Idorenyin Umoh: A True Symbol of Wealth Creation for Akwa Ibom
By Benjamin Jimmy
There is a huge human consciousness that perhaps has been revealed through social dynamics and the study of existentialism that some individuals exist in a society principally to be a beacon of hope and a fountain of ‘life’ from which others who may be disadvantaged by incidents or circumstances of life draw sustenance.
Interestingly, most of these individuals who choose to live for others in turn live for themselves, may have struggled through the vicissitudes of life to be where they are today. Sometimes, the level of impact they create is eternally colossal to form an enduring record of history of achievers, but most times, a little or nothing is told about them.
However, as paradoxical as this may sound, there is one man whose life of many years on earth can best be described as a metaphor of life of help for others. He may not have been said to have achieved the earth, as it were, but certainly, he is the unsung hero in the business of wealth creation; hero in turning small fragmented ideas into wealth.
Hon. Idorenyin Umoh one man but too many. He is a wealth creator and a successful businessman. He has beckoned many businesses that started with no hope of blossoming through his intentional and very consistent financial support to such businesses as his contributions to human capital development which, unfortunately, has either been misconstrued, abused or mispractised by some politicians who have a different thinking of what truly is human capital development.
Hon. Idorenyin Umoh, as an unsung hero of Ibiono Ibom extraction, has rendered so many managerial and supervisory knowledge to most businesses that he started for the downtrodden and the ones he recused from imminent closure.
The amazing thing is that he has been offering this unquantifiable assistance to businesses before he ever thought of venturing into politics.
One can say faultlessly that Hon Idorenyin Umoh is a philanthropist with a difference in creating wealth for the people within and outside his local government area – Ibiono Ibom. In all of these, surprisingly, Umoh has chosen not to be sung as an achiever, rather, he has simply made himself exemplary of what humanity ought to represent; a cynosure of a secret help but an open impact.
Interestingly, when Hon Idorenyin Umoh became a member, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly few years ago, he was very decisive in his policy thrust for his people and very precise in investing all he would ever worked for, in wealth creation.
This deliberate action plan, apparently, was inspired by his simple humanity: a man who grew from little to stardom. This is the thinking he has that has redefined his purpose and the very essence of living.
From all human considerations, Hon Idorenyin Umoh deserves a chronicle of his achievements that he has chosen to express in human manifestations.
This is so because creating wealth appears to be his obsession, and some years after as a member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly who represented the good people of Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, his passion for creating and raising businesses remains an unquenchable flame of fire.
One case in point is his long standing computer institute of global recognition – the IBBIL Computers. Established in 1997 in Uyo as an ICT organization with training, consultancy sales and services departments, Hon. Umoh has, through this institution, trained many businessmen and entrepreneurs most of whom have soared to the sky like an eagle.
He has also connected so many businesses to the ICT world which is now a major driver of any economy. Little wonder the vision of the institute is:
“To prepare the African child for life and work in the digital age”. He philosophizes that not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much, especially to those who may not necessarily have anything, but are willing to make something out of nothing.
Another admiration of this practically- oriented entrepreneur is his mixed understanding of governance, business, management and leadership as an Integral part of human set up.
Hon Idorenyin Umoh is a blend of wisdom and leadership. Having equipped himself for leadership before now, through his broad exposure, personal development and the practise of building businesses, he has become a prepared tool ready to govern Akwa Ibom State from 2023.
Many see him as the right man for the right job and at the right time. The reason is that the leadership of the state, more than ever, requires not just the finest of politician, but a politician who has a vision of creating wealth for the people, with a track record no man can fault.
This is because the world obviously is shifting towards wealth creation through ICT, and therefore, Hon Idorenyin Umoh is the very understanding of this global paradigm.
Besides being the best man for the job, Hon Idorenyin Umoh’s aspiration is timely because, by all political arrangements and a deal of justice, this time is supposed to be the turn of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency to produce the next governor of the state.
An allusion to history reveals that Akwa Ibom State was founded on six divisions of Abak, Eket, Ikot Ekpene, Itu, Okpobo (Ikot Abasi), and Uyo.
But on account of some political expediency, two of the divisions were merged to form a senatorial district, namely; Abak and Ikot Ekpene in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District; Eket and Okpobo (Ikot Abasi) in Eket Senatorial District; and Uyo and Itu in Uyo Senatorial District. Interestingly, Uyo Senatorial District has three federal constituencies: Etinan, Itu and Uyo.
In 1992, the Etinan Federal Constituency produced a governor in the person of Obong Akpan Isemin as the first civilian governor of the state. Similarly, Uyo Federal Constituency took its shot in 1999 when it produced Arc. Obong Victor Attah as the governor.
From this simple political calculation, it is obvious that this is the turn of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency to also have a feel of governorship; else it becomes a broad-day rape on justice, equity and fairness.
So, Hon Idorenyin Umoh is not a political accident waiting to happen. He is not a mistaken intention either. He is strategically positioned based on the historical perspective of the political arrangements entered into, by the old fathers of the state many years ago. He is socially, mentally and politically prepared for the re-engineering of the creative spirit of a typical Akwa Ibom man.
Therefore, as more aspirants declare for governorship of the state, it is instructive that Akwa Ibom people should think capacity and an outstanding wealth creation hero in the person of Hon Idorenyin Umoh. The state will be better if a man like Umoh who knows how to raise small businesses to stardom is given the leadership of the state in 2023.
Jimmy, a journalist and public commentator, writes from Ekput Village, Ibiono Ibom LGA, Akwa Ibom State