“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” — Victor Hugo a French Author, Poet and Essayist
By Shadrach Okon
In our world, value remains a strong currency to trade with in any relationship. Love, generosity, and kindness swirl around social class.
The social gap between those at the upper echelon of the society and those at the lowest rung of the social ladder seems even wider with the present economic challenges bedeviling our clime. In such a society like ours, social status blunts the edges of kindness and generosity.
A leader who steps out of such boundaries to show love to people outside his circle of influence is a natural in the field of generosity.
I have carefully followed Prince Enobong Uwah’s model of generosity and empowerment for some time now. Enobong Uwah’s model of empowerment marks a paradigm shift from the norm of our current society. Most of the testimonies coming from those who are the beneficiaries of his milk of kindness are outside his social class.
Prince Uwah, a model Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, holds a special niche in history for his generosity and milk of kindness to those outside his realms of influence.
Distinctively, Prince Enobong Uwah Foundation adopts a special model of empowerment with premium on empowering young people from Akwa Ibom State, with the ‘capital’ of education to compete in a world where achieving one’s educational goals is increasingly expensive.
Recently, a colleague of mine Comrade Ndifreke Eniefiok, a journalist who craves special involvement in sharing in the plights and sorrows of the less privileged in Akwa Ibom State, using the influence of social media head-hunted and brought to fore the dreams and passion of a 22 -year old Uduak John –a young man who amidst his visual impairment has a special ability and drive for life.
A good leader keeps his eyes and ears on the ground with a strong antenna for talent.
Prince Enobong Uwah has a strong antenna to pick signals from those who voice the feeling and hopes of the poor. When he heard through Enobong Uwah’s Foundation, the novel story of Uduak John in his quest for greatness, he invited him to ‘the palace’ to join the league of Prince Enobong Uwah ‘s Scholars – a group of twenty two (22) extremely intelligent students from Tertiary Institutions across the country whose fees and other sundry academic needs are being handled by Prince Enobong Uwah Foundation.
Prince Enobong Uwah, during a dinner party to mark his 56th birthday celebration offered Uduak John an Academic Grant of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira from the Foundation for his tuition and other academic needs through his stay in the Faculty of Law, University of Uyo.
By this gesture of love, Prince Enobong Uwah has again in his characteristic character demonstrated genuine love for humanity.
Beyond the beneficiaries of this educational empowerment, Prince Enobong Uwah is creating a value chain of wealth by giving young people in Akwa Ibom State, access to education.
He has successfully closed many prison doors in Akwa Ibom State by helping intelligent undergraduate students of Akwa Ibom extraction to horn their talents through access to qualitative education.
Every educational empowerment given to youths takes them many miles away from crime and fosters a society where peace and wealth is enjoyed by all.
A society replete with brains, wealth and love cannot be a den of criminals.
Every investment channeled to educating young people tantamounts to closing prison doors in Akwa Ibom State. This is the real Maintain Peace Movement drive as demonstrated by Prince Enobong Uwah –a perfect dream of the Arise Agenda of Pastor Umo Bassey Eno.
Commendably, Uduak John is equally a model to Akwa Ibom youths who face similar challenges in life. Visual impairment is enough to have thrown him out on the streets to beg for alms like others in his mold. However, the young man has chosen to chart a different course for his life by investing in his future through education.
You must first believe in yourself before you expects a messenger of God to bring good tidings of a brighter future to you!
Shadrach Okon writes from the agrarian community of Uruk Obong, in Abak.
