due. Even with this condition,
thieves came to our house last month and stole our money and handsets.

“The thieves acted
on the rumour that I have made N4million from people, which is not
true. The assistance is not coming and that is why we are begging
people again to come to our aid. With what I have seen with these
children, I have asked God to bless other people with children. These
ones are okay for me. God should just give me money to feed them.”