Of Umo Eno, 5 Millionaires and the Next Generation
‘Teach the people how to fish; they will not ask you for fish but will teach others. Teach the people to be dependent, you will become the only rising star. When you are gone, only your story will be told…’ Anonymous
The declarative statement of fact by frontline Governorship aspirant of the Peoples’Democratic Party, PDP, in Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno that within a year of being sworn in as Governor, he will raise 5 millionaires in each of the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom state, has not gone down well with some persons who feel it is an impossibility.
The declaration was made while speaking at the consultative visit to the youths of Uyo Senatorial District.
“If you give me an opportunity to be your governor, I promise that in my first one year of being in office, we will raise 5 millionaires in each of our local government areas, not by giving them money but by teaching them how to make their money.” he declared.
My Facebook timeline became a boxing ground between those in favour of Pastor Umo Eno’s declaration and those against. One of the comments said, “Did you ask him how he’s going to do it? Or is he going to be dashing 5 people one million each within a year?”.
The second comment I will like to share says, “The truth is that it is actually possible to raise 5 millionaires per each local government but only if he is sincere which is doubtful because there is no record that he has raised one as a commissioner/ business man, so how does he intend to do it?
How many did his principal the governor create? Remember he is still part of the system. What did they do? What did he do?
Secondly, even when you empower the youth to establish business, the economy situation right now is hard and difficult, where is the market? Because you won’t eat your products which make it unrealistic.
Thirdly, Government duties is to create an enabling environment for business and not trying to create business or millionaires. Why not look at power? We have Ibom power with so much investment by the government since Attah to the present administration and today, we have nothing to show for it. If we have power in this state, a lot of business will benefit, industries will relocate here on their own and Akwa Ibom will become an industrial hub.
Power is one of the greatest expenditures of any industry so if we have it in place, wow, this state will become a mecca for industries”.
While not stopping anyone from holding whatever opinion about Pastor Umo Eno, it is important to throw light on the aforesaid promise of raising 5 millionaires per local government.
First is the fact that Pastor Umo Eno will not be dashing people one people money in the name of raising millionaires. That is, we should banish the idea that he will provide physical cash to the 155 persons or transfer same to their account to make them instant millionaires.
The import of that declaration is that he will provide the needed environment, resources, training and empowerment for the 155 persons from the 31 LGAs to exploit, explore and transform their skills, talents and business ideas into a money-making venture that will transform them into millionaires.
The central message of Umo Eno’s consultation has been that of skills education, training and empowerment of youths, ICT application and support for knowledge economy. He has laid emphasis on the need to raise the next generation of business leaders who will be independent, self-reliant, job and wealth creators. On other words, he will create the enabling platform for citizens to learn how to fish rather than depending on handouts and peanuts.
Therefore raising 5 millionaires per local government means identifying, training and supporting youths with skills and business ideas with machines, money and other resources to create millions for themselves. This is akin to what AKEES achieved under the Elder Ufot Ebong experiment and what the Directorate of Marketing and Branding under Hon. Ime Uwah is doing currently.
In Akwa Ibom we have seen the rise of young entrepreneurs doing the state proud in their various ventures. Blessing Emma (Mma Ekpang) invented the ekpang nkukwo flour, used for preparing one of Akwa Ibom’s most delicious meals. We have Utibe Akwa (Mma Custard) renowned for producing all flavours of custard flour that has brought laurels to the state. I cannot forget Aniebiet Francis (Mma Amazing Ekwong), one of the supporters of Made in Akwa Ibom goods, for her role in local movie production and involvement in preparing delicious snail.
Need I also mention Happiness (Mma nuts) who resigned from her place of work to engage in production and sales of baked foods and snacks of all types. The list is endless.
The raising of 5 millionaires per LGA means that when he comes on stream, Umo Eno will be supporting the development and growth of SMEs regarded as the engine room of any economy. Given his entrepreneurial acumen, he has taken to heart the words of President Paul Kigame of Rwanda who said, “we must create economic opportunity, build a culture of entrepreneurship, get people to take responsibility for improving their lives, rather than putting them in a position where they sit back in poverty and blame others for it”. Raising 5 millionaires per LGA entails raising a business conscious generation with eyes, ears and cravenness for business; flare for managing men, material and human resources to attain results and the knack to creates jobs and wealth from the scratch by identifying and building businesses and individuals and helping other to find their feet in life.
To further amplify what he mean, Umo Eno had once said, “I know how to connect the dots. I know how to fix issues from scratch to completion. I will bring same experience to the fore in fixing challenges facing Akwa Ibom. I have a blue print that will encourage job and wealth creation. Let us go beyond the days our youths carry placards and wait at Plaza for those who share money. The monies shared there won’t last a day. We must equip our youths from now own with requisite skills to compete intellectually and become job and wealth creators. We must teach our youths how to fish and not depend on others for fish. I started from the streets of Lagos before relocating to Akwa Ibom State. I started my business from the scratch.
Today I employ more than 500 persons. That is my story and I challenge our youths to engage in meaningful ventures that will help their families and society grow”.
Umo Eno understands the postulations of Dudley Seers (1969) who noted that for development to take place, it is important to ask what has happened to poverty, unemployment and inequality and that a reduction in these will guarantee prosperity. Raising millionaires in each of the local government areas means Given helping to raise the living levels, that is incomes and consumption, level of food, medical services, creating conditions conducive to the growth of peoples’ self-esteem through the establishment of social, political and economic systems and institutions which promote human dignity and respect as well as increasing peoples’ freedom to choose by enlarging the range of their choice variables such as varieties of goods and services.
The man who made the promise to raise 5 millionaires per LGA is a top businessman who has risen from crass poverty to sheer prosperity; has parlayed influence into affluence, fell off a cliff and built a plane on his way down. He is energetic and enthusiastic, uncompromising, yet realistic; impossibility has no space in his lexicon. With just tenacity of purpose and a strong devotion to his dreams, he bestrides, successfully, the gap between creativity and commerce. From hospitality, property and real estate, to clean water provision, dry cleaning, oil and gas and lately public service, Umoh’s protean productivity and impeccable business acumen, spotting goldmine where many see landmines, have set him apart from the crowd as no overnight sensation. In specific terms and frankly speaking, it would not be profanation to say that Pastor Umoh is not a run-of-the-mill successful entrepreneur fixated on lining his pocket and thriving on cronyism. He thrives rather on giving back to the society more than he has ever made from it without recourse to tokenism.
Umo Eno understands that when you teach the people how to fish; they will not ask you for fish but will teach others. He knows that when you teach the people to be dependent, you will become the only rising star and when you are gone, only your story will be told and society will pay for it. Each Local Government Area of the state has natural and other endowments which has to be harnessed for the benefit of all. Youths of 31 Local Government Areas must take advantage of this opportunity and begin to position themselves for the benefits ahead.
Therefore raising 5 millionaires per Local Government Area is a passionate and genuine attempt by Umo Eno to change the narrative and ensure that youths of the state are encouraged to identify and make use of their God-given talents as well as find their feet in life.
Aluu Vincent, research scholar and Publisher Naija Eye Witness News contributes this piece from Uyo. 08036688375.
