By Aniekeme Finbarr
He is a man you will definitely fall in love with, I mean at first sight. Fair, graceful, classy and ravishing. A man exceptionally blessed by nature with a distinctively seductive charm powered by finely chiseled features and an endearing frame. His sparkling well-shaped face invites you to a unique personality and that comely face finishes off with a robust cheek and supple chin. His eyes, ever bright, firmly rooted and boldly looking out from their sockets. The portrait is incomplete if you never notice the dark, curly and defining moustache sitting atop his well curved nostrils, mostly lined. His mouth is put into place by a pair of chubby, pinkish and smooth lips. And to compliment his striking and snazzy outlook is a crawling pair of rainbow-like curved eyebrows. And there is that disarming smile permanently tattooed on his face The totality of his face emits innocence, confidence, integrity and finesse. Meet the amazing captain of Team Akwa Ibom; Udom Emmanuel. He is 50!
Governor Udom Emmanuel's life has indeed been a study in success and hard work, passion and excellence. His gentlemanly credentials are further appreciated from the dapper dignity of his appearance to the brisk, pragmatic intentions of his movements, the wisdom, insight of his writings, the clear and precise tone of his speeches and the authority and discipline with which he carries himself in his private and public live. He exhibits an uncommon and calm disposition, never wavering in his inner strength and belief in God. A well exposed and widely traveled man, committed, dedicated and confident ever to succeed. He is not easily angered, very patient and listens to all sides before taking a stand. Governor Udom Emmanuel reposes confidence in people, especially in the younger generation, a meticulous man, prudent in his managerial projections and will not dare pursue anything in life that has not satisfied his critical and measured standards.
Monday, July 11, 1966 has found its way into the history books for all good reasons and will remain there for eternity. A beautiful woman went into labour and expected a baby. Her bundle of joy came forth and behold, she smiled. It was a boy. Baby Udom was born. The pains of labour were gone. The Prophet Jeremiah equally had a word about this baby, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you as my chosen instrument, and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you…” And young Udom grew under the watch of his parents with the fear of the lord.
Udom's early background of birth was in the then rural Ukanafun Local Government Area where his father was teaching. He schooled there, had his secondary school education at Community Secondary School, Ikot Akpan Eshiet in Onna Local Government Area. He later attended the School of Art and Science, Uyo where bagged an A Level in November, 1981/1982. The turning point in his life came when he gained admission to the Prestigious University of Lagos where he studied Accounting. He graduated with a second class upper degree. There he mingled with other youths from every part of Nigeria and the world. He was an outstanding student. He couldn’t have ended it there. He also holds a Masters Degree in Corporate Governance from Leeds Metropolitan University. Governor Udom Emmanuel is a stickler for Education.
He has attended numerous Offshore Courses / Executive Management Programmes- Advanced Management Programme (AMP) from INSTEAD in France, Advanced Leadership Management Programme, London Business School. He has also attended Harvard Business School where he undertook the course, Changing The Game: Negotiation and Competitive Decision-Making. He also has attended the Wharton Business School in the United States of America where he studied Strategic Thinking and Management For Competitive Advantage. Udom Emmanuel underwent too an Executive Leadership Programme at the Columbia Business School, United States of America. He also done two courses at Euromoney in London. Udom's academic records are a clear testimony of his intelligence, hard work and perseverance.
Udom Emmanuel is a model for professional excellence. Diligent, hardworking and committed. In a short span, he has risen very highly is professional practice becoming a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), Fellow of Institute of Financial Management which he attained in 2005. He is also an Associate of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (ACIT). After leaving the University, he worked at Pricewaterhouse from 1988 to 1994. PricewaterhouseCoopers is a multinational professional services network. It is the world's second largest professional services network, as measured by 2013 revenues, and is one of the Big Four auditors , along with Deloitte , Ernst & Young (EY) and KPMG. PwC is a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 184,000 people. Udom Emmanuel served as Audit Manager, Financial Services at PwC in 1993. He started out his banking career at Diamond Bank Limited in 1994 where he speedily rose to Head, Special Projects Department responsible for multilateral Agency Projects which included IDF and IBRD.
From there, he joined Zenith Bank PLC in 1996 from where he rose through the ranks till he started bagging Board Appointments. Udom Emmanuel was appointed an Executive Director with effect from December 2006 till when he accepted the call to be Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government. He was also Non - Executive Director, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) from 2010. He served as Director, Nigerian Interbanks Settlement System (NIBBS) from 2009 to 2011. At Zenith Bank PLC, he was also, Non Executive Director, Zenith Bank, Uk Ltd, Zenith Bank Gambia, Zenith Bank Sierra Leone, Zenith Insurance, Zenith Pension and Custodian, Zenith Securities, Zenith Trustees and Zenith Registrars. On May 29, 2015, he was sworn in as Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
At 50, I have been so impressed with the strides of the Akwa Ibom State Governor. The fruits of his life so far can be likened to a course worthy to be studied by anybody wishing to succeed in life. I specially celebrate him as a mentor, a savvy, purpose-driven, value-maximizing and thoroughbred professional whose driving force hinges on the fundamental need to make a difference. His achievements have had no magic wand other than his commitment to excellence which derives its finer stuff from hard work, dedication and recourse to endless prayers.
As Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel has brought sincerity, passion, sacrifice and diligence to the table. In the face of wrenching economic hardship, he has piloted the ship of state steadily, taking with it the accompanying attacks, insults and unwarranted shots.
Your Excellency, may your birthday and every day be filled with the warmth of sunshine, the happiness of smiles, the sounds of laughter, the feeling of love and the sharing of good cheer. I wish you have a wonderful day and that the years ahead is filled with much love, many wonderful surprises and gives you lasting memories that you will cherish in all the years ahead. Enjoy your birthday knowing that wisdom has come with your age. May you live a thousand years and may each year have a fifty thousand days. Just know that to the world you may be one person, but to me you may are the world and the world celebrates you today. You are the jasmine that grows in the front yard, the beauty that is visible. Keep that love for the people of Akwa Ibom State aglow. God doesn't count the candles on your cake or the money in the bank, but the love in your soul. Fortunately, he can count yours really high.
Turning fifty is when you will realize that life is not a race, it is a wonderful prize. You will start slowing down and begin to cherish, even the quirky moments that once seemed garish. Such is life after fifty – beautiful, captivating and utterly heavenly. You are in the best phase of life. You can complain that your knees ache when you don’t want to go to work and you can say that you feel young at heart when you want to travel. Now that you have turned fifty, you are officially allowed to be forgetful, have selective memory and only remember the things that make you smile. Celebrating your 50th birthday is one of the greatest feats one can ever achieve. Being in this world for about half century is no easy achievement. As you look back on five wonderful decades of your life, as you cherish every moment with your kids, your wife and the good people of Akwa Ibom State, as you think about those hard struggles and those beautiful days, I wish you a Happy Birthday Sir!
Comments
Post a Comment