This is my 48th birthday and I give all the glory to God. God has been faithful. I must return all glory and thanks to Him because He has been the one who has sustained his handmaid all the way.
What’s your experience in life that is worth sharing with others?
I got married at the age of 27, that was in year 2000. I sought election to the State House of Assembly in 2006, then I was 33 years. That was my first shot at any political office. At that time, I never knew anybody in Government and never had a mentor or a sponsor. But we gave it a good outing.
Why is this little experience-sharing necessary?
It is to encourage young people to dare to start finding their path early in life. All you need do is be upright, work hard, be open-minded, have a focus and a genuine, unselfish drive.
In 2011, at the age of 38 I ran for the House of Assembly again and to the glory of God I made it. I am still glad that my people graciously gave me the opportunity to serve them. And service I rendered to them sacrificially and to the best of my abilities and experience then as a young man. Sycophancy didn’t take me there.
Let it not be lost on my young brothers who are on the speedway to becoming ‘politicians’ that those ‘big men’ they hang around would not take them seriously if they note that you are in the habit of talking-down everyone who gave you the ladder to take a leap up the rung of life. Some of our young men have formed the habit of vilifying former masters and old friends when they meet new benefactors. I felt I should advise us against this before my time ticks to 48 by midnight today.
No man is wholly and completely self- made. No man. At least someone introduced you to a small man who played small, invaluable role that has made you big today. We often talk-down of this small person(s) and prefer the big, good-time friends we make after our little beginnings.
In year 2011, I made it to the House of Assembly because it was God’s time for me. I ran for those elections without any serious financial contributions from people even the ‘system’. However, I cannot take for granted that the very respectable Sir Emem Akpabio sent me N1 million and Obong Umana Umana also sent me N1 million during that election. I do not also take for granted the enormous support I got from my political leader, Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, who was the State Chairman of the PDP then. Till today, I still thank them publicly and privately; good conscience would not let be speak vain of them.
Immediately I won that election, people within the ‘system’ blackmailed me, saying that I won the elections and made His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio, fail in my local government area. The rest is history now.
I have noted that most of the ‘big boys’ who call the shot in the political space in our State today were mostly made by Obong Attah, Chief Akpabio, Obong Umana, Senator Udoedehe, Senator Bassey Albert. How many of these ‘big boys’ are still stopping by to greet their former masters? How many of them can still speak well of or defend their former masters in public? This is the albatross our bad political culture has left us with. This albatross has crippled and balkanized our sense of brotherhood, such that we speak of our brothers and friends even after elections are over, as ‘Owo APC, Owo PDP’ and others.
God is still in the business of making men. We should learn to show genuine gratitude to those who helped us in one way or the other at a certain time in our lives.
For me and my household, we shall continue to praise the Lord in season and out of season and show gratitude to everyone who has made my 48 years of life worth living.
God is faithful. May God bless us-HOKE
