By James Abang
July the 11th 1966 was a Monday. It was like any other day. There was no major event except the announcement of the top 5 hit-records by BBC and on top of the chat was the song Hanky Panky by Tommy James.
However, on that same day a new political book titled CAPABLE OF HONOR written by Allen Drury (winner of Pulitza Prize for fiction 1960) was launched in far away Los Angeles, USA with President Lyndon B. Johnson in attendance. In his short speech at the event President Johnson used the word "destiny" four times, much to the surprise of everyone.
But they wouldn't have been so surprised if they knew what was
happening at far away Awa Iman, Southern Nigeria which coincided with
the time of the book launch. For while the book launch was ongoing, a
child was coming to the world for the first time; whose life has not
only shown capability but has been crested with honor. He was named
Udom.
The identification of a child of destiny is a task that has exercised the ingenuity - and revealed the credulity or ignorance - of scholars and visionaries for generations. But identifying them isn't as complicated as prophetic literature makes it seem.
Children of destiny don't necessarily look blue or green to differentiate them from others. For instance Gov Udom Emmanuel isn't white or purple colored; he isn't also a Mr. Six by Six of 1966, ie he isn't six foot tall and six foot wide. He would not qualify for Mr. Macho or some other qualities that stand him out in a crowd in terms of physique. He is just there, an everyday guy - good looking though but nothing out of the ordinary. So why are we talking about him?
The answer is not far from some historical similitude we may consider. First is the story of Joseph. The story of Joseph is common knowledge to Christians and non-Christians alike. But what is not common is the essence. The aspect which people remember is Joseph's dream and its fulfillment. How the brothers bow down for him in fulfillment of his dream. If dream is a cherished ambition, aspiration or ideal, Joseph never had one. Joseph only saw a script prewritten by destiny - not a dream. That was why when he revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt according to Genesis 45:4-8, he told them. Hear him:
Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life ... And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God".
With above lines Joseph confirmed to his brothers that in selling him to slavery they merely acted a script of destiny. That God indeed do write scripts and whenever he does, the concerned parties have only one option: they have to act it. Every attempt at stoping Joseph was a stepping stone for his next level. Even the courts could not stop him. After Potiphar's wife's misadventure Joseph was taken before the Egyptian court where he was duly tried, found guilty and sentenced according to Egyptian laws. But as the judge struct his hammer to pronounce the sentence he promoted Joseph to the next level because no one could do otherwise. Destiny.
According to Sunny Ikhioya the ways of nature and man are unfathomable, deep and endless. The more we try to find meaning to life, the more it pushes us into deeper search and it goes on and on.
Nelson Mandela was not the foremost freedom fighter South Africa had but destiny thrust him in the forefront of the apartheid struggle, right inside jail , the rest is history. When he died the world stood still for a man who wasted 27 years in prison.
Like my friend Imo Etimudo puts it, Major Patrick Kaduna Nzeogwu staged a coup to evolve a new nation with himself at the helm of affairs. But he wasn't a child of destiny; he failed. Ten years after Nzeogwe came on the scene, Olusegun Obasanjo, a General, took over the mantle of leadership in Nigeria. It was ironical. He was Nzeogwu’s best friend. Yet, when Nzeogwu made his decision to sack the civilian administration, Obasanjo was never carried along. Had he been told, maybe the story of his life might be different. But destiny don't fail. He wasn't among the planners, he may not have dreamt of it, but he did become Nigerian Head of State. Even after he came out of prison his people rejected him, but that didn't stop him from being the president of Nigeria. Destiny planned it. Men executed it.
Goodluck Jonathan grew up at Otuoke in a rural minority ethnic village. Too poor to enjoy shoes as a small boy. He did not deliberately or consciously seek to become deputy governor, governor, vice president and president respectively but he occupied all of these positions with little effort or struggle.
The South-south minority ethnic groups have an abundance of analytically logical, creative and masters of equivocations who would have given Bola Tinubu and his likes a run for their craftiness. But destiny picked a certain Goodluck Jonathan who wasn't just an open book but a sign post with neon light posted on top of Aso Rock with a central switch located in North to control it. What people are killing and dying for, he got effortlessly. Destiny did the job. But when he tried it on his own he failed and said good bye.
