Islanders Magazine

BENIN BIG BOY, CHIEF FRIDAY OMORAGBON FROM “GRASS TO GRACE”




The man Chief Friday Omoragbon (aka FOC) is the managing Director and
Chief Executive Officer of Friday Omoragbon and company Nigeria
Limited has added another cap to his feet as he joined the Iwebo
societal group in the palace of Benin Kingdom, both to the family of
Mr. and Mrs. Omoragbon in the year 1956 at Oben Community in Orhiomwon
Local Government Area of Edo  State of Nigeria.
 The Amiable Chieftaincy holder was a bicycle repair as a profession
before he rose into Business magnet and today it has brought him to
limelight but in the community he grow to the entire state and beyond
married to two wives and blessed with  (10) ten children  who are
responsible in the society.
The soft-spoken titled holder has (3) three graduates among his
children while (7) seven of them still in school, though he started
his  primary school in a nearby   community called Ikobi this was
during the Biafra  war and went back to Oben to join his parent in
1969 went  back to Oben to join his parents in 1969 went back to
Obayantor on Sapele road, Benin City to commence his elementary
education and completed his elementary school to Primary six at
Obayantor Community.
Because of the absence of fund to process to Secondary School due to
the event of war he could not further his education went back to Oben
in 1972 as his lovely mother took him to his elder brother a t Umoghun
to learn bicycle repairing and commencing repairing bicycle  as an
occupation for a year and half and finally went back to his home town
Oben in 1975 after his completion and freedom as bicycle repairer.
Due to his obedient and honesty the Enogie of Oben, HRH Odoligie
Ogiemwon Uyigue introduce him into shell contract business at Oben
Community. Chief Friday Omoragbon who is presently a member of Iwebo
Palace Society at the Oba Palace in Benin Kingdom once giving contract
of digging and clearing of road side from shell and handle it
perfectly and in 1977 he brought his motorcycle and in 1977 he brought
a fairly used 504 car mp4060 fully in timber business but in 1 980
joined the forestry as officer while in 1986 purchase his first timber
lorry that he  used in taking timber to Sapele in Delta State for
sawling at Sawmill.
A successful business of his caliber build his first at Oben after
using motor saw for 15years for sawing timber in 1987 including toyar
farm which also brought to limelight bought another SOS car due to his
hardwork and as a philanthropist he trained several boys who are today
master of their own in the field of oil business in Oben Community.
Chief Friday Omoragbpn opined that during his early life into the
business he had several challenges but today those challenges has
lifted him to a higher position from the rural to the Urban centre,
he is a lover of children and believe in the progress of his immediate community which he  has demonstrated by training many sons and daughters of Oben Community in their various  field of endeavor.
The Iwebo Palace society member disclosed “that he don’t only give out
fish to people but teach people on how to fish” after his demise his
son HRH Fredrick Odoligie Ogiemwonyi conferred Chieftaincy and
humanitarian services to the inhabitants of the community and beyond.
Chief Friday Omoragbon who has been honoured by various clubs, Unions
and organization for his transparent leadership,  honest, humane
enjoined Nigerians to continue to look in word for better tomorrow he
added.