By Raphael Edem, KSM

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” – John Wesley

The past few years of working as a government appointee have taught me a few lessons. I have learnt to fit into the mould of a public servant, to moderate what I say, where and how I say it. I have to be careful not to give a wrong impression of my employer. This has reduced my aptitude to speak up on a number of things, lest it be misconstrued as official position of the government that I serve.

In that time, I have let many things slide and resisted the urge to comment on a number of issues I would ordinarily love to hold a public opinion. However, the issue I am about to write on borders on me as a person and, by extension, my family. I have sounded out a few close people on this issue and I have been advised to put this out for the record, so that nobody holds a lie against me in the future. This is the reason I am doing this publicly and I write in my personal capacity.

Last Monday, the ever cerebral Michael Bush wrote an article entitled Christmas as a golden opportunity, in his weekly newspaper column, Talking Nonsense, in Daily Sun. He enjoined us to leave the baggage of 2022 behind as we get into 2023. I am heeding this advice. I crave closure on something that has bothered me over the past eight months.

I have been a beneficiary of the magnanimity of many people. I have received gifts, commendations and recommendations from all kinds of people, including those I do not know. God, in his infinite goodness, has sent me messengers of destiny on more occasions than I can count. Also, I always strive to assist in my own way anyone who comes my way with an issue I can put in a word or make a recommendation.

I always try to put into practice the quote attributed to John Wesley, which precedes this piece. I do not consider it a big deal, if it is something I can do. However, this particular instance is such that almost broke me, especially because of the person, the circumstances and the location of the incident I am about to narrate. Still, I am grateful.

I have been privileged to be involved in the organisation of Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols Festival since its inception in 2008. One of our major concerns every year has always been getting enough of our home-based gospel artistes to complement the ones from outside Uyo. This almost put me on a collision course with my brother, Bobby Friga, and a few other persons some years ago. To accommodate more and cause less friction, we have set up special bands, fused artistes together to do a medley, and even assisted some artistes to prepare them for that global stage.

This is exactly what happened in 2017 when a veteran gospel artiste who seemed to have been out of circulation was given the platform to lead the praise and worship session of the Carols. A few days after the event, I visited his residence to deliver a message to him and I left unhappy at the state which I saw him. We had a discussion about a few things concerning his life, ministry and family and I left with a heavy burden on my mind. Not long after that, my friend, Utang Akwa Ibom, invited the same man to sing at an event held at QIC, Ikot Ekpene Road.

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Utang reiterated to me the need for the man to be assisted and I told him that I had already decided to see how I could get him some help. As God would have it, I had an opportunity to speak to my boss about the man and the need to assist him. After stating my case, my boss asked me to reach out to him and ask him what he wants. I drove to the man’s residence in Etinan and without giving him much detail about my mission, I asked him what his major problem was.

He told me that the only problem he had at that time was a lack of music instruments for his band, adding that this would greatly help him as he would hire out the instruments as well as use them for his own engagements rather than hiring from others. As much as this made sense, I still was bothered at the state in which I saw him. I asked him about the house which he stayed in. He said it was his mother’s house, as he had no house of his own.

I reported his request to my boss, but humbly implored that rather than givie him music instruments as he desired, a house should be built for him. I told my boss that anybody could give him instruments, but that I felt he needed a house more. My boss then asked me to build a bungalow for him. I reached out to my friend, Arc. Iyakeno Nnah, of Crewline Limited, who gave me the bill of quantities for a four-bedroom bungalow. My boss gave me the money and I proceeded to engage Crewline Limited to build him a house.

In the course of the project, I went there almost every day to supervise. On one of those days, Ndiana-Abasi Nana Udom, who went with me, made some useful suggestions which enhanced the functionality of the house. In a matter of months, I had completed the house, with a septic tank and running water, screeded it, painted it, installed lighting and sanitary fittings, wardrobes, kitchen cabinets. I even bought furniture for the living room.

I was directed to build him a house. The fittings and light furnishing I did weren’t part of my brief. The architect did a good job of judiciously using the resources. So, we achieved more.

While carrying out this assignment, I found out that the man came from the same village as a serving commissioner in the state. I casually mentioned to the commissioner that I had been directed by my boss to build a house for the man. I also mentioned that the man had actually asked for music equipment. The commissioner told me that he knew the man and went ahead to commit that he would donate music equipment to the man on the day the house would be officially presented to him.

As it were, I completed the project and handed it over to the beneficiary. There was to be an official presentation but the reason it didn’t hold is not necessary to state here. I handed the keys of the house over to him and went my way. It bears mentioning though that the man and his wife were always around and excited all through the period of the construction, with the wife generously giving me vegetables from her farm on two occasions.

– By Raphael Edem, KSM