Time and space would not permit me to discuss Godswill Akpabio whom no one gave a chance. In fact the day Afe Annang met with the various aspirants from Annang before the party primaries all eyes were on the Late Ime Umana, the Etiebets, the Ukarakpas (Chris Ekpenyong) and the almighty Udoma Bob Ekarika etc. A friend told me that after Late Dr. Ime Umana presented his speech at the gathering, he excused himself out of the venue and the crowd went with him before Godswill Akpabio's turn. Akpabio was left alone like an orphan in a motherless baby home. But from nowhere he became the governor all the same. All the arsenal from the powers that be couldn't stop him. God had a job for him and used him.
While people worked for, build consensus, set up structures at the party both in the state and national level Gov Udom was counting money at Zenith Bank. But from nowhere destiny threw him like a 5000kg discus to the roof of government house smashing everything on the way to rest in the bedroom. The rest is history. Faced with the largest and most coordinated opposition ever witnessed in Akwa Ibom history his destiny prevailed. The more they demonized him and painted him as a political bogeyman the greater they warm him into the hearts of voters. As we speak the debate is still on as to whether he was voted or simply cast-in like spirit into the governor's office. That is left for the Election Tribunal but Destiny has done its work.
But is a child of destiny necessarily a messiah? It depends on the circumstance. The Jews, before the coming of Jesus Christ, were under the iron grip of Roman rule. They were expecting a messiah to come and set them free by launching an insurrection against the Roman empire, overthrowing Pilate and taking over power. They wanted a "political messiah". But Jesus disappointed them by explaining to them the true concept of messiahship as spiritual rather than political. He talked more about renewing their minds and preparing them for the kingdom of God — which he said, to their dismay, was not an earthly one. The rest is history. They killed him.
After years of military dictatorship, Nigerians, likewise, have been waiting for a messiah since civil rule started in 1999. It is not as if our past leaders don't achieve something. President Olusegun Obasanjo, for all his faults and failings, oversaw the expansion of the economy, especially in telecoms, finance and agriculture. President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, from his sick bed initiated the Niger Delta amnesty which saved the nation from collapsing into a failed state. President Goodluck Jonathan, with all his inadequacies, made inroads into the resuscitation of rail and expansion of air, water and road infrastructure, agriculture and local content in the oil industry. But the people rejected him. That means there must be something crucial that touched the people's heart which each of them may have ignored. At the state level both Ex-Governors Victor Attah and Godswill Akpabio excelled in key areas of expansion in infrastructure, health and especially the free education but there is yet a major gap in the people's assessment of both regimes.
The problem has been inability to touch on what matters most to the people: employment. If you like build skyscrapers in the air, as long as the average citizen lacks the means to support himself you are not his messiah. As long as labour force participation rate is low your government would be conducted on print and electronic media not in the people's hearts.
The Akwa Ibom workforce as well as number of job seekers will continue to grow as the earth exist, but under current trends, many workers as well as the numerous unemployed youths do not have the right skills for the available jobs. This accounts for why ExxonMobil, banks and other firms within the state are filled mostly by non-Akwa Ibomites. This must be addressed. Technology is changing the nature of work: Jobs are being disaggregated into tasks, work is becoming virtual, and firms are relying on flexible labor (temporary, contract workers). These trends offer new opportunities for creating jobs, a trend that Gov Udom must fully appreciate and address as part of his "destinic" or "messiahnic" mission.
While I am sure destiny is Devine, messiah is a choice. That is why the Jews are still waiting for one. By virtue of my understanding of Gov Udom's history and consequent journey to government house I believe he is a child of destiny. That is why I have said repeatedly that though I know that Obong UOU would become governor of Akwa Ibom State, that I can say without fear of contradiction would take place after God has finished with Udom. When that would be is what no one can tell. Like Jesus himself confirmed, no one knows the time of the Lord.
But whether Gov Udom would end up a political, economic or religious messiah is his choice. If his decision to focus on the Ibom Deep Seaport is anything to go by, his choice seem economic. I think that is on the right path: the people's choice. According to Karl Max in his dialectic on materialism: man cannot live above his material wellbeing. People can only live as well as their economic standing permits. Improving the people's economic standing is godly. It is a vision only few leaders have caught - the likes of King Solomon, Barrack Obama et al.
The book of 1st Timothy 5 verse 8 captures it clearly that:
"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel".
Without prejudice to the story of the Rich man and Lazarus it seems from the above scripture that a good Christian had better provide for his family. The people know this to be true that is why they pray for any government that focus on making this possible.
Gov Udom therefore has opportunity not only to confirm his destiny child story but the long awaited economic messiah. Whichever path he chose APC should continue to be wary of him because whoever is acting God's script is dangerous to toil with.
James Abang
Writes From Atte-Okiuso Village, Urueoffong/Oruko LGA (08037277620 SMS)
July the 11th 1966 was a Monday. It was like any other day. There was no major event except the announcement of the top 5 hit-records by BBC and on top of the chat was the song Hanky Panky by Tommy James.
However, on that same day a new political book titled CAPABLE OF HONOR written by Allen Drury (winner of Pulitza Prize for fiction 1960) was launched in far away Los Angeles, USA with President Lyndon B. Johnson in attendance. In his short speech at the event President Johnson used the word "destiny" four times, much to the surprise of everyone.
 | |
| His Excellency, Udom G. Emmanuel |
The identification of a child of destiny is a task that has exercised the ingenuity - and revealed the credulity or ignorance - of scholars and visionaries for generations. But identifying them isn't as complicated as prophetic literature makes it seem.
Children of destiny don't necessarily look blue or green to differentiate them from others. For instance Gov Udom Emmanuel isn't white or purple colored; he isn't also a Mr. Six by Six of 1966, ie he isn't six foot tall and six foot wide. He would not qualify for Mr. Macho or some other qualities that stand him out in a crowd in terms of physique. He is just there, an everyday guy - good looking though but nothing out of the ordinary. So why are we talking about him?
The answer is not far from some historical similitude we may consider. First is the story of Joseph. The story of Joseph is common knowledge to Christians and non-Christians alike. But what is not common is the essence. The aspect which people remember is Joseph's dream and its fulfillment. How the brothers bow down for him in fulfillment of his dream. If dream is a cherished ambition, aspiration or ideal, Joseph never had one. Joseph only saw a script prewritten by destiny - not a dream. That was why when he revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt according to Genesis 45:4-8, he told them. Hear him:
"And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life ... And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God".
With above lines Joseph confirmed to his brothers that in selling him to slavery they merely acted a script of destiny. That God indeed do write scripts and whenever he does, the concerned parties have only one option: they have to act it. Every attempt at stoping Joseph was a stepping stone for his next level. Even the courts could not stop him. After Potiphar's wife's misadventure Joseph was taken before the Egyptian court where he was duly tried, found guilty and sentenced according to Egyptian laws. But as the judge struct his hammer to pronounce the sentence he promoted Joseph to the next level because no one could do otherwise. Destiny.
According to Sunny Ikhioya the ways of nature and man are unfathomable, deep and endless. The more we try to find meaning to life, the more it pushes us into deeper search and it goes on and on.
Nelson Mandela was not the foremost freedom fighter South Africa had but destiny thrust him in the forefront of the apartheid struggle, right inside jail , the rest is history. When he died the world stood still for a man who wasted 27 years in prison.
Like my friend Imo Etimudo puts it, Major Patrick Kaduna Nzeogwu staged a coup to evolve a new nation with himself at the helm of affairs. But he wasn't a child of destiny; he failed. Ten years after Nzeogwe came on the scene, Olusegun Obasanjo, a General, took over the mantle of leadership in Nigeria. It was ironical. He was Nzeogwu’s best friend. Yet, when Nzeogwu made his decision to sack the civilian administration, Obasanjo was never carried along. Had he been told, maybe the story of his life might be different. But destiny don't fail. He wasn't among the planners, he may not have dreamt of it, but he did become Nigerian Head of State. Even after he came out of prison his people rejected him, but that didn't stop him from being the president of Nigeria. Destiny planned it. Men executed it.
Goodluck Jonathan grew up at Otuoke in a rural minority ethnic village. Too poor to enjoy shoes as a small boy. He did not deliberately or consciously seek to become deputy governor, governor, vice president and president respectively but he occupied all of these positions with little effort or struggle.
The South-south minority ethnic groups have an abundance of analytically logical, creative and masters of equivocations who would have given Bola Tinubu and his likes a run for their craftiness. But destiny picked a certain Goodluck Jonathan who wasn't just an open book but a sign post with neon light posted on top of Aso Rock with a central switch located in North to control it. What people are killing and dying for, he got effortlessly. Destiny did the job. But when he tried it on his own he failed and said good bye.
Time and space would not permit me to discuss Godswill Akpabio whom no one gave a chance. In fact the day Afe Annang met with the various aspirants from Annang before the party primaries all eyes were on the Late Ime Umana, the Etiebets, the Ukarakpas (Chris Ekpenyong) and the almighty Udoma Bob Ekarika etc. A friend told me that after Late Dr. Ime Umana presented his speech at the gathering, he excused himself out of the venue and the crowd went with him before Godswill Akpabio's turn. Akpabio was left alone like an orphan in a motherless baby home. But from nowhere he became the governor all the same. All the arsenal from the powers that be couldn't stop him. God had a job for him and used him.
While people worked for, build consensus, set up structures at the party both in the state and national level Gov Udom was counting money at Zenith Bank. But from nowhere destiny threw him like a 5000kg discus to the roof of government house smashing everything on the way to rest in the bedroom. The rest is history. Faced with the largest and most coordinated opposition ever witnessed in Akwa Ibom history his destiny prevailed. The more they demonized him and painted him as a political bogeyman the greater they warm him into the hearts of voters. As we speak the debate is still on as to whether he was voted or simply cast-in like spirit into the governor's office. That is left for the Election Tribunal but Destiny has done its work.
But is a child of destiny necessarily a messiah? It depends on the circumstance. The Jews, before the coming of Jesus Christ, were under the iron grip of Roman rule. They were expecting a messiah to come and set them free by launching an insurrection against the Roman empire, overthrowing Pilate and taking over power. They wanted a "political messiah". But Jesus disappointed them by explaining to them the true concept of messiahship as spiritual rather than political. He talked more about renewing their minds and preparing them for the kingdom of God — which he said, to their dismay, was not an earthly one. The rest is history. They killed him.
After years of military dictatorship, Nigerians, likewise, have been waiting for a messiah since civil rule started in 1999. It is not as if our past leaders don't achieve something. President Olusegun Obasanjo, for all his faults and failings, oversaw the expansion of the economy, especially in telecoms, finance and agriculture. President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, from his sick bed initiated the Niger Delta amnesty which saved the nation from collapsing into a failed state. President Goodluck Jonathan, with all his inadequacies, made inroads into the resuscitation of rail and expansion of air, water and road infrastructure, agriculture and local content in the oil industry. But the people rejected him. That means there must be something crucial that touched the people's heart which each of them may have ignored. At the state level both Ex-Governors Victor Attah and Godswill Akpabio excelled in key areas of expansion in infrastructure, health and especially the free education but there is yet a major gap in the people's assessment of both regimes.
The problem has been inability to touch on what matters most to the people: employment. If you like build skyscrapers in the air, as long as the average citizen lacks the means to support himself you are not his messiah. As long as labour force participation rate is low your government would be conducted on print and electronic media not in the people's hearts.
The Akwa Ibom workforce as well as number of job seekers will continue to grow as the earth exist, but under current trends, many workers as well as the numerous unemployed youths do not have the right skills for the available jobs. This accounts for why ExxonMobil, banks and other firms within the state are filled mostly by non-Akwa Ibomites. This must be addressed. Technology is changing the nature of work: Jobs are being disaggregated into tasks, work is becoming virtual, and firms are relying on flexible labor (temporary, contract workers). These trends offer new opportunities for creating jobs, a trend that Gov Udom must fully appreciate and address as part of his "destinic" or "messiahnic" mission.
While I am sure destiny is Devine, messiah is a choice. That is why the Jews are still waiting for one. By virtue of my understanding of Gov Udom's history and consequent journey to government house I believe he is a child of destiny. That is why I have said repeatedly that though I know that Obong UOU would become governor of Akwa Ibom State, that I can say without fear of contradiction would take place after God has finished with Udom. When that would be is what no one can tell. Like Jesus himself confirmed, no one knows the time of the Lord.
But whether Gov Udom would end up a political, economic or religious messiah is his choice. If his decision to focus on the Ibom Deep Seaport is anything to go by, his choice seem economic. I think that is on the right path: the people's choice. According to Karl Max in his dialectic on materialism: man cannot live above his material wellbeing. People can only live as well as their economic standing permits. Improving the people's economic standing is godly. It is a vision only few leaders have caught - the likes of King Solomon, Barrack Obama et al.
The book of 1st Timothy 5 verse 8 captures it clearly that:
"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel".
Without prejudice to the story of the Rich man and Lazarus it seems from the above scripture that a good Christian had better provide for his family. The people know this to be true that is why they pray for any government that focus on making this possible.
Gov Udom therefore has opportunity not only to confirm his destiny child story but the long awaited economic messiah. Whichever path he chose APC should continue to be wary of him because whoever is acting God's script is dangerous to toil with.
James Abang
Writes From Atte-Okiuso Village, Urueoffong/Oruko LGA (08037277620 SMS)
